The girl's breath was raspy. Her vocal chords strained to explain to Michael the hardships she had faced. He gently placed his cool hand to her forehead and wiped away the beads of sweat that had begun to form. Somewhere deep inside, he knew that she wouldn't make it. Michael hadn't witnessed death firsthand, but he knew that it was happening. His stomach twisted into knots. Her beautiful blue eyes glazed over as she drew in another ragged breath. The teenage girl's blonde curls blew in the breeze as she whispered frantically, her voice strangled and broken. The chime that Michael remembered her voice having was gone as she mumbled incoherent words. "Life...world stage...so lonely," she whispered. Michael knew that her time was short and he didn't ask questions, only nodded in understanding as her bright blue eyes began to fade. The tension in the girl's body began to leave as she melted into Michael's strong arms. He stood gently and felt her body shiver as her pink lips allowed the last warm breath to escape from her body. His mouth felt the breath pass as it lifted toward the sky, taking her soul with it.
Warm light was shining in from the window in Michael's room. It made his eyelids burn as groaned and rolled over to hide in the shadows. He rubbed his eyes with his large fist and yawned, suddenly he wasn't as tired anymore. Michael's stomach twisted in knots when he thought about his plans for the day. They wouldn't involve her anymore, she was gone. He grabbed his sneakers, quietly opened his door and padded down the hall.
The house he lived in was nice. It was on a nice street, on a nice block, in a nice neighbourhood. The only problem Michael could see with it was that all of the houses looked the same, and they were all too close, and the neighbourhood was just too fake. He laced up his sneakers absentmindedly, already picturing himself running in the morning air. Running numbed his emotions, caused him to focus on the next step, the next second, melting away the pain for just a little longer. He stretched his quads, then his calves, took a deep breath, and began to run. Michael's sneakers ran one over the other as he passed by the houses. They had all become a blur and he lost himself in the surburban landscape after a while. That was the moment he looked up and realized that he had run to the exact spot. He always did. Warm tears pricked his green eyes as his hands balled into fists. He sat down on the curb and closed his
Warm light was shining in from the window in Michael's room. It made his eyelids burn as groaned and rolled over to hide in the shadows. He rubbed his eyes with his large fist and yawned, suddenly he wasn't as tired anymore. Michael's stomach twisted in knots when he thought about his plans for the day. They wouldn't involve her anymore, she was gone. He grabbed his sneakers, quietly opened his door and padded down the hall.
The house he lived in was nice. It was on a nice street, on a nice block, in a nice neighbourhood. The only problem Michael could see with it was that all of the houses looked the same, and they were all too close, and the neighbourhood was just too fake. He laced up his sneakers absentmindedly, already picturing himself running in the morning air. Running numbed his emotions, caused him to focus on the next step, the next second, melting away the pain for just a little longer. He stretched his quads, then his calves, took a deep breath, and began to run. Michael's sneakers ran one over the other as he passed by the houses. They had all become a blur and he lost himself in the surburban landscape after a while. That was the moment he looked up and realized that he had run to the exact spot. He always did. Warm tears pricked his green eyes as his hands balled into fists. He sat down on the curb and closed his
