A Normal Day Unlike Any Other

The slight breeze kissed my skin and sent shivers down my body. The trees danced in the wind. The street was quiet and not yet awake. It was five o’clock in the morning, and I was doing my routine run for the day. I have to keep up my endurance if I plan on making the state track team one last time before I move to Italy to study history under the world renowned Professor Allessandro De Luca of history at Colombo University.

“Steady your breathing,” I could hear my coach telling me as I began to breather harder. Suddenly I hear my name being called out and it snaps me out of my thoughts. “Justin.” I look around and see no one. I brush it off thinking that I could just be hearing things. I look at my phone to check the time. It was now six-fifteen, so I headed back to my house to get ready for school.

“How was your run, dear,” my mother asked. “Great,” I replied nonchalantly. “I have thirty minutes until I have to meet Bryley for coffee at Jen’s Café, so I better get ready.” Bryley has been my best friend since kindergarten. She is a brown hair, weird, funny, quirky girl that lives next door.

At Jen’s, I order my usual mocha and a cheese croissant and Bryley orders the same. As we talked, Bryley talked about her latest crush, my older brother Cason. “He is so funny and not to mention gorgeous,” she said. “Plus he is two years older than us.” I still haven’t told her about me moving to Italy because I am waiting for the right time. I know it will break her heart, and I can’t do that to her.

School was as boring and uneventful as it usually was. At track practice, we did the usual 5k around the block. I don’t live to far from the school, so I usually just walk home after practice. Tonight, the street was darker and quieter than usual. It felt like someone was watching me. My pace quickened to a fast walk, then I could hear it. I could hear the footsteps behind me, so I turned around. I saw someone standing under the streetlight, but they were wearing dark clothes and a hoodie. I couldn’t make out if it was a man or a woman. “Justin,” the figure said as he took a few steps closer to me. I felt my heart start to race, and I quickly turned around and began to run as fast as I could. The footsteps behind me were keeping up with me and I could hear my named being called out. I turned on my street and then I stepped in a pothole and fell. The figure approached me quickly.