Manhunt

A Story by Verin

An almost fictional depiction of a child's game

My breathing was labored and came hard. I was running, no, sprinting for all I was worth. My legs moved as fast as their muscles would allow. “I will not be captured,” was the first of two consecutive thoughts streaming through my oxygen-deprived mind. The second was that despite all the other times, this time would be different. Tonight would be the night I would outrun my hunters.

These two thoughts circled each other within my mind while my heart drummed a quick deafening rhythm inside my ears. My legs felt like solid blocks of lead and it was as if my lungs had burst into flame. They burned and each breath seemed to only stoke the fire. Then from somewhere close behind me I heard it.

I heard its footfalls on the ground and closing in on me. This creature, this monster chasing me could be anything but human. It kept an ungodly and seemingly endless pace directly behind me. Barely noticing, my feet went from hitting soft grass to pounding across hard unforgiving pavement. Bursting from the darkness of the field I had entered a dimly illuminated parking lot. It was right on my heels now and I didn’t dare to look back. All I could do to keep from surrendering to this demon was to focus my eyes on what might be my only hope. Ahead of me, and clinging desperately to the side of Rolph Road School was my sanctuary. A balcony, high enough off the ground that the creature couldn’t reach me, was the one place within sight that might just be safe.

Every hope I had for victory and escape lay with getting onto that ancient and rusting balcony. So focused on my hope I hadn’t noticed it had faltered and slowed its demonic run. “He cornered himself,” it thought, “now I have him.”

But I didn’t slow; I summoned every single drop of my remaining energy and put it into my run. Soon I had closed the gap between the wall and me, it appeared I was going to collide straight into the old bricks. But without missing a beat I jumped off the ground towards the side of the wall with my right foot slightly extended. As I felt my foot hit against the faded red wall I redirected all my momentum upwards and stretched my arms over my head to their limit. My leap was none to graceful, but with my arms outstretched I was just able to grasp onto the balcony’s rust flaked edge. The metal was cool beneath my fingertips and it took the miniscule amount of strength I had left to pull myself hand over hand up and over the railing. Barely able to stand and panting on that balcony I breathed in deeply with relief and gave a sharp whop of triumph.

Once I had recovered, slightly, I looked over the edge of the balcony like a baby bird leaning out of its nest to view the ground. There directly below my perch was my adversary. It stared at me quizzically. “No fair.” It declared, “You cheated.”

I looked back with complete satisfaction and replied, “You’re just annoyed I was able to beat you.”

“But there is no way I can get up there.”

“I know.” I smugly replied.

“Fine.” It said in a defeated tone as it began to move away. It had given up on catching me and was now once again on the search for prey. I had done it, I had survived the chase and this round of manhunt.