Oh god… How long do I have to keep running? I couldn’t see the finish line yet. I’m no Pheidippides who ran from Marathon to Athens and I don’t want to collapse and die like him too.
The sun burns my skin. The cloud did not bother to shade me. I can feel my sweat droplets on my skin. My T-shirt is starting to stick. It’s not a desert so why am I feeling dry.
Must. Keep. Running. One step at a time. Left. Right. Left. Right. One… Two… One… Two…
Must breathe. Out of air. No oxygen. The lactic acid in my knees. Inhale… Exhale…
This is not the end. Not yet. No pain no gain.
Alright, I’ll walk at the next turn.
Am I seeing things? An angel? No, I haven’t reached the next turn. Each step is heavier. Felt like chained to a big boulder. Felt like running in the sand. Felt like I’m not moving at all.
Need water. Need extra energy.
Don’t fail on me yet, body.
“Hey-hey Jati, are you okay?” Agnes looked worried. I tripped myself just now.
I’m pretty sure that I will be the first victim if we ran from a bear, a wolf, or a cheetah. I will get caught by the zombie too in a zombie apocalypse. Pathetic.
“Jati, you’re barely running a hundred metres. Let’s go.” Pip offered his hand, encourage me.
Looks like my ordeal is not over yet. A second chance has been given to me.
Photo by Jake Blucker on Unsplash