The Girl

She ran and ran and ran, never looking back or thinking about any of it, just the ground, the grass, the roads and sidewalks getting closer and closer only to disappear beneath and behind her. She put it all between herself and the place she had once called home. She wasn't thinking about where or how far she was running, she just knew she wasn't running fast enough. Alone; she did not see the people on the streets all around her. A few people saw her careening along and wondered how long a person could keep up such a pace or why anyone would want to run like that.

She pushed and forced her aching legs harder and faster and faster until the pain absolutely went to her head causing everything to drift by in slow time like a nightmare about running from something unseen, expecting some dread thing to jump out from behind every corner, every parked car, and then to easily and finally drag her down.

Ahead, and up a round grassy hill, stood a tremendous tree, old and tall with outstretched limbs offering shade and shelter. Trembling and out of breath, she staggered up the hill and leaned heavily against the tree. Her hands on the smooth cool bark felt good. Her fingers traced the scarred shape of a heart around two sets of worn initials.

“Love,” she said aloud.

She threw her head back to see a great rustling dome of green. Thin beams of sunlight drifted through the leaves, bathing everything within the ancient tree's shelter in dapples and dancing shadows. Up in the tree was a wood platform with one wall-maybe an old tree-house that had lost it's roof and three walls. She climbed up to it and sat down against the wall. Her legs were throbbing and her calf had cramped up something horrible. She took off her shoes and rubbed her foot and leg until the pain dulled and then she sat back against the wall, pulled her knees up to her chest, pulled her shirt over her knees, buried her face in her hands and burst into tears. Shaking all over, her voice fluttering and scared, she screamed and screamed until her screams became whimpers and she was too frightened of the despair in the sound of her own cries to make another sound. She fell on her side and, in time, escaped into a dreamless sleep.