Track

She kneels down on the track

Feeling the rough concrete on her knees

Sweat trickling down her face like a waterfall

Encouraging eruption noises from strangers she doesn't know

Her head turns ever so slightly

Staring at the rest of the unknown strangers steering around the path

She watches as they get closer

She stands up, brushing off her knees

Not because of the encouragement

But because of the determination

Because it's what she's been practicing for for years

Because she feels as though she owes herself the reward

After everything she's been through

She dabs off the sweat that was once trickling from her face

Only in time to start running in first place

The red ribbon in plain sight

Step by step she dances her way to her future

One more step

She rips through the ribbon

Only to see that another girl made it before her

She starts crying

Oh no, not the waterworks again..!

But oh, they're not out of disbelief and sadness

They're of pride

She was so proud of herself for crossing the line that crossed between the future and the present

She stared around the track, once more

She saw as a girl was kneeling on the track in the same spot that she was once

She runs back through the ribbon towards the girl

She picks her up, watching as the girls eyes lit up into full moons

They run together

They run, waiting for the moment they can say  "I made it". 

They made it. 

And it was all because of determination.