[ WP ] What do you do when you ca n't run any more ?

Running was hard, running was painful, running was exhausting, but most of all, running was simple. I knew how to run. I ran faster than anyone. It didn ’ t matter what was in front of me. Savage beasts hiding in the bushes beside the road? Monsters lurking in every shadow? Shattered glass, hot coals, and sharp metal lying on the pavement? I kept running! 
 
 The ecstatic feeling of surpassing your peer, the sweet warmness of another post on the way, the summer scent of the rushing wind, they turned my heart into a roaring engine and my muscles into pistons. I was a machine made for running, made by running, and ready to run my entire life under the forever scorching and refreshing sun. Giving up was not an option, slowing down was unacceptable, victory was assured. 
 
 I don ’ t remember when exactly that guy joined. Imagine if your shadow on a hot summer day stood up, painted on an ear to ear grin, and opened a pair of golf-ball sized eyes. That should give you a clear indication of what the fellow looked like. Despite being lazier than a snail, he never fell behind, just casually strolling by my side. After a while, I heard a shifting disjointed voice, which sounded like someone or something mocking human speech: 
 
 “ So, kid, tell me this: what will you do when you can ’ t run anymore? ” 
 
 “ That won ’ t happen, ” I replied. “ I run better than anyone else. ” 
 
 “ That ’ s why I ’ m asking you. ” His grin grew wider. “ The track is about to end and you ’ re first in line. ” 
 
 “ The track never ends. That ’ s the whole point. You reach one post and run for another. One after another, one after another. And I ’ m always first. ” 
 
 “ We ’ ll see, kid, we ’ ll see, ” the voice answered, slowly fading into distorted cackling. 
 
 Years passed, the road twisted and turned, obstacles crumbled one by one, until… Laughing like a madman I slammed my palm down onto another post, caught my breath and looked forward. There was no road, no singular path, only a forest, dense and menacing. My dark companion was sitting on a branch near the entrance. Once again his painful and unstructured voice pierced my ears: 
 
 “ Impressive, impressive, this might actually be a record, not a world record, but still. So what now, kid? Figured out where to run yet? ” 
 
 “ Of course I did. ” I pointed forward. “ There ’ s a post right there, on the other side, barely visible in the bushes. ” 
 
 “ What about that one? ” The shadow pointed at another one to the left. “ Looks just the same. Sure you don ’ t want to try it? ” 
 
 I took a better glance around. There were dozens of them, little posts scattered throughout the woods, all equally inviting. For the first time, I was unsure. 
 
 “ So what will it be, kid? ” The shadow was growing impatient. “ See it yet? Not easy when you have to decide the destination, is it? Let me give you a hint: you fucked up. Sure, it ’ s great to get here early; the forest will give you more choices, and believe me, you don ’ t want to get here too late, but that wasn ’ t the point. ” 
 
 The sun hid behind the clouds; it was getting colder. 
 
 “ It wasn ’ t a race. ” 
 
 It was beginning to rain. 
 
 “ It wasn ’ t about getting here first. ” 
 
 The leaves started falling one by one. 
 
 “ It was about how long the summer lasts and how many people you can bring with you. ” 
 
 His grin grew unbearably large. 
 
 “ And you only have me. ” 
 
 The shadow ’ s broken laugh echoed in my ears, as I slumped to my knees on the cold wet mud. Tears were streaming down my face and sob after sob escaped from my lips. 
 
 “ Lead the way, kid. I ’ m sure it ’ s going to be quite the journey. ”
