One More

It was cold. She ran along the path, gasping for air, barely breathing.

“Again.”

She started again. It was still dark, the sun hadn’t yet risen over the mountains in the distance. She closed her eyes.

“One more, just one more.”

She ran along the path. Her legs hurt, her arms hurt, her heart hurt, everything hurt. She could feel herself slowing down, her legs saying,

“If you don’t stop, we will.”

But something inside her said

“Keep going. Keep going, almost there. Count. One two three four, one two three four, one two three four....”

She kept going. She looked up, saw where she had intended to end her circuit. Gasping for breath, she reached the finish line...and passed it.

“One more, just one more.”