Never Stop Running

Open field before her, ever expansive and filled with moonlight. She could feel a breeze circling around her ankles and she began to pump her legs until they were carrying her across the grassy plains. She caught daffodils and threw them into the air, letting them shower the sky. Her sides and legs ached from running, but she didn't care. Her freedom was much too important to give into pain. Running made sense; it was a means for escape from one point to another. This new path was far better then what she had left behind. She could see her dreams finally unfolding before her very eyes. Everything was starting to fit into its mold and she wouldn't let her past haunt her. It was time for new beginnings and she was more ready now than she ever had been in her life.

“I'm free!” There was no one around to hear her joyous call, yet she sang it loud and long, still running farther and faster from her previous enclosure.

Even if there had been people in the area, they would have ignored her in the same way they always had. Or else they would taunt her with glee. Their meaty hands would point at her and mock the disfigurement they had caused. At the end of the day when they would drift off to sleep, she would have peace and quiet for a few precious hours that never felt quite long enough. She wished she could sleep in the same way they did, but sleep did not come easy for her. It was hard to have pleasant dreams when her stomach grumbled from hunger or when she was left out in the rain all night. She never minded the rain though. She welcomed it and would open her mouth wide to capture as much as she could. Without it, she had no way to stave off dehydration. Even during her weakest moments and constant bouts of sickness, she still clung onto the hope that she would one day be rescued from the wretched life that was bestowed upon her.

Her running slowed to a walk as fatigue became her enemy once again. She dared to turn her neck back to take in one final view of the ramshackled ranch she had grown to call “home”. The distance she traveled was great and she could barely see the location from here, but it sent shivers up and down her spine since she still felt too close to that desolate place. As she stood atop the hill, she recalled how she finally escaped and all the planning that went into such an endeavor.

Her enclosure had consisted of a four foot tall fence that wrapped around in a circle. It was something that, if she was healthier, would have been an easy height to jump over. She even had enough room to attempt such an action. She spent two months preparing for the escape. It was difficult at first, but she had to push herself in order to gather her strength. Before, she could barely lift herself off the ground and had little concern in doing so. She saw no point in getting up, only to fall down again, and painfully at that. But she kept telling herself that she had to because if she did, she would be free and could join her family again even if they no longer remembered her.

And so began her daily regimen. She started off simply practicing to get up and stand for longer periods each time. That turned into slowly walking around the enclosure until the wobbliness in her knees came to a standstill. The next steps were harder because she had to pick up the pace and practice small jumps. She did this all at night to avoid drawing suspicion from the people who caused her turmoil. Her first attempts at jumping the fence proved to be unsuccessful, but she never stopped trying; she wouldn't let herself give up. Then one day, as she began to run, she suddenly saw herself on the other side where the grass really was greener. All of a sudden, she flew over the fence and landed on the opposite side. She wasn't sure if it was a dream or not, but she kept running, a fierce determination in her heart and a burst of adrenaline to keep her going.

Now that she was at a complete standstill and far enough from the ranch to feel comfortable, she bent her head down to taste the thick, wet grass. She ate with fervor, enjoying something so refreshing to slide down her throat. She could only eat so much before having to stop, but she knew it would take time before she was able to go back to the diet she had previously to being forced to live on the ranch. And that was okay because she knew she would be okay. After escaping, she knew she could overcome anything that was thrown her way. She was free just like she had been before. That was all that mattered in this very moment.

“This world is mine again. My future is now.”

Tonight, she would sleep soundly.