Running Out

Breathing fast, heavy, gaping, gasping for breath. She ran with her whole body engaged. Not one part of her thinking of anything but running. Any move she made was a reaction to her surroundings. Dodging obstacles. Turning corners. Leaping boundaries.

There were rules but she did not heed them. There was common sense but that had long been a stranger in her world. When it got too hard she did have room for thought. But no time. Not time enough to let the thought come full circle. When an idea came, she was usually otherwise occupied, not able to do anything about it. She’d try to swallow the words, to remember it any way she could. But sure enough, with pen and paper at the ready, the idea would escape her.

So she was chasing her latest idea. It had been a beauty. The catalyst was the smile he had given in the dark. It led her down meandering paths of unexpected joy. She couldn’t wait to write. The words she imagined almost always kept her heartache at bay. Except for when she acknowledged the words formed a mirror that reflected her. But this time the words would be a salve. If only she could grasp them, catch them before they got away.