Short Stories

The Runner

The burnt orange sky lit up the showground. The street lights flickered as the guard unlocked the gates. The chains clinked, metal groaned, and the large metal gates swung towards the grounds as an invitation to those who walked by. Many morning joggers would make their daily run in this showground; they would run in the sunrise. What better way to start your day than to witness the sun glow in your wake?

That’s what Chloe thought as well.

She was the first through the gates that morning, at a sharp 5:17am. The sun was still hidden behind the horizon, but the smoky blue sky gave her the light she needed; Chloe remembered that the street lights did absolutely nothing for her.  She stood that day on the tracks, on the start line and stared straight ahead with worried eyes. No one was around her, just her and her feet planted on the firm track. Chloe wasn’t wearing a jacket; she’d be warm soon… she hoped.

Chloe was a long-distance runner. She ran in marathons throughout her high school career and had a scholarship to become a professional for her country. She had everything; a future, a loving partner, a caring family, and even more so a sturdy ground beneath her. Chloe was rising in the world.

Was.

When she had everything, suddenly she had nothing. Chloe was on a run similar to the one today, when a car slipped on the wet roads and spiralled into her. When the sturdy ground was once beneath her feet, she was thrown away from what she knew.
The runner woke up lying down in a hospital and immediately was in tears. Not because of the pain, but because what was missing. The car and the force of impact had fractured her left leg beyond repair; it had to be amputated.
How could she be a runner with only one leg? Chloe became a mental mess. Her boyfriend couldn’t cope throughout her time in hospital, she was left alone in a bed of bloody sheets.

But there was one thing Chloe was; stubborn.

She wasn’t going to let one leg drag her down.

Chloe threw tantrums to her family; she was going to get a prosthetic leg so she could run again. She wanted to run. Chloe was going to fly on those tracks once again.

Exactly eighteen months after the accident, here is where Chloe stood. On the track she used to run every morning back when she had two flesh legs. The blue sky was lightening to a sunburnt orange as the sun started to rise once more, but Chloe remained on the start line. The doctors and physiotherapists told her that she couldn’t run for eighteen months after the accident.
So, she turned up on the day; the hour. Chloe was going to run again.

But standing on the familiar tracks, she hesitated. Looking down at the starting line, she stared at her foot. She wore thigh length skins; no point wearing full length anymore. Her right leg was decked out in thick comfortable socks as well as her running shoes.
The whirl of the mechanics sounded in Chloe’s ears as she adjusted her left leg. She had fought tooth and nail for a prosthetic; costing a pricey $23,478. It was worth it. She knew it was. Her leg was amputated above the knee, mid-thigh. Chloe had an advanced prosthetic; specifically for her running. The flick of her ‘foot’ rested against the track. Her left leg was designed to run. She was designed to run.

I am designed to fly.

Chloe placed her right leg on the front of the line, letting her bionic leg slide behind her in the typical racing stance. Placing her hands on the track, the pads of her fingers imprinting the grit of the track on her tips, she let out a breath. Her straight brown locks were tied back in a medium pony as she locked eyes with the track ahead of her. Staring it down. Her dark brown eyes were bright with determination.

I am designed to run.

She was so used to running with her left leg behind her, but it didn’t feel right with her prosthetic. Frowning, she swapped her feet around, her bionic ligament straining at the movement but the flick rested on the start line now. Adjusting her body briefly, Chloe let out a breath.

The crisp morning was still as though the world waited for her to run again. The cold wind ran along her back, pushing her to fly on the track. The early birds chirped in encouragement; run.

I am going to run. I am going to fly.

Chloe stiffened against her hands. Ready.
Straightening her leg, she stuck her head down; aligning her neck with her back. Her muscles started to thrum as she relieved in the familiar feeling. Steady.

Chloe held her position for a moment, a small fleeting smile coming across her face as she recalled the cheers that she had whenever she ran. The feeling of the wind against her face… her body gliding through the air as she cut the tape; always first.

Go.

The bionic brunette pushed off the gritted ground and shot off the start line. Pumping her arms, her prosthetic kept up with the energetic body of the resilient runner. Chloe flew off the track, and recalled her years of muscle memory. She remembered, after all this time, the tips and tricks of running that she thought had left her when her leg did.
Rounding the curve of the track, Chloe let her new body guide her as she ran between the lines. A beaming smile was on her face, and she picked up the pace. Her core and thighs burned as she pushed her body to complete the track. Chloe kept running, her foot thudding against the ground echoing against the spring of her new foot flick. She followed the second curve, tasting the start line once again.
Just as she crossed the start line, the sun broke over the trees. Streams of sunlight decorated the track, shining in glory over Chloe’s victory. The runner slowed down, letting the momentum carry out its course. Her laugh of victory sounded in the track. She spread out her arms and let the sun bathe her in accomplishment. She had done it.

Chloe had done it.

After it seemed so impossible, she was able to run once again. Chloe could fly once again, doing what she loved when everything was taken from her. When it was all gone, when it all seemed so bleak, she was able to find another foot and carry on with her journey. She had risen again, she had flown again…

Chloe was once again free.