The Chase

I stood there my back bent, my head bowed, my legs taut, my forehead knotted, my eyes burning with the sweat from my brow, my temples throbbing in anticipation, waiting, listening… The noon sun was relentless. It burned the back of my neck. But that was the least of my problems. There were others besides me in the same state as I was in. All of us waiting, listening…

The Man had taken his stance as the end of our lineup. He had a gun. The gun was holstered, his fingers hovered on the holster, the holster was unlocked and the lip of the holster, open. He looked at us like a butcher looking at the sacrificial lambs with an expression that conveyed nothing. He was doing his job. He was asked to shoot, no questions asked. And he knew his job well.

“God”, I thought, “If only I could run away… If only once… if only once, I could run faster than a bullet!”

I looked down one last time at the mud trial we were standing on. There was a puddle there. I had lost a lot of water. “When I get out of here”, I thought, “I am going to treat myself with lots of water.”

“Its time” the guy next to me muttered. I looked up one last time. Through the corner of my eye I saw the fingers of the Man itching. It WAS time.

CRACK!!! The gun cracked. I forgot everything. My legs got wings. I lept…

I saw someone fall down. I felt nothing. I ran. There was a goal. I just had to run. And run I did.

I looked back and I saw that they were hounding me. The Game was on!!!

I clenched my fist, grit my jaws and thrust myself forward. My heart was drumming at its limit, my stomach knotted, my legs furiously beating the ground. My nails dug itself into my palm. I felt nothing, heard nothing. My goal was clear… To run… And run I did…

They were gaining distance on me. Adrenaline surged through me. I panicked. And panic granted me strength. I put my last ounce in. I had to.

Then suddenly it was over. I stopped, they stopped… My heart swelled with emotion. I broke down… I cried… I shook hand with the Man… And why not? After all I had won the running race!!! :)