Bang!

• Kerry Tran, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2011

‘BANG!’ that was the signal. Father was staring at me, his eyes hawked at me, bringing out the determination resting inside of me and I bulleted with all my speed, the energy charging through my legs, splitting the winds in two with my head facing down, the wind breathing on my hair as it flowed freely. Scanning quickly, left to right, not a soul in sight or within my sights and I sensed my victory. Now my ears and eyes relaxed, I could see the crowd perching over the barrier holding them back, their eyes peering into me and the cheers piercing into my ears. I was scared, bad thoughts flowed into my mind. What if someone ran past me? What if someone beat me? Would father would be angry? I tried to erase those cloudy thoughts from my mind.
It was sudden, my legs writhed around, and I could sense the sudden hammer smashing against my leg. Then my leg almost floundered on the floor, soon after astonishment was thrown into my eyes. I could picture a silhouette flashing past me. He was picking up speed like a cyclone and soon cruised past me. My brain snapped and my legs told me that I was only 50 metres into the race, another 50 to go I said to myself.
Signals were being sent everywhere. My sole purpose was to beat this man who was beating me at what I was the best at. My legs received the signal, as fast as a leopard it was. I placed my head back down and I slowly darted towards him, 25 metres left, 20 metres left, 10 metres then 5. My supply had run dry, now I was running with only will power, the will to win was all I had in my body, my legs cracked open as if an earthquake had just hit and my arms were now as lifeless as ragdolls. I raised my head 1 metre left, the line ahead my ticket to freedom.
I lunged towards the line like it was my way out of jail and I flashed over the line. Then the crowd stopped all of a sudden and dad smiled.