“Go, go, go. Faster. Stop dogging it. Kainath Ahsan, run!” I heard the alarmingly loud voices of my coaches piercing my eardrums like a sharp object cutting my skin. My ears throbbed with pain, bled with soreness, serving as a constant reminder of my coaches’ angry words. I felt as if my ears were peeling off my head, dangling by a small piece of skin like the rest of my body. Limp, tired and sweaty, my body ached all over as if it had been run over by an 18-wheeler.

Yet I continued forward, my feet dragging over the firm track pavement and my arms flailing, slapping at invisible gnats. I passed a blur of faded colors as the constant thudding of feet hitting the track surrounded me. One by one, my teammates ran by me, leaving behind the stench of overworked bodies and my feelings of failure and humiliation. I struggled desperately to catch up while trying to resolve the question brewing in my head: stop or run? Although I wanted to continue, the weakness in my body slowed me. The more my coaches urged me to run, the heavier my body felt, the louder my footsteps hit the ground and the harder it was to breathe.

Breathe. I forgot to breathe. No, wait - I couldn’t breathe. My body panicked as my head ordered it to stay calm. The inside of my mouth dried as though it had been roasting in the scorching desert sun. As I tried to gulp, a feeling of raw nothingness filled my mouth. Not a drop of saliva remained as I felt my vomit valve start to turn. However, there was nothing I could throw up. A pair of invisible hands tightly enclosed my throat. Craning my neck, I struggled to get free while my lungs jumped and searched for oxygen. A tingling sensation overcame me as the bright, warm spring day turned into a dark, stormy winter night. A curtain of darkness and fear dropped over me, and I opened my mouth, gasping for one last breath. Unable to defeat my attacker, I found myself falling, falling into the great unknown.

A soft purring filled my ears as I was cooled from the gentle touch of the spring breeze. My body felt peaceful and relaxed on the soft bed of green, prickly hairs of Mother Earth as the warmth of her beauty caressed me. I emptied my mind of negativity, feeling protected by an unknown force. Nothing could happen to me. My nostrils tingled with the sweet smell of dandelions and the strong, rubbery odor of new sneakers. Then an unpleasant combination of perfume and medication overpowered all my senses, forcing me to open my eyes. The rays of the afternoon sun blinded me as the plump clouds slowly danced in the sky.

A hand reached for me, pulling me back into reality as I tried to focus my thoughts. Suddenly I panicked, gulping for air, only to discover a great rush pouring into my lungs. I sighed with relief as a buzz of questions aroused me. Ignoring them, I looked ahead, now full of energy and air. I began to move, running quickly. My legs stretched forward as my arms followed, both keeping a similar rhythm. Wisps of hair softly and playfully stung my face as the breeze dried the trickles of salty sweat from my body. Feeling calm and composed, I heard the loud, encouraging voices of my teammates and coaches, “C’mon. Yeah, run, Kainath!”