Finding The Note

Chapter One.

Elizabeth pulled on her running shoes, a practice she did every morning after she'd streached. She tied her dark curls back in a ponytail, so the tips that usually came to her waist were secured, and held up dropping to her shoulders. This was routine for her, each morning she'd get up and go for a three mile run before school, all part of her training.
It was hot this particular morning, and Elizabeth was already dreading the thought of going for a run, but she had a dance competition in less than a week and she needed to be at the top of her game, and that meant extra training.
As she made her way out of her bedroom, full of trophies won not only for dance, but in many different sporting events as well, she ran down the stairs and into the kitchen which was lit up by the sunlight streaming through the doors. Her parents were already up, both sat in the kitchen enjoying a breakfast full of foods she wasn't allowed on her strict diet. For a moment she looked at the plate of pancakes in envy, but soon brushed it aside when her mother spoke.
'Morning Elizabeth, you're up late. You missed your swim this morning.' Mrs Tanner said shaking her head, while placing her hands on her plump waist. Elizabeth let out a small sigh but fixed a smile to her face.
'Sorry, I got in late last night after the party and I was really tired, I must have slept through the alarm.' Elizabeth explained. 'Still it's only 5 now.'
'And you've already missed an hours worth of training, honestly I don't know how you expect to win your next competition with an attitude like that.' Mrs Tanner replied, sitting at the wooden table with her breakfast. 'Anyway, I made you some lemon water to take on your run.'
'Thanks.' Elizabeth replied. Lemon water was her breakfast, she wasn't allowed solid food until lunch, and even then it would consist of a salad and nothing else. 'Dad I was wondering if you're going to come to the competition on Saturday?'
'I have to work, maybe next time.' Mr Tanner replied, his gaze remaining on the business section of his paper. The reply cut into her like a knife, maybe next time was the exact wording he'd used for the last twelve competitions, the last one he came to was a year ago when she'd been in a running race, placing second, for which she received only disappointed looks. Since then she'd upped her game and trained harder, lost more weight and gained more trophies for her wall, but it never seemed good enough for her mother, and never seemed to gain her fathers attention.
'Right, well I should get going on this run.' Elizabeth said, masking the disappointment in her voice, she walked out the back door and slowly began her run, down the garden path and out onto the trail that led through the woods. She picked up the pace, holding back tears of frustration, she let the beat of her heart match the beat her feet were making on the dirt track, the sound was rhythmic and it soothed her, until all her problems seemed to fade, if she just pushed a little harder maybe she could out run then all.
The lake was in view now, which represented the end of her run, she pushes harder and finds energy from somewhere, speeding up she runs to the edge of the water and stops before she flys into it, backing up a few steps she rests her back against the old willow tree, trying to catch her breath. She puts her hands to her thin waist as a sharp pain shoots through her ribs, she wants to scream but holds it in. Instead the tears she's been fighting back all morning fill her eyes and flow over. She sinks down onto the ground and let's her feeling take hold of her for a moment.
'Why aren't I good enough?' She whispers to herself, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. She knows she'll have to win her next competition, because winning is the only success her parents know, they don't care about grades in school, or doing something good for someone else, the only thing they care about is winning. They both have trophy collections bigger than hers, and so she's always playing catch up. She punches the ground in frustration and stands up, kicking off her shoes and removing her running shorts until she's left with just her swimsuit, she dives into the lake and swims to the other side, the water is colder than she'd expected and for a second she wishes she'd just swan in the pool at the house, but that would mean having her mothers constant reprovals on her swim style and the speed of her lengths.
After thirty minutes of laps, she swan to the middle of the lake and just floated there. Lying on her back supported by the water, she looked at the blue sky and wondered what her life would be like without competiton, without diets and training, pressure andf disapproval from the people who were meant to love you no matter what. She sighed and swan back to shore, pulling her tracksuit bottoms back on, along with her trainers. As she began walking back, she turned to take one last look at the lake, the one place she could get away from everything, it was then that it caught her attention, the single sheet of paper that had been pinned to the tree. Walking back to it she unpinned the note, and read it.

Everyone says I need to talk, but I've never been very verbal when it comes to feelings, and there isn't anyone who cares enough to listen. There are people telling me that it'll be good to talk about what happened but they don't offer themselves to hear what I have to say.
So I'll talk to you, whoever you may be, I don't even know if this will be found, maybe a part of me hopes it won't be and that's why I picked such a secluded spot. Who knows. All I know is that writing has always been easier than talking.
I haven't been here long, I was told I had to move from New York, where I lived my entire life, after it happened. I suppose you're wondering what it is...
I don't know why I am bothering, nobody in my life cares so why should a stranger?

T

Elizabeth blinked at the words, scribbed on the plain paper in cramped handwriting, there was so much pain in those words, and she felt pulled towards them, wanting to help this person. She ran all the way back to the house, straight to her room and grabbed a pen, writing out a note on a page pulled from the back of a book she was reading.

Someone cares...
I found your note today when I was out running and now I just wanted to tell you that it may seem like nobody cares but I want you to know that I do.
You're a stranger yes, but don't discount the kindness of strangers, sometimes I feel that I can't talk to anyone who I know. So talk, or rather write, and I promise I'll listen and I'll care.
Elizabeth.

She ran back to the tree and pinned her note in place of the one she'd taken, folding up the one she'd found and then running back to the house, knowing she was going to be late for school.

Author's Note

Sorry if there are any spelling/grammar problems but I wrote this quite fast. Please let me know what you think.