200 Meters

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Aanii

Hello

?” The old man called down the hall. “Are you there?”

“Just one second, Zhishay

Uncle

!” She quickly tied her shoes and grabbed a jacket off of the back of a chair.

“What takes you so long? You’re worse than your aunt was.”

“At least I don’t yell at you when you spend too much time in the garage.”

He turned when he reached the back door, his hand resting on the doorknob, a gold sparkle in his eye at her words. He opens the door and walks into a gentle rain.

His smile was always slight. It was more of a look in his eye than a movement of his lips, much like many of his words were, but she noticed it, and it made her grin as she followed him into the backyard, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Aaniish Eshnikaazyin

What’s your name?

..." He walked to the far end of the yard and turned to face her.

"Ma’iinganbatoo ndishnikaaz

My name is Running Wolf.

"

“Very good. Never forget that. Today you will run.”

“Gimiwan

It’s raining.

.”

He raised his eyebrows as he slid his hands into the pockets of his old, worn jeans. “Where’d you learn that from?”

“Auntie Rita.”

“She taught you much, Ikwezens

Little Girl

.”

“She still does.”

His eyes darken and his shoulders drop for just a second at the thought of his wife coming to her in spirit.

Her eyes drop to the softening ground, her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry, Zhishay.”

He studied her for a moment. “Are you sorry? Sorry that she was part of your life and mine?”

She didn’t know what to say, so she shook her head.

He stepped up to her and took her chin in his fingers. “Are you?”

“No, Zhishay.”

“Never be sorry. Not for her, and not for me. And not for any being that walks into your life. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Zhishay.”

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and stepped back, “Today you will run.”

“Gisinaa

It’s cold

.”

He rarely smiled, but when he did it was brilliant. “Today you will run, and I don’t care if it’s cold out.”

She was grinning as the toes of her running shoes dug into the ground, her left leg bent and ready to propel her forward in an instant, her right leg stretched behind her and ready to follow through. Her fingers sunk into the wet grass as they held up her upper-body until her momentum would pick her back up again. Her head was straight, her eyes focused on some distant point that was her goal.

He walked around her in a circle. When he passed behind her he took in her form. “Right heel, straight up.”

She immediately straightened it.

He walked to the porch to stand out of the rain, which was falling harder. He was still close enough to see her jaw clench as she waited for it, and watch her eyes slowly change to gold. “To the Papakoosigun

Willow tree

, and back again. Quick turn. You’re good at long distance, but you need to learn how to sprint. Let the wolf take over, let the spirit guide you.”

“Niswi

Three

.”

He watched her tense and flex her muscles as she honed in on the goal, as her senses keened.

“Niish

Two

.”

Her body slid forward on her toes, then back again. She felt the muscles of her back tighten and loosen. The willow tree that was her goal became clear and focued, while everything else slid away into darkness.

“Bezhik

One

.”

Forward she went, her body coming up as her right leg moves forward. Her shoes slip in the wet grass with each step as her arms move in perfect rhythm with her legs. Her goal comes closer and yet she doesn’t slow.

Just feet from the trunk of the tree, he watches her body turn, her feet plant into the ground to slow her momentum. Then she was off again, running towards the ‘finish line’ for he was sure that is what she saw when she looked back towards where she started. That’s what kept her going, and going strong.

She doesn’t slow down, but instead runs straight into the chain-link fence in front of her. Her fingers grasp the cold, wet metal as it flexes against her. She stands with her hands still gripping the fence, her face turned up to the sky as she focused on slowing her breathing, the gentle raindrops cooling her heated skin.

“Again.” She heard his voice from the patio and turned. “You ran like the Mizheekay

Turtle

.”

She balled her fists and set them on her hips, “Ma’iingan

Wolf

.”

“Mizheekay.”

“Ma’iingan!”

“Show me.”

She huffed as she dug the toes of her shoes into the wet grass for a second time.

“When?” She asked, her eyes set once again upon her goal.

“Booshke’giin

It’s up to you.

.”

She said the words to herself, slowly counting down as her body readied for the run.

Niswi...

She straightens her heel.

Niish...

She pulls her shoulders back.

Bezhik

Her body lunges forward, the raindrops hitting her face as the old willow comes closer and closer. She turns, more like swivels, as she reaches the roots, and heads back again.

He watches the determination on her face, her eyes squinted against the rain. He watches as her foot meets the ground with purpose, each stride pushing her forward.

She felt it. Something was wrong. She lifted her left leg up and it wobbled, there was a heat that wasn’t there before and it was growing. She was moving too fast to stop, she had no choice but to land it.

Her foot hit the ground, she felt the shockwave of it travel up her leg. Then the searing pain that followed. Her knee gave and hit the soggy ground, then the rest of her body.

He heard her scream as her body fell to the ground, saw the pain on her face as he ran to her. She laid face down in the grass, her fingers digging into it almost with the force to pull it up. Her body shook with the weeping and he forced away the pain it caused.

He dropped to his knees beside her and rolled her over, but she didn’t move her legs with the rest of her. He held one hand on her shoulder the other on her cheek. “Where?”

“Ogeegwun

Knee

...”

He looked down at her knees, her left one already swelling. He wrapped his arm under her shoulders and lifted her to his chest. “This is going to hurt, but I have to get you into the house. We can’t stay out here.”

“Just do it.” She screamed again as he wrapped his other arm beneath her knees and lifted her up.

He watches as her head falls back lifelessly, thankful that she was out and unable to feel as he walked carefully but swiftly back into the house and laid her on the couch.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She closes her eyes against the heat of the warm summer day, feeling the slight breeze blow her hair back from her face, then looks down at her knee. The scar has faded, the pain has faded, but not her determination. She readies her body, feeling the strength in her muscles as she tenses.

Up above, a hawk circles...Watching...

She opens her eyes, and stares ahead at the finish line. She straightens her heal and clenches her jaw. And counts...

Niswi...

Niish...

Bezhik...

The gun sounds, and the hawk cries as the spirit of the wolf guides her down the track, all 200 meters of it...