Slow Motion - Rubber Soles of These Tattered Chuck Taylor's Pound

The rubber soles of these tattered Chuck Taylor's pound against the asphalt at a rapid speed. As the speed increases, so does the destruction of these old sneakers; rubber begins to tear away from the side of the sole due to the impact of the hard concrete. Long legs that adorn plaid pants with randomly placed zippers make a small whistling noise that is almost inaudible as I flee. I am running at such a fast pace that everything around me turns into a blur; I can no longer see the houses that align my uncle's street. My heart is pounding so hard that for a brief moment, I fear that it may break through my ribcage. My lungs are burning so intensely that I can no longer force myself to run any longer, and I stop at the side of my uncle's house. I lean my back against the white paneling that decorates his home, and I feel a sense of defeat while trying to catch my breath. It's beginning to rain now, and the water slowly starts to trickle from the sky and I watch as it lands on the ground. I stare so intently on the water droplets as they dissolve into the dirt.

I run my hands through my short hair and I grip tightly on a handful of brown strands in frustration. My face is hot, and my eyes burn with tears. I tell myself not to cry over this, but the anger takes control of me. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly as I release the hair and slide my hands to my face. I stand there covering my face for a few short moments, allowing the tears to freely fall into the palms of my hands. My breathing begins to quicken as I feel sobs overtake my body and I begin to shake slightly. I am so angry that these motions are hard to control, and this only frustrates me further. I have no other choice but to cave into these emotions and give in to them. I stand like this for a few moments with my back against the wall, and my hands covering my face as I cry. I sigh loudly as I slide my hands over my face and pull at the collar of my t-shirt so that I may wipe away the tears that stain my cheeks. My eyes are still slightly clouded with tears but I am able to take notice that the rain is falling at a heavier pace. I half-heartedly laugh at the irony of the situation and how the weather reflects the mood that I am experiencing.

As I stand there alone with my back still firmly pressed against the white panel, I take in my surroundings. I strain my neck to look upwards at the roof above me, and I notice that water is falling over the edge and hitting the ground with a splatter. It is at this moment that I realize soon my parents will catch up to me. I struggle with composing myself, so that they wouldn't know that I was crying. I rub the backs of my hands over my eyes, trying my best to look presentable when they finally approach me, I was not going to let them see that I was defeated. I run my hands through my hair and move away from the wall for a moment to look outward into the street where I see