Running from Herself

She was still panting as she ran, looking behind her she saw only mist

The street was silent, only the sound of her breath filled the night

She started to panic, she heard a twig snap nearby

Running faster, longer strides, she began to feel enclosed

Her tears ran down her cheeks, almost as fast as her legs carried her

Every door was shut, every light turned off

There was nowhere for her to go, so she kept on running

Footsteps followed hers, faster and harder they echoed in the night

She felt she wasn't alone, it wasn't just her and the mist

She wanted to stop and catch her breath but she couldn't

She was losing strength, her head started to hurt

Her legs started to feel heavy, her breathing had become rapid

But still she ran

A sudden rustle in the trees caused her to stop, for all but a millisecond

Suddenly it flew past her face, she gasped for air

Just a bat

She felt relief but she still ran as fast as her tears ran down her face

Her heart was now pounding, her chest tightening

But still she ran

Her legs began to crumble beneath her, her arms began to stiffen

Footsteps getting louder and louder, she began to question her sanity

No longer could she run, as her body shut down

She wasn't about to give up, she had one more push to give

Looking at her surroundings, every tree stood completely still

Every streetlight secluded to a single spot

Every house felt empty

Every road looked bare

Every sidewalk lacked life

She wasn't sure if her eyes lied, or her mind

But still she ran

Suddenly she saw a light

Not singular like the street lights

A bright inviting light

He legs no longer crumbled

He arms suddenly less stiff

She was able to calm her breathing

Her tears slowly dried on her face

She reached out to touch the light

Opening the front door, she suddenly stepped into the daylight

The streets no longer bare

The roads full of hustle and bustle

Her friends waving at her ready to embrace

She smiled

She was no longer alone with her thoughts

Running through the darkness, the thickness of her anxiety

Alone only with the thoughts of being alone, yet hunted

She didn't want to go back inside

But she knew it would be only too soon

When she would hear those echoing footsteps again

On the bare road

The dead sidewalks

The secluded lights

And just the sound of her breath, anxiously waiting

For her demons to catch up with her.