The run

She waited as the crowd was getting ready for a fight. In the midst of all the noise she tried to find him, doubted if he would be there but she knew better. At first his voice was barely audible but it was there. Like a summer breeze blowing through the dry leafs of an elm tree. Whispering. 'Are you sure?' he said. His voice quietly touching her cheek, speaking to her the way she remembered him. She smiled. Planted her feet firmly in the ground, straightened her back, loosened her shoulders and shook her head. 'You can't' he said and than everything went quiet. The serenity of the moment calmed down her breathing. This is it! NOW!

The first two miles hit her like a barrel of bricks and for a minute she felt like Paddy after writing his sicknote. She leaned on his voice asking her 'why are you doing this again? What are you trying to proof by doing this? You're not like this, you are not tough enough'. The crowd hurdled and pushed her forward. Even if she wanted to get out, she simply couldn't. That's it. Yet another smile lifted her spirit as she focused on the steady rhythm of soles slapping the ashfalt. He was gone. Her mind and her vision seemed to clear. Fully aware of her surroundings now she trotted on. Listening to every breath the crowd took. In. Out. On every fourth step. Steady, calm and certain. No doubt about it. This crowd was ready. She was ready.

The crowd was disappearing. Where did they go? Was that her knee? Yes it was. A sharp sting on the left side of her left knee. Take it down a bit. 'Yes that's it. Slow down. You don't need to do this you know.' He was back. His voice growing stronger, hissing in her ear now. 'Come on nobody will mind. Nobody will even care. Nobody notices you anyway so why are you still here?' She tried to ignore him but somehow his voice kept getting louder. 'One point zero miles to go' the robotic voice of her running app said. A girl next to her smiled at her. And as sudden as he appeared, he was gone and he took her aches and pains with him. She sighed in relieve as she felt the need to speed up and did.

The crowd turned a corner and all at the sudden a wave of cheers, faces, music, ticker tape and the loud voice of a sports commentator came rolling over them. Suffocating them. Screaming at them. And as the audience was screaming, so was he. 'YOU WILL NOT! I FORBID YOU! DON'T YOU DARE!' but she shut him out. Heels hitting her butt, ears pounding, lungs burning, legs on fire. She killed his screams for attention, ignoring him every step of the way and than it was over. As she walked away from the lanes she held up her medal and took a selfie. He was back. 'Next time..you just wait...next time' he said. 'I love you' she replied. 'I hate you' he said. 'I know' she answered and she smiled as she walked away and stretched out her arms in victory