Crossroads

I beat him again. Only because he is late this time around the year. I grab my running shoes and start without waiting. The winds trouble me when he is not around. I tighten my scarf but do not stop.

My old shoes are worn out. It doesn't bother me when it's dark. My hands feel frozen and I'm smoking the air. I stop at the crossroads. I take a guess and turn right.

My heart starts racing as the lone tree appears in sight. My grandma tell me he is the only survivor of the forest that stood here long ago. I smile at it and prepare myself for what's about to happen. My eyes start scanning all possible directions.

After a while, I arrive at the west bridge. Few boys are stretching out at a distance. One of them lets out a puff of smoke. Clearly, it's not the air. I turn back immediately. The way back home feels longer than usual.

As I approach the lone tree, a dark figure jogs closer. I stop at the encounter. I am not thinking straight when I say, "You're late today."

Two pretty eyes stare at me in surprise. Her legs do not stop but she is not moving. I realize my blunder and she is questioning the sanity of a stranger.

After what feels like a minute, a curve is visible on her lips. "I took a guess, and I was wrong," she tells me and quickly disappears into the fog.

I'm almost home when he greets me. He reads my expression and stares at me without blinking. I cannot meet his eye. Usually this moment is my favorite but he is defeated.

I wake up another day. The shoes are comfortable. And as I approach the crossroads, my heart flutters. I do not have to take a guess anymore. A shady figure waits for me in the dark.