Run

Shawna woke up to an almost blinding pink light. While her peach cloth blinds did let some light through, she had never seen it so bright. She reached for her phone and turned off the alarm. It can’t be this bright at 5:15 am, can it? She jumped out of bed and quickly grabbed her clothes. She admired her near naked body in the mirror and smiled. “I guess 6:00 am cross country practice isn’t all bad,” she mused, pressing on her rock hard abs. She quickly put on her sports bra and tee and pulled her running shorts over her peach panties. Lacing up her shoes, she rushed out to the kitchen.

The kitchen was always the brightest room in the house but this morning it was almost blinding. And pink. Why pink? She grabbed a protein shake out of the fridge and headed out the front door. It was 5:33 and Shawna simply assumed that everyone was still asleep. She jumped into her dad’s truck. Normally, he didn’t let her drive alone. Although he knew she was very responsible, it was a big truck and she only had her license for 2 months. But, the school was only about a mile away and, while she usually walked, she had to run several miles at practice so she guilted him into letting her drive. “I’ll be back before you wake up, daddy.”

As she pulled into the empty high school lot, she cried out and pounded the steering wheel. She forgot her locket. She never went anywhere without her locket. Every day, since she lost her brother to cancer almost 6 years ago, she never ever left the house without it. As the tears rolled down her face, she took a deep breath. “OK Shawna, get it together. You live 3 minutes away and have plenty of time to get there and get back. And what’s with the bright pink sky? Maybe that’s what’s messing with my mind.”

Four minutes later, she rushed into her room and opened her silver jewelry box. She screamed when an incredibly bright pink light emanated from the tiny heart shaped locket. She sat on her bed trembling, not sure what to do. She felt the sweat run down her face and she knew there was no way she could leave the house without her locket. Despite the pink light, the locket felt cool as she fastened it around her neck. As she walked towards the door, she could hear a soft whisper “Run, run, run Shawna, run”.

She ran out the front door, past the truck, and into the street. When her shoes hit the gravel of the road, first the house, then the truck, then trees on both sides of the road burst into pink flames. She screamed and instinctively slowed down. That’s when the voice got louder “RUN, RUN, RUN.” She had no doubt now that it was Ethan’s voice. Tears mingled with the sweat running down her face. She ran as fast and hard as she could, having no idea where she was going. As she ran, houses and trees and fences continue to burst into flames. Incredibly, whether due to fear or adrenaline, she felt no fatigue and, in fact, felt more energized as she kept running.

As she passed the school and the road forked, her body seemed to naturally know which way to go. Out of fear, she kept looking forward and kept running. If she slowed, Ethan’s voice could be heard again. “Run. Run. Run”. Now, she wasn’t sure if she was really hearing it or just imagining it. Was she completely losing her mind? An hour ago, she was a cross country star at Carlisle High. Now, she was running through town as town was being engulfed in pink flames.

As she got to the edge of town, she followed a walking trail up into the woods. For the first time, she started to feel a bit winded. She glanced down at her watch which read 2:18. “There is no way I have been running for more than 8 hours,” she thought. “What in the Lord’s name is going on?”

In the woods, trees burned quicker giving her a bit of a scare. While she knew that her body could still run, she really, really wanted to stop. But what would happen? Would she be engulfed by pink flames? Would Ethan tell her what to do? Was life even worth living if her whole world was being destroyed by pink flames?

She looked down at her watch again. 4:14. She screamed realizing and remembering April 14, the day Ethan passed away and then screamed louder remembering February 18, Ethan’s birthday. It had to be a sign and Shawna stopped and fell to her knees. Shawna screamed as the locket burned her chest and a pink crystal shell arose, engulfing her body. They pink flames continued over the shell and through the forest until she could see them no more.

Once the flames passed, she turned and looked back at the scorched earth. She knew she should cry but tears never came. What happened to her family, her friends, her new puppy? Her locket no longer glowed but a black burn branded her pale chest. As she touched the brand, the pink shell melted away and Ethan stood before her. Before she could scream or cry or run, Ethan took her hand. “Sissy, come on. I created a whole new world just for us.” Hand in hand, as the pink sun set, Shawna and Ethan walked slowly back towards town.