Breathless

I collapse to the ground. The dirt and tiny stones dig into the surface of my knees and palms. I roll over on the grass for some relief.

I am out of breath. My legs feel like jelly. I have been running for a while now. I really wish I had my bike with me although I guess it would not be all that useful in this terrain.

Not really sure how much time has passed but it must be close to the afternoon. This pond is a refreshing sight after what feels like endless trees.

I watch from a distance as I see the wind rippling little waves across the surface of the clear blue water. The wind cools the sweat on my skin providing some relief. My attention is drawn to the small movements of bugs skimming across the surface of the water.

I must be somewhere in the countryside. I find it odd that I have not run across a road yet. There is a possibility I am in some special park. Maybe once I exit the treeline I will be able to get a better understanding of where I am.

Hopefully that goddess did not play a trick on me and place me halfway across the globe. I struggle to remember exact turn of events that lead to me being here. For the briefest moment I remember the goddess’s smile.

“You know that smile was a little more crafty than I realized at the time.”

Well I have no need to worry about that now since she did give me a second chance at life.

It is shocking ever since I woke up here I feel faster and a little stronger than I remember being. Come to think of it, is this body even my original body? With some effort I lift myself off the grass. I shuffle along towards the edge of the pond.

“I really should have paced myself better. Could go for an energy drink right about now.”

I shake my head. That might not be the best idea now that I think about it.

My eyes focus on the reflection forming in the pond. I see all the familiar features of my face. I start bending down to inspect my face closer for any little changes when a noise to my right startles me.

—Ribbit

A frog leaps into the water from the brush clearly startled by my presence. The water ripples before me. Suddenly the world around me is cast in a dark shadow. For a brief moment I can see the reflection of something flying high above me. The ripples distort the image. I look up to try and get a better look at it but whatever it was is far from view now.

“Man, that was a really big bird. Like seriously something huge.”

Casting my gaze directly below the direction that the bird flew, something catches my eyes. I instinctively squint my eyes towards what appears to be the edge of the treeline.

Joy rushes over me. A change of scenery will do me some good.

“No need to rush.” I tell myself this but it still does little to change my habits. Life has always been a sprint for me. I spent so much time rushing whether it was video games, the track team, or my time at school.

Friendships. Family.

I have to do better with this second chance I have now. If I can ever find my way back from wherever I am I promise to do better. Take life a little slower.

Old habits are hard to break though.

I take off towards the edge. It is not a full sprint but I am maintaining a pace that would put the old track team to shame. It takes me no time at all to reach the end of the forest. As I pass through the horizon I see a new onslaught of vegetation to contend with.

Hay.

It is a field of hay.

That can only mean one thing.

Someone had to have planted all of this hay.

“This has to be someone’s farmland.”

Taking in this discovery I slowly walk through the field. I raise my arms hovering over the grains of hay. The gentle tips of the grains graze against my palms. Man, this place is really beautiful. This is nothing like the city I grew up in. Clearly, I have to be in the countryside.

I wander for a while in the fields. I must have lost track of time. There is a break splitting the hay into two fields.

The dirt below me is different, it is much more compact than what the forest felt like. Looking down reveals to my surprise it is a dirt road.

“People.”

My heart skips a beat.

Immediately I sit down crossing my legs. My hand instinctively rubs at the edge of my chin. I face a new predicament with this discovery. The question that continues to trouble explorers to this very day.

“Left or Right?”

Either direction will lead me to someone.Nobody builds a road to nowhere. So neither answer is wrong but I should at least think about the choice before making one. I dig into my pockets. I have no coin to flip. Just a pocket knife and a stopwatch.

“If this was a video game I was speed running what would I do?”

The answer was simple.

“I'm going right!”

When given a choice between two paths a decision must be made. 

For a speedrunner it is simple: you always go right. Most of the times right is the shortest path by default when playing games. Just might have something to do with it being the dominant hand of your average game developer. It stands to reason that human nature is no different.

So, right it is.

The dirt road is too narrow for two cars side by side. Must be a path that people walk. If I am lucky I will be near the farmstead in no time. In the distance I can barely make out the outline of a person coming into view. I take off sprinting at full force.

“Whoa! Slow down there son. You’ll give old folks like me a heart attack.”

I take a moment to catch my breath. The old man is not typically the kind of person I would think of living out here in the countryside. His hair was ash gray with a full beard that seems to be hiding a weary smile. His clothes seem to be homemade but the look comfy. 

“I am sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just excited to see someone else out here.”

The old man is clearly watching me carefully. For his short stature he does seem to have an undeniable aura of nobility. After a moment his expression begins to relax and the tension in the air dissipates.

“It's dangerous running up on someone. You should learn to take things a little slower. Being too quick can lead to misconceptions and dangerous misunderstandings.”

I am having a hard time focusing on the man’s words. The old man’s wrinkled palm is resting on the hilt of a sword. Why did I not notice it sooner? I stop staring and return my focus to the old man’s gaze not wanting to cause further misunderstandings.

“Um, is there a town close by here?”

“Mm.” The old man nods his head, “It is not far from here. At the pace you’re moving you might even be able to make it before sunset. The bigger concern is whether or not they’ll even allow you to enter.”

“I’ll make it! Being speedy is kind of my thing” I say through my grin.

“Ho ho,” the old man laughs. It is a genuine laugh. “Well be on your way. If you're still outside the gate come the morn’ I’ll see about putting in a good word for you. “

Gate? What town needs a gate? Of course I should also be asking myself what part of the countryside do you need to carry a sword to defend yourself? Hope my pocket knife will suffice. 

“You’ll need to hurry if you wish to make it before sundown.”

He is right. I thank the kind old man and begin to sprint faster and faster down the dirt road. Time passes quickly as the fields of hay stretch on farther than the forest. This place is really surreal. Can this really be what the countryside is like? The hill in front of me blocks out the horizon. As a race towards the top I can begin to taste the salt on the air.

The wind picks up and whirls around me at the top of the hill. The sounds of the wailing winds and waves cascading overwhelm my ears. There is an ocean before me. I can see that the land sits above a huge cliff face that descends into a sandy beach relentlessly weathering the crashing waves.

I am at a loss for words. There on an adjacent hill sits a town. The steep white stone walls surround it in a protective embrace. The borders of the town extend to the cliff's edge. There are numerous wooden reinforcements that seem to be supporting the structures and maintaining the stone cliff against erosion.

"This is not time to be standing around catching my breath." 

The end of my goal is in sight. My body moves before I can even think of what to do. I can deal with the exhaustion later. I will run till I am breathless.

I have to know just what kind of town is beyond that big gate.