Run

Run

by Catherine Wyckoff

Crunch. Pop Crunch. Pop.

The sound of her shoes crunching gravel filled her ears as she ran. She tried to put as much distance between her and that horrid place as she could. She would not end up like the others.

The trail turned and as she ran down it, the only thing illuminating the trail was the light from her headlamp and the quarter moon. The cloudy sky partially obscured it as she ran harder than she had ever run before.

She could see her breath coming out as her oxygen-deprived lungs pounded. Her legs screamed out for release, her heart pounding adrenaline into them. Her brain tried to function with its flight mode kicked in.

Sweat dripped into her eyes, making her sight blurry. It caused her to miss her footing and she tumbled to the trail, landing on her hands as she tried to catch herself. Pain filled her body as a rocks drove into her hip and agony radiated from her ankle.

She tried pushing herself off the ground, growling at the pain.

Run, don't stop! she thought.

The words ran through her head as she heard the voice of John screaming them at her.

A tear ran down her face. She had to survive! Their deaths could not be in vain.

Solidifying her will, she pushed her hands into the ground, feeling the roughness of her injured palms digging into the rocks on the trail.

She stopped at the sound of rustling from her right, drawing her head to the tree line. Her headlamp illuminated the area, the light casting shadows as it moved with her head, the shadows moving with her.

Her heavy breathing caused the light to wobble. She steadied herself, breathing in and out, trying to convince herself there was nothing in view. She turned her head and focused on getting up. She didn't have time to be distracted, although the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up as a danger warning.

She pushed up. Her ankle would not comply. She let out a quiet moan as she pushed her body up, her muscles protesting with every move.

She took one step, then another. yelling at herself. “You have to move!” She began to limp forward, the quiet of the night becoming even more evident. Not even the sound of bugs could be heard over her quick and shallow breaths.

As she started down the trail, the light exposed her path and excitement filled her. I can make it! As the path straightened out, showing the long trail in front of her, a loud bang filled the air.

She stopped at the scene in front of her, shocked at what was happening.

How? she thought. It was not possible

The light from her headlamp reflected slightly back at her.

She slowly looked down at her chest, seeing the truth.

She screamed out in pain before sinking to the ground. Anger and frustration filled her over her own dismay. Her friends had trusted her with their lives and she had failed them. No one would ever know.

She could feel her blood pooling on her chest, dying red her favorite outfit from her dead boyfriend. Her body collapsed and her head hit the ground. Her headlamp slid off and landed sideways, illuminating part of the trail and the now clearing sky.

A set of nice, patent leather shoes stopped just inside the light as a voice carried over the night.

“They told you to run and this is as far as you got? Too bad. You were almost there.”

A tear ran down her face as the last heartbeat echoed in her body.

The End