Moonlit Craters: A Series of Short Stories

The End

Stella took her place at the starting line with the other runners. It was a windy spring day, perfect for trying to force her shoulder length hair out of its ponytail. Perfect for running, too. She felt her heart beat pick up in anticipation as she assumed starting position. She exchanged well wishes with the people next to her in line and took a deep breath.

The shot gun went off with a pop. She took off, feet pounding. The rest of the world dropped away. The noise of the spectators dissolved first. Then she stopped noticing her competitors; they were simply objects for her to run past. First lap done.

She felt her anger disappear. She hoped she never found it again. Rage and fear left with it. She felt lighter, faster. Stella could breathe. When was the last time she'd felt like this? Second lap finished.

Her anxiety and depression lifted. She noticed blue skies and fluffy clouds. The voices she always heard, that were always present, silenced. There was no memory of Stella Montgomery, the foster kid. There was no thinking of Stella Montgomery, the soon to be university student. There was just Stella, and there was nothing holding her back right now. Third lap complete.

Stella felt nothing, heard nothing. It was just her and the track. She didn't notice her competitors, some of which she lapped. Her legs were on fire; she'd never run this hard or this fast. It was exhilarating. She was high, flying above everything. This is what she was meant for. This was Stella, and nothing but Stella. Then she crossed the finish line.

It was over. She had to stop, now. She was Stella, the foster kid again. She missed the announcers shouting her time - four minutes and thirty-seven seconds. It was a record. It was her personal best. She'd never get this moment back. Stella jogged over to the rest of her team.

There was Howie, he must have come down from the stands to congratulate her. Stella didn't want that at the moment; everything was gone. She threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She collapsed into tears.

Howie was used to her mood swings. He wrapped his arms around her, in return. Stella knew he didn't understand why she was crying, why she was upset. She couldn't talk about it now. Maybe later, over dinner. Or tomorrow, on the bus ride back to school.

She accepted her gold medal with as much dignity as she could muster. Stella answered the questions that she could. She told everyone she'd be running for the University of PA starting next year.

They all expected greatness out of her. She didn't need to ask, she knew. A run time that fast, even at the nationals, was almost unheard of. She had beat the second place runner by ten seconds. Stella felt herself starting to crumble again. There was no way she could live up to those expectations. Today was a fluke; she had just wanted to forget everything. She had just wanted to run from all of it. If only she could keep running forever. Then nothing would be able to touch her.