Your eyes meet as she adjusts her pink stetson hat. Rhinestones glitter and flash. She flares her nostrils, grinds her heels into the soft foam floor, before heaving herself onto your aching spine. You buck as they chant and squeal – Yeehaw! Ride em’ cowgirl! With one final harsh jolt she topples off, a mess of limbs, sequins and baby pink feathers. Another readies herself for the fight, squatting low before hurling herself at you. And in that moment, you long to be young and without fault. You yearn for the battle, to be the unconquerable mechanical beast once more.

Tisha Pitkin is a writer, filmmaker and artist living in London. She spends her time people watching, and especially enjoys hearing snippets of funny conversations. Find her writing on Twitter, @Tisha_Josephine, and her comics on Instagram, @blob_about_town.