I ran out of the room crying. Tears fell as I ran down the steps. Once I reached the first floor I bolted out of the front door. I ran on the spotty grass in the front yard and made a right. 174 Pittsburg Drive… 178 Pittsburg Drive… 182 Pittsburg Drive… I turned left and ran as fast as I could. 20th St & Bell Ave. 22nd St & Bell Ave. 24 St & Bell Ave. The numbers kept going up as I made random left and right turns. 8th St & Gray Road. 12th St & Gray Road. 17th St & Gray Road.

The breeze of the wind pushed me to go farther. I didn’t know where I was going. I couldn’t see the street signs anymore. My tears made my vision fuzzy and the salt in each drop stung like a bee. I didn’t know where I was but I kept running. My hiccups increased rapidly as tears continued to stream down my face.

The feeling of not knowing where you are makes the world seem new. Like I discovered a new place. Being lost makes you explore places inside your brain you never realized existed. Not having anyone around to ask if you’re ok allows you to sit in your thoughts and think. My mother’s words repeated over and over. “You’re just like him. You’re just like him.” The angerness undertook the sadness as my heart filled with rage. The tears on my cheek started to dry and left a powdery white residue on my face.

I stand still looking in front of me, although I didn’t know what I was looking at. I looked peaceful on the outside however I was agitated within. I like being angry. The feeling of being upset at something and no one knows what is wrong or what you’re thinking. Sometimes I don’t even know why I am angry, but I like feeling that way. I like being angry. 

I continue running as the wind hits my chest. My hair blows low in the wind. I run as fast as I can while looking straight ahead. I run as fast as I can, not looking around. Focused on what is in front of me. The wind pinches my skin, my feet start to lose feeling, and the weight of my thighs presses down on my knee-. I fall over and land hard on the concrete ground.

“Mckenzie?” a voice in front of me called. I slowly open my eyes. The rays of the sun reflecting against the buildings made it hard to see, however, the voice seemed familiar. The person stood not too tall, but enough to block ¼ of the sun. The shadow behind them seemingly looks smaller than the person in front. The shadow portrays the person to be frailer than in real life. 

I try to open my mouth and talk, but the words come out low and raspy. “Who are you?” I said. “Mckenzie?” The voice says again. “Are you alright?” The shadow bends down in front of me. It helps me up into a sitting position. “Are you alright??” The person’s face becomes clear. “Numen?” I say while holding my left side ribcage. “Mckenzie, are you alright?” Numen asks again while looking me in the eyes. “I am fine, but my left ribcage kind of hurts,” I said while rubbing my side. “Why are you here?” I ask while side-eyeing him. “I was bored so I decided to go for a ride on my bike. You ran across the street without looking. I didn’t see you coming and I hit into you,” he says with an embarrassed look on his face. “It hurt a bit but I shouldn’t have ran across the street,” I said while shaking my head. 

“Where did you come from? Why are you running?” he asked while looking me up and down. “I was at my house,” I said with a sigh. “But my mother and I had an argument. She found out I applied to Green University and she said I am just like my dad.” “Woah… Green University? Isn’t that for Psychology?” he asks while his face lightens up. “Yeah, it is,” I look down at my shoes. “I want to be a Psychologist,” I said while fiddling with my fingers. His eyes widen. “Wow, that’s great! Although I never expected it since you always talked about something related to math or science,” he said letting out a chuckle. “That wasn’t my dream. That was everyone else’s dream for me,” I said with anger. 

He stares at me. “Whatever you decide to be in life, I will always be here for you. No matter what career path you decide to do, I will always cheer you on. It’s because I want the best for you and I love you,” he says nervously. “I’ll always be here no matter what…

I look up at him and study his body language. The blushing of his cheeks, the nervous smile, the eyes he stared at me with… I’ve never seen it before. Eyes full of nothing but love. Like he had never seen anyone like me. Numen comes closer to me. His eyes are still on me, and his cologne scent fills my nose, he picks up both my hands in his and holds them tightly. “I love you,” he whispers. “And I will ALWAYS be here.” He lets go of my hands and hugs me tightly. I embrace his hug and his scent. He lets go and helps me up off the ground. “Come on, let us go by my house, so I can check out your ribcage. I have your favorite snacks too and we can order some takeout, my treat,” he says while smiling and picking up his bike. He moves in closer and kisses my left cheek. “Forget about your mom right now, I’ll take care of you.”