Alternate Realities

Prompt: A Muddy Run

Staying fit for the purpose of being fit didn't really come naturally to Mare. She'd honed her athleticism in sprints down alleys and frantic scrambles away from guards. Running because she had no other reason to run ranked right next to dish washing, a chore she put off until unavoidable. Usually, Cal dragged her yawning and stretching from her bed. But since the remainder of Command arrived, Cal had been sequestered away planning the next move to reclaim the country from Maven. So she slept in, rested, grew lazier by the day.

If she had to put money on an alternate trainer, Mare would have bet on Kilorn. He made an appearance at the Barrow house most days and usually sniped at her as she ate breakfast at lunch with uncombed, wild hair. But Kilorn never had the stomach for mindless running either. Instead, Gisa took up the mantle and prodded Mare from her slumbers early in the morning.

"Mare get up. Put these on."

Mare rubbed her eyes and batted away the garments. But Gisa persisted and coaxed her to sitting.

"What are these for? Is Cal here?" Mare brightened at the prospect.

"No, he's not." Mare drooped and nearly rolled back under the covers. "I wanna learn how to run."

"One foot in front of the other, Gee," Mare yawned.

"No, there's more to it than that. There has to be. And I want you to show me."

"Show you how to run? There's seriously no mystery."

"Just, come on, please?" Gisa rarely used that tone nor that word with Mare. For the sake of removing the whine from her sister's voice, Mare got up and dressed and pulled on her shoes.

Gisa jumped up and down and stretched her legs like she'd seen so many times before. Mare cocked her head from side to side and loosened her shoulders with some arm flaps, but left the stretching for later.

"Don't you stretch?"

"No, not yet."

"I'm not supposed to stretch? But I already stretched. Is that bad?" Gisa said, wide eyed.

"No it's fine. I just find that stretching after running for a bit sort of feels better, so I wait."

"Oh, okay. So I didn't hurt anything?"

"Nope. Now, come on, one foot in front of the other." Mare started their pace as she would normally but found even her lungs unable to keep up with her expectations.

Gisa struggled more. She couldn't quite get a rhythm with her breathing and she had to stop every few minutes to walk, her side stitching her into wincing coughing fits.

Mare pretended she didn't need the rest, but she kept one eye on her sister begging for the next one. They proceeded through the compound over roads and along parked transports and out along the fence. Mare pushed them past the grove of trees, embarrassment a useful tool in pressing on.

Out by the air jets, a river of water trickled in a wide swath from where an early morning crew washed a giant plane. Gisa proceeded on tip-toes, carefully hopping from one dry sand bar to a rock and seeking the next option. Mare, a big sister through and through, jumped square in the mud beside her. Dirt flicked up all over Gisa's legs and onto her face.

"Mare!" Gisa admonished, her hand going straight to the bun on the top of her head and then to the wet legs of her shorts. Mare jumped again. "Stop it!" She shrieked.

"Come on Gee, lighten up." Mare jumped a third time then swung her leg up throwing clods of soil into the air.

Gisa's lips pinched together, her eyebrow furrowed. Mare hadn't seen her so mad in a while. Mare prepared to jump again. Mid-air, Gisa slammed her hard and knocked her sideways and to the ground. Mare splashed a wave of brown water up and all over her sister, then threw a handful for good measure.

Gisa froze, feeling the cold mud dripping down her face, and then started to laugh. She laughed a bell-like warble that came from deep inside her air-starved lungs. The lack of oxygen pushed her to her knees along side her sister. They both laughed, together. When they finally had their laughter under control, they didn't have the energy for the run back. As they walked, Gisa talked about the blanket she had planned for Clara and Mare smiled at how their divisions seemed forgotten in the Stilts.

Cal sat outside the Barrow home his elbows on his knees and his right cheek propped on his fist. He played with the fire on the fingertips of his left hand willing it to make black smoke and attempting to make shapes with his movements. Mare's smile broadened. Gisa slipped past them and into the house.

Mare moved in for a kiss as Cal stood.

"Whoa, no, no loving for your mud-monster." Cal backed away from her, dancing on his feet.

"What? It's just some dirt. I'll be careful." Mare followed him, hands outstretched.

"Nuh-uh," Cal said. He backed away and then tried to put his hand on her head to hold her off. "Keep off, swamp-thing."

"Who's afraid of a little mud, a little mud, a little mud?" Mare sang.

She backed up the steps to the front door and pushed in. He followed, the playfulness overriding his unease around her father.

"If I'm fast, I can beat Gee into the shower," Mare stepped up two steps. Cal came along the banister, his hand sliding up the wood until it just touched hers. "Kiss for luck?"

"I guess, for luck." He confirmed, tipping up on his toes to touch his lips to hers.

Mare's mud-caked fingers pressed hard onto his cheek and down his neck before he could pull back, protesting.