Zone

Pulse

Lissa put her cell back in her pocket and fixed her mitten. She was scooping up her groceries when her sight plummeted, fast, into a jarring, shaking view of trees. Was this Zoner running? Exercising? Who the heck was exercising? Pete couldn't really run after the crash, not like this. Margaret wasn't likely, but maybe it was a New Year's Resolution? Roger was busy, as she regrettably knew. Maybe Chris. Hard, scream-y, metallic music blared in Running Person's ears. Lissa preferred to work out to Queen Bey. Something felt weird with this Zone. With Lissa's own fear creeping in, the Zone started to clear, her park bench landscape coming back into focus, but the Zone fought to hold on. Lissa took a deep breath to calm herself, and surrendered to Running Person's point of view.

This was not normal running. This was about getting rid of an emotion. The way Lissa liked to eat her emotions away, preferably with chocolate or some cheddar popcorn. This was intense. Sadness, maybe? Who was it?

Running Person took a quick cut through some trees and burst onto a path that Lissa recognized as Maude Park. And in front of Running Person, on a bench, sat a girl in a green coat, holding groceries.

Lissa's own fear jolted her back into her own reality, and she locked eyes with a sweaty, bull of a man barreling toward her. Grey shadows danced in her peripheral vision, and an image of her own shocked face flashed in front of her as she was looking at the guy. Running Person. A Zoner. A new Zoner. He kept looking at her, slowing his pace and coming to a stop in front of her.

He panted, she stared. He stared, she realized her mouth was open, and closed it.

"Do I... Do I know you?" he asked, still panting.

"I don't know, do you?"

"That's vexing," he said, wiping his eyes with his sweatband. It was kind of gross. But he was kind of cute.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be vexing," she said, smiling. He didn't smile back. Grump.

"You just seem familiar, somehow."

Lissa saw a clean white bandage wrapped down his forearm. "Were you recently at a hospital, perhaps?"

He looked at her, searching her face for some clue. "Do you work there?"

"Heavens, no." She smiled again, trying to lighten the mood, but he didn't take the bait.

"A patient? A volunteer?"

"Not exactly, no."

He ran his hand over his face, frustrated. "A visitor?"

"Something like that," Lissa said, unsure of how to dig herself out of this one. She had never met a Zoner before.

"Something like that," he repeated. "What are you, one of those T.V. car crash lawyers that chases ambulances?"

"No, but I wish. I'd totally have given you my card."

"I wasn't in a car crash."

"No, but maybe one day."

A small smile flashed at the corner of Running Guy's mouth. "Always the opportunist, huh?"

"Silver lining-ist, actually." She smiled back, glad she had finally broken a bit of the tension.

The conversation lulled, and he stared at her some more.

"Please, tell me how I know you."

"I honestly don't think you do."

"But the hospital?"

"You have the bandage on your arm," she said, becoming increasingly panicked. There was no way she could explain Zoning in. Especially not to a Zoner. Plus, she didn't even know this guy. He was probably a murderer.

"What's your name?"

"Lissa."

"Lissa. Okay, I know this is weird, but I swear I know you somehow. And it's going to drive me crazy. Do you want to maybe go grab coffee and talk?"

Lissa's heart lurched. Was he asking her out? It was weird. But also kind of not weird. If you didn't count the whole Zoner thing. Calm down, she chastised herself. He probably wasn't asking her out. Don't be so freaking desperate.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulder. "Sorry, but I have all these groceries."

"Oh, right. Sorry, I didn't notice them."

"I just kind of enjoyed the scenery for a while, but I have to get home."

"Well I'm sweaty anyway."

"And all these bums come to the park after dark. And I didn't mean to rhyme."

The Running Guy just looked at her, and Lissa felt some heat creep into her cheeks. Wow, was she actually blushing?

"Well," he finally said. "I really should finish my run." He moved to put one of his ear buds back in.

"I could give you my number, though. If you want."

His face lit up with a huge smile, and something tickled the inside of Lissa's stomach.

"Really?"

"Totally. Give it over."

He frowned. "I don't have my phone. Do you have a pen?"

"No. But here, just text yourself from my phone, and then we'll have each other's numbers."

"Really?"

"Stop saying really." She handed him her phone, and he typed a quick message, then handed it back to her.

"Hey?" she read, wrinkling her nose.

"What were you expecting, a sonnet?"

"Maybe a haiku. And what should I save your number as? 'Running Guy?'"

"Sorry," he said with a small laugh that echoed in the flutters in Lissa's stomach.

"This is not going well. I'm Daniel. Dan, if you'd rather."

Lissa typed his name into her phone and saved the contact. "Well, Dan Rather, I have hummus to get home, so if you'd excuse me," she said, standing up.

"Nice to see you again, Lissa."

"You're relentless."

He smiled a little and Lissa found herself smiling back and kicking herself for not going to get coffee with him.

"I'll text you later," he said,

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" she asked, glancing toward her apartment building.

"What?"

"Could you meditate or think happy thoughts or something for approximately ten minutes?"

"Uh... I can try."

"Thanks, Dan! There is no try, only do. Be your own Zen master."

Lissa started walking away, her cheeks still feeling flushed. Hopefully he would give her enough time to get home before his heart started pounding again.

He jogged up beside her and gave her a little wave before putting on a burst of speed and leaving her behind.

"Oprah says live your best life!" she called after him, hoping he didn't hear her.

Lissa rushed home, a little peeved that now she was having to exercise to get home before she Zoned back into Dan. Or Roger, if his date went well. Shuddering at the thought, she unlocked the door to her apartment, and threw her hummus and other perishables in the fridge. She grabbed her cheddar popcorn and settled on the couch with some trashy but amazing reality TV, waiting for another Zone. None came, but about two hours later, her phone buzzed with a message.

Haikusare easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator