|
|
Her breath came in shallow gasps. She could hear the pounding of the feet of the other runners on the clay track as they tried to catch up. She knew they wouldn't. The finish line was dead ahead, beckoning to her. The only obstacle between her and the ribbon was the blond girl barely in front of her. She tried to squash the urge to yank the girl's bobbing ponytail and forge ahead. Breathe in, breathe out. One, two, three, four. She hummed Für Elise to the tempo of her steps in her mind. Only a few more steps left. Faster. She didn't see the ponytail any longer, just a vague outline of the girl through the sweat that had pooled at the corner of her eye. It was going to be close. She could see heat waves emanating off the track.
There it was! She puffed her chest and broke the ribbon a few milliseconds before the blond girl reached it. As she slowed to a walk, the cheers of the fans and her fellow teammates roared through her ears. When she turned to wave at the crowd, she collapsed.