I ran as fast as I could and as I ran I realized I’d forgotten how wet I was as the air once more began to chill me a lot. It was then I decided that maybe this game of cat and mouse wasn’t a game I wanted to play on this day. So I poured on the speed and ran for all I was worth farther and farther down the path. I had no idea where the path was leading me but I knew eventually it had to let me back out into the park or maybe another street.
Unfortunately, I did not know that the path was actually a jogging track that meandered all the way around the park. I’d slowed to a steady jog and had stopped pumping my arms as I was too cold. Instead I kept my hands stuffed into my arm pits as I jogged along. Every so often I’d look back but never saw my follower. I finally figured out it was a jogging track when two ladies jogged passed me and both were wearing jogging outfits.
Shortly after we passed I came upon a trail side marker that read, “3/4 Mile”.
“I’ve gone nearly a mile?!” I asked myself out loud.
Of course that wasn’t the case. Actually I’d only jogged a quarter mile as I was going backwards on the track. I figured that out when I reached the next marker which read, “1/2 Mile” and groaned.
I began to consider turning left and running through the park but I had no idea what direction to actually go. I could end up running in circles and cover a lot more than just a half mile. So I stayed on the trail while still stealing glances back every so often.
“1/4 Mile”
“YES!” I cheered when I saw the quarter mile marker and even sped up a bit. And sure enough, when I came to the end of that last quarter mile I exited almost exactly opposite where I had entered on the other side.
Breathing hard and both sweating and freezing I walked out of the park and toward home.
When I turned onto my grandparents’ street, I decided to look back just one more time and guess what! I got my chance to get a better look at my shadow who must have given up and gone back to wait for me to come out on the other side. I saw it was indeed a boy who looked to be about my size, with hair on the long side. I don’t mean long like a girl, but it was longer than what most guys here in Maine usually wear. From that distance, his hair appeared to be brownish and he was wearing a dark blue jersey with faded blue jeans.
Once I had rounded the corner and knew that I was temporarily out of sight of whoever that guy was, I ducked behind a parked car and waited for him to catch up to me. However, no one ever appeared. When I decided to peek, he had vanished. I guess, whoever he was, had finally given up the cloak and dagger stuff.