The Day I Died

Will POV - Leaves

I stepped out into the chill of the autumn air. My trainers glowed luminous green against the warm browns and reds of crisp leaves scattered across my yard. Tucking my hands into my pockets I briskly walked down my street and to the edge of the woods. With every step the crunching below me grew louder. Delicately I fumbled to place my earbuds in and pressed play on my music. A drumbeat began.

"Race you." I muttered to nobody and began to run. My legs new the track well. I had ran it every evening for the past 3 weeks and had memorized every tree, branch and bump in the ground. My legs pumped rhythmically. Faster. My body had reached the point that every muscle was stabbing with pain and my lungs had shrunk to the size of a pea. The frozen air burned my throat as it struggled to reach my lungs. Keep pushing. Keep running. Come on faster. Then a sense of utter euphoria exploded through my body. I had done it. I had ran past the pain and now I was enveloped in a beautiful kind of ecstasy. I whooped and punched the air. I was almost by the river by now. Fuelled with complete determination I gulped one final bubble of air then bent forward and sprinted. Mud and leaves blurred beneath me. Trees gushed past. Air whipped my dark cheeks.

Almost there. I could see the crack in between the trees were the river slithered along in a huge meandering strip of blue. My body crashed through into the clearing and a grin split my face in half. For a while I just stood there panting and chuckling to myself. Gradually, my fatigue drenched body made its way to the water's edge and I stooped to cup some in my hands for a refreshing gulp.

Just as the water hit my chapped lips a scream pierced the harsh wind that howled around me.