Death

I'm on the start line.

He's there too.

The lights blare in my face,

the race is on.

It hurts at first.

Everything hurts,

I'm on my knees.

I passed the first marker,

he's still at the start line.

There's other people,

but in reality,

it's just us.

Me vs. Him.

The fifth marker passes under my feet.

I look behind me, 

and he's still there.

Smiling at me.

Like he knows something.

I ran past the tenth marker.

I have knowledge now.

I surely know more than him.

Looking behind me,

his red eyes stare into me.

He still knows something I don't.

The twenty marker is far behind me.

I have more intellect than I could've ever imagine.

But that means I know now.

I know what he is.

I know how fast he can run.

I don't want to look back.

The forty marker wasn't that far ahead.

There's a few times I felt him move his muscles.

Take a step forward like he was going to finally run.

I'm glad he didn't.

I can't lose.

Not now.

The seventy marker looms ahead of me.

I'm scared.

I'm so scared.

Most of my friends lost.

Maybe not me.

Maybe I'll win.

Maybe I'll beat him.

I hear laughter from behind me.

He's still there.

Waiting.

Goosebumps run down my body.

I blink,

and there it is.

The finish line.

My legs are weak.

My mind feels fragile.

My body is in no fit.

But the dedication,

the motivation,

the desire is burning in my pumping heart.

My foot touches the line,

and I yell.

I did it.

I won.

The fire is in me.

Adrenaline running rampant in my blood.

I turn around with confidence,

to rub it in his face.

Except,

he wasn't there.

My soul drops.

I hear a cackle behind me.

I know now.

I should've known.

"No one can beat me."