Lucid Waking

Archive for December 22nd, 2007

Running

        i was running for my life and panting all the way. but there’s something that kicks in where even though your logical mind knows that you can’t run this fast or this long, you look down and there you are and you check your watch and you’ve been going for ten minutes.
        no, i’ve never really been that smart, but i pride myself in not being stupid. i know who to talk to and who to leave alone and why. i might not be able to tell you how i know if some guy is going to gyp you off, but i get the gut feeling and can tell you when. smarts is different for different people.
        the city is a really noisy place. there’s the police sirens far behind me and the jazz from Rittzy’s and the honking horns and the megaphone from the protesting in the park. and the church bells right about…now. people are talking and for the outside cafes, the clinking of glasses and plates and silverware. some guy’s radio is booming that vibrating bass that makes your eardrums hurt and the crinkle of plastic bags. there’s the crying of pigeons and sea gulls and someone else is firing off a gun.
        no matter how many people there are, no one wants to stop you and say “in here!”. i’m surprised but my logical mind is saying that’s stupid and i knew no one would do that to me.
        yeah, i’m a girl. tall. short hair. blue eyes. i have a jacket and jeans, mittens, and a hat. i look like a boy. but this guy knew i was a girl. that’s why i’m running. to get away from him. the protestors in the park are too busy protesting to notice me. the guy isn’t stupid. he didn’t fire off the gun again. they’re talking about some sort of union and they want higher wages. maybe that would help people be nicer to others and help them. maybe people aren’t paying attention because i’m just going through clouds of bird and lots of kids go through and scare the birds and they think i’m doing that too, which means that i don’t matter and can be ignored. my lungs hurt a lot. its funny how even though you have that little thing inside you managing how fast you run, it still can’t stop that pain in your legs and lungs and inside your nose.
        i’m lucky that the girl at the bar called the police. else i would just be running and since i’m not going as fast as i started, he would catch up to me eventually. and then i don’t know what i would do. but as it is, i can hear the sirens getting closer. i don’t know what he’s doing, but the car’s stopped. and that’s good. i hope they take him away from me. i’ll never go to that bar again. Ever.