James ran the knuckles of his left hand along the line of his jaw, deep in thought. How did things get to this point? He tried to remember a time when life wasn’t cloudy and difficult. He couldn’t. A decade ago, when he believed he knew everything, he thought as long as he was moving forward he was making progress. Apparently he was wrong.
He ran his fingers through his wet hair and looked around him. The rain had been falling lightly for hours now and it seemed to have washed away the grime of the world. The asphalt of the street looked slick and black, as if it was only minutes old. The plants creating a border between yards of houses were now vibrant with colors shinned like polished metal. Everything around him seemed fresh and new, except him.
It was more than just the damp almost soaked clothes he wore and the wet hair. It was deeper than those material things, where the rain’s revitalizing touch couldn’t reach. It went deeper than his shivering skin and tense muscles. It went all the way to his core. To a place where fear, anxiety, memories, and every dark thought resided. It was this place which was the focus of his thoughts, all while his body weathered the rain and cold.
Mile 29 