this morning #1443.

this morning, she grabbed my hand tight & we ran. i let her grip go. we kept running though. fast through the woods behind her house. neither of us dared look back. kept up top speed for like a mile. probably not that much but it sure felt like it was. definitely far enough to believe we were safe from harm. for now, at least. we stopped. caught our breath. both of us covered in sweat. her entire mop of curls was now flopped down drenched, pressed tight against the sides of her head. it made her look like weird al. that made me laugh. i shared. she smiled for the first time in a while. gave me a suffocating hug. whispered “thank you.” a twig snapped behind me. her gasp is the last thing i recall.