The Race

“Breathe, just breathe, please...” I could hear the words yelled out to me faintly in the distance, but I didn’t understand what they wanted me to do. Everything felt oddly lighter, I felt free and I was confused by the words being screamed towards me because I could feel the air rushing in and out.

“Come on, Cassie! Just a little further!” I was running the race of my life and I felt amazing with the wind in my hair and the bright spotlights on my face. I didn’t want it to end but I wanted to reach the finish, to beat the clock. I could feel my hands stretching out, aching for that moment and reluctant to reach it all at the same time.

My ears rang with the clamour of what sounded like a million voices urging me, deafening me as I continued to reach out and every muscle ached with the strain while they drove me onwards to ever greater things. I knew it wouldn’t be much longer.

Then my goal suddenly appeared before me, the ribbon breaking while everything went wild around me. The din of bells and whistles, the cry of a thousand voices, flashing lights in a rainbow of colours dazzling my eyes while hands took mine. I felt arms enfold my body as I slumped with exhaustion in that moment of pure joy, hearing the bustle of activity around me at the end of my race.

It was overwhelming, but I was speechless and entirely unable to communicate how I felt with the cluster of people pushing and prodding at me. I wanted to tell them that everything was perfect.

And then, to my relief, there was silence as the bells and whistles stopped, as they stopped jostling me, while I was led away from the spotlights that turned the whole world bright white.

“Time of death, nine forty five pm.”