Light and Dark

Chapter 5

I wake with the sound of the tractor outside. I open the window and look out, the sun is already rising; the purple and orange colours blending in with the clouds. I get up and feed the goats; move the chicken enclosures and open the hatch. When I have finished, I run over to the horse field and feed the horses. I leave their coats on because I think it will be cold today.
Then I realise...

"Cross Country tryouts today!!" I say out loud with excitement.

I sprint fast across the dewy grass and climb up the tree to my cubby. I quickly pull on my uniform and tie up my shoe laces; I grab some runners, a t shirt and some shorts to run in and I put them in my backpack.
I braid my hair into plaits and go inside.

Mum has made me pancakes! Pancakes are my absolute favourite. They top everything.
Pancakes with jam and cream... pancakes with lemon and sugar... pancakes with maple syrup. YUM!!!
We all sit down to breakfast and I babble on about Cross Country tryouts. Dad especially seems excited for me. Mum says that Dad was really good at long distance running.

"Hopefully you will have inherited Dad's running genes!" she says

"I hope! You'll find out when I get home, I have to go. Arrivederci!" I say as I give them each a kiss.

When we arrive at school my stomach turns and it feels like there are thousands of butterfly's all fluttering in different directions. I get nervous easily, as you can probably tell.

Period 1 begins and I sit with Milly as she and I are in the same Maths class. We are doing Algebra and I am really enjoying it. Most of the others in my class really dislike it but I love it. I find I get everything we are doing, Milly doesn't really understand it so I help her lots.
Period 2 flys by. I have Biology and we have a substitute teacher.
After that we have recess. I sit with Lenny and I find that he is doing Cross Country as well!
We stretch our legs together, get changed and do some running around, the tryouts are in Period 3.

The bell rings which signals the end of recess. Here is my big moment!
.................

"On your marks, get set.." BANG! The gun goes off and we start running,
I sprint to the front and slow down to a steady pace. This is what my Grandpa told me to do in Cross Country, I spoke to him on the phone last night. Dad says Grandpa was a champion at long distance running.

"Keep going Annica! You are going really well!" Mr. Karmen yells, encourageing me as I run past him, coming first.

After the first kilometre my legs get heavy and i can hear my heart pounding, thump, thump, thump in my chest.

"This is not so bad." I tell myself trying to believe what I am saying. Though my breathing gets heavier and heavier. My chest is starting to hurt but maybe it is what happens in long distance running.

"Only 2km to go Annica!" Mrs. Lumber calls "What a champion you are!"

I am coming first by about 50 metres, I must admit; I am very surprised. Though not everything is going so well. My heart seems to be struggling, my chest hurts and my breathing is extremely heavy. I am just about to stop and tell someone when Mr. Johnston the principal calls out.
"GO ANNICA!! Only 500 metres to go!"

So I push the pain that's increasing in my chest to the back of my mind and sprint the rest. Though when I cross the finish line I start to fall, the pain is excruciating and my head is aching. I fall to the ground and everything goes black. The last thing my brain registers is Lenny calling out, his faint voice fading.

"Annica, Annica, can you hear me? ANNICA!!"