Running in the Dark, Away From the Dark

My face grows red as the wind whips past my face,
drawing the beginning of tears in my eyes.
There’s still snow on the ground,
and my feet crunch as they make contact with the pavement.
Arms drive from the hips, carrying me forward
and deeper still into the night.
I’ve been running for some time now,
and I can no longer feel my fingertips.

I pass several street lamps as I continued my hurried pace,
new flakes starting their descent clearly outlined by their yellowish hue.
My thoughts are not with me but instead with the snow.
Falling–slowly but surely–into the darkness of the night.
I feel the perspiration on my cheeks and neck,
Dripping down my back underneath my gray hoodie.
I’ve been running for some time now,
And I can no longer hear my own thoughts.

The snow has picked up–shooting drunkenly across the sky in the rigid air.
I pass a neighborhood park, empty in the evening snow.
The park is abandoned; I pick up my pace as a sudden chill comes over me.
This snow feels all too familiar, like something out of a suspense novel or horror film.
My body is a machine–driving through the snow with more horsepower than a pickup.
Heat radiates from my core as my chest heaves, begging me to stop.
I’ve been running for some time now,
and I can no longer keep going.

 

I stop suddenly, skidding and slipping in the fresh snow.
Where am I anymore?
Nothing is familiar,
there are no longer any lamps or street lights to illuminate my surroundings.
The night howls, hunting me in the darkness.
When the night hunts, pray it’s not for you.
I’ve been running for some time now,
and I can no longer keep the panic from my eyes.

I take the earbuds from my ears and begin walking home slowly,
trying to figure out my location from my surroundings.
The light snow has become a full blown storm,
making it difficult to see ten feet in front of me.
My breathing has quickened drastically,
each cloud emitted from my mouth a panicked call for help .
I’ve been running for some time now,
I can no longer escape.

-ZCS

 

** “Snow Falling” by user Sternerfern via Deviantart