Running. Across the sun-beat sand dunes at a super human speed hand in hand with a friend that was once an enemy. Ripping through the sand and laughing at the people, arn't they silly? Running past a thousand nameless faces, chasing nothing but a dream, arn't we silly? Leaving behind all that once was and what will never hope to be, all I can think of is catching the sun and finally being set free. I can't help but think we're going in circles, Mallory, we have to run faster, faster. Catch me if you can.

Streaking past my hometown and skipping past my window, I dare not see the little girl singing inside. Cringing as I run from all the things I've done, all the little lies and squabbles that are bound to catch up with me sooner or later. Running running running after the golden sun, blind to the raging storm clouds gathering around me. Running in the rain, was there ever such a sunshine? Mallory has all but disappeared. Running, slowly, swimming in a dead-tossed sea of secrets, where are all your false pretenses now, Thunder booms and lightning strikes but all I can think of are all the nameless faces, that singing little girl. The past may be bad to dwell on the present frightens brightly but the future doesn't scare me at all, at all. Drowning in a sea of my own regrets, I cannot hope there still might be a sunshine. Coughing up my nightmares, sinking ever deeper. Mallory stopped following me years ago. Deeper and deeper but still my legs kick and run run run faster and faster, because what is life an eternal race?

All at once the waves stop tossing and the sky stops crying and the clouds whither leaving tiny, hopeful splashes of pink and gold. The ocean drains away until I'm but standing in a puddle of my own livelihood, dry. I've been caught.

[image from I've stolen a garden]