Run

Chapter 1 - Song

Coroebus loves running as soon as he learnt how to walk, when he was around age of 3, he would run around in the backyard alone and laughing at the same time.

"Kids..", Coroebus's dad, Thomas, said to his wife as he observes Coroebus from a distance. "How I wish I have the stamina like his".

"Oh yes my dear, you DID have, that's the reason we had him" Chloe, Coroebus's mum, replied with a wink. "Or maybe it's just the name we gave him".

But as she continues to observe Coroebus, she notices something strange. "He is running as if someone is playing and chasing after him" she thought to herself, but she brushed it aside thinking it as a norm for children to have fun themselves.

Coroebus joined track and field as a runner when he started elementary school and competed in several races for sprints. In junior college when competitions are getting stronger, Coroebus will sit at one corner of the stadium and listen to his music to keep his mind calm an hour before each race. Now 18, after three years of competing and in his last year of college, Coroebus still listen to the same song at the same spot. Today is his last competition as he prepares for finals before graduation. He went to his usual sweet spot and closed his eyes as he enjoys his music.

"I love this place
But haunted without you
My tired heart is beating so slow
Our hearts sing less than we wanted
We wanted.."

"Hey, Coroebus, wake up"

"You can catch me
Don't you run
Don't you run
Don't you run
Don't you run
Don't you run
Don't you run
..."

"Coroebus, wake up" said Evania, as she taps on his arm. His eyes are still shut, and the song is echoing in Coroebus's mind as well, he can feel someone tapping his arm, but he couldn't wake up as the song gets louder.

"If you live another day
In this happy little house
The fires here to stay
.
.
IF YOU GET TO LIVE
DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TO RUN--"

The voice suddenly turns deep and distorted and all of a sudden, a high pitch sound suddenly screeched in his earpiece and Coroebus jumped out of his seat and threw his phone and earpiece on the floor, scaring Evania.

"WOAH YOU SCARE ME!"

Coroebus looked at Evania with a poker face, not knowing she was there the whole time.

"Are you okay? I have been trying to wake you up for a while, but you didn't respond. Look at you, looking pale and having cold sweats, nervous for your competition aye? Evania said it with a smirk. "Just get it over and done with, I can't wait to have dinner at your house, I miss Chloe's cooking!"

"Argh I'm fine, it's just any regular competition. I'm going for my warm up now, wait for me here, I will come look for you after I'm done." Coroebus started stretching his body as he can feel his body getting sore from sleeping in an awkward position at the chair.

Evania picked up his phone and saw his screen.

"Little house by Amanda Seyfried? Didn't know she has a song. How do you even find it?"

"Now you know, look after my stuffs, I will be back" as Coroebus approach the track starting his warm up. He thought of the scenes just now, "was it a dream? Or perhaps there's something wrong with my phone, I better get it checked during the weekends."

At the track, Coroebus looked up to the stadium seats at Evania, she gave him a warm smile, and the scenes disappeared from his mind.