The Race

Goals Accomplished

She raced her bike past the threshold of trees that separated light from darkness.  Bumping along at breakneck speed, she flew over rocks and fallen branches deeper into the forest.  When she came to a point of dense foliage, she stopped and dropped her vehicle.  Without hesitation, she continued into the darker corners of the woods, slipping over muddy stumps and scratching her arms on piercing thorns.  In her careless plunder, she tripped and began to tumble out of control down the length of a hill. Broken in too many places, her strong will dragged her back onto her feet and she continued at a brutal pace.  Further and further she stormed into the darkness, without any thought to do otherwise. A pain in her left shoulder grew more intense at every thrashing step she took, but she pursued her folly nonetheless.  By now, blood was dripping into her eyes, blinding her and begging her to stop this madness.  She wiped the crimson mess with muddy hands and the sting made her cry out.  Again she tripped and this time she fell to her knees.  With a loud scream she threw her body forward and began thrashing at the ground with all her might.  In a savage state, she ripped apart dirt and leaves, digging into the earth like a wild animal.  Suddenly, she heard the thud of a something solid and hollow.  Grabbing a rock, she smashed down with all her strength until she broke through this hidden treasure.  What lay inside was a single piece of perfectly white parchment.  On it, were two words written in perfect calligraphy, “Too Late”.  If it weren’t for her burning eyes or the excruciating pain that was now spreading across her chest, she would have recoiled in horror.  Instead, she collapsed and slept forever.