Spring. Orange lilies and Gerberas blossom in the field, spreading a warmth of possibilities. You retire your winter garments, replacing them with the open-toed sandals you've anticipated wearing since winter settled in like a thick, wool blanket. With spring in your step, you make your way
into the trenches of the urban jungle before realizing the warfare you are about to face. 

You hadn't noticed it before; with your feet safely covered in boots all you worried about was clutching your many belongings while riding the subway. Now, in your more vulnerable state, suddenly everyone looks suspicious - even that 55-year-old lady in the nurse's uniform, carrying a spike-tipped
umbrella. You tread slowly, avoiding the crowded throngs of people along the platform and dodging commuters like leapfrog on a lily pad.  The train is crowded and you brace yourself for the unavoidable. You spot a seat on the other side of the car and decide to take the perilous journey, one step at a time. Your freshly manicured toes curl up in protest.

Drudging on, you can't help but notice a construction worker's steel-toed boots out of the corner of your eye. Your steps become labored as your defense system moves to Defcon 2, but you still proceed. His metal-infused shoe comes crashing quickly down, but it misses your toes by a fraction of a
second, thanks to your quick thinking and counter-intelligence tactics. Your heart tremors subside and you let out a sigh of relief and close your eyes with relaxation. That's when you feel the sharp pain of an unassuming businessmans wing-tipped shoes crushing your toes.
 

Sabrina Hartel is a writer and photographer, but moonlights as a born-again college student on the side to feed her cat Kaze--and puzzle her husband Markus. She can be reached at sabrina.hartel@gmail.com