It has been a while since I dabbled in fiction, too long. It’s my first love and I am contemplating returning to it on a more regular basis. The next vignette has no title or grand purpose but I enjoyed writing it as much as I hope others will enjoy reading.

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A playful breeze whipped the wisps of her hair, enjoying a moment of freedom from their ponytail confines. She barely noticed the hair that tickled her ears and forehead.

The track loomed before her, August heat rising in a haze from its surface. A cacophony of sound reverberated from the stands.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of the men soar past in a blaze of glory to the finish line. The cheers supported the runners as they pressed towards the goal of months of training. A smile crept onto her face. Soon, she too would have her turn.

Women around her stepped onto the track. She waited and watched.

Two women with ebony black skin, wearing the Ethiopian kit, walked together to the inner side of the track. A brief twinge of envy seeped into her gut as she observed the training partners warm up in tandem.

The other six women engaged, separately, in movements designed to shake out nerves, warm up muscles stiff from waiting, and mentally prepare for the race of a lifetime, a race mere moments away. How could one prepare for such an event?

She took a deep breath and, as she exhaled, placed her left foot on the track. After another full breath, she brought her right foot on the track closing her eyes and soaking in all of the sound and other input to her senses. She heard the muted cheers coming from the far side of the oval by the field events.

When the announcement of the one minute warning came, she rolled her head around, stretching her neck before taking one last deep breath.

The nine women stepped to the line, close to each other. She looked not to the right or to the left at the women on either side of her whose breath she could feel on her arms. They did not start form blocks in this race, not when they had twenty laps to complete before things really got serious.

She could feel the excited tension build as if the track pushed it up through her feet. By the time the tension reached her shoulders, the gun fired and all nine women moved as if in unison. The tension exploded down into her legs and propelled her forward.