With the "lifted" way that the Leila and Laura are transported, this seems a rather weak grasp for the chaos/crowdedness of their travel...I think this phrase shows how Leila is out of touch with her literal experience, doesn't take ownership or responsibility for what happens ("lifted" implies a third party who lifts), and yet still experiences things even though her grip (ha) on reality is weak.

Yet another phrase that has to do with the complicated relationship between internal/external? The comparison of the shoes to birds that "chase each other" seems to be the opposite of what we saw in the car - here, Leila is project her sense of freedom that she experiences internally to interpret and give meaning to things she sees externally.

A genius use of a phrase - describes Leila's physical separation and location from the rest of the group, but also her emotional/internal separation from her external experience! Also gives me slight Cinderella complex vibes..