a paranoid schizophrenic on the bus; i noticed him first when he started making these oddly mechanical hand motions, as if he was trying to flatten a piece of paper in the air in front of him while exhaling sharply. it was almost like a snort, but more like air escaping from an overinflated tire for one quick moment before being pinched shut. he looked around quickly, head snapping up and down, left and right, as if it was on a gear attached to his spine, and then, under the guise of wiping his nose or chewing a hangnail, he’d furtively snap a fist against his mouth, lips pressed against his thumb like he was whispering into a tiny microphone. his eyes shot left and right while he mumbled furiously into his clenched hand.