Invigoration
The air was warm and the salt water sprayed at her ankles as she jogged along the shoreline. Her ponytail swung back and forth across her shoulders as she breathed in and out the sea air as her feet fell, kicking up sand behind her. Sade crooned to her through the headphones forcing her to close her eyes. She sang about still really, really loving someone so much she forgot how to love herself first, but dammit, if she didn't make the thought of it sound good.
The pace of her jog was so intoxicating, she forgot her eyes were closed as she bounded forward. No one was usually out this early in the morning. The sun was just rising over the horizon, coming up from behind the line of hotels, restaurants, and other tourist attractions. The oranges and yellows blending away the shadows of night were a sight to behold on mornings like this, and she smiled to herself knowing the summer visitors would be missing it, sleeping away hangovers and from partying all night. The warmth of the morning seemed to kiss her face, and as she opened her eyes, she realized it was too late and ran right into a man standing in front of her, facing the ocean.
The collision was abrupt, but seemed to take forever. Her face smacked into his shoulder, and he fell backward as he tried to turn and grab her to soften her fall. They fell together, with his arms around her, landing on the sand, both of them letting out a grunt at impact. She jumped up immediately, wiped her face and jacket, grumbled, "I'm so sorry," and ran off before he could say a word, barely even looking at him.
"Hey! It's ok!" he shouted after her, but she already had her headphones back in and was too embarrassed to acknowledge him anyway.
When she reached her car, she got in and closed the door. Leaning her head on the steering wheel, she closed her eyes and breathed. Well, that was embarrassing, she thought. She sighed and tried to remember how peaceful her run was before it swiftly came to a crash and burn. The thought of it made her chuckle a little, and the more she chuckled, the harder her laugh came out. Before she knew it she was completely inconsolable, laughing hysterically at her forgetfulness and feeling like a preteen all over again.
"Who even does that?" she asked out loud, laughing some more.
"I do, but of course," she responded, now having a full conversation with herself. She allowed herself to laugh some more because that was quite a mess, and she enjoyed the feeling of it vibrating through her body.
The pace of her jog was so intoxicating, she forgot her eyes were closed as she bounded forward. No one was usually out this early in the morning. The sun was just rising over the horizon, coming up from behind the line of hotels, restaurants, and other tourist attractions. The oranges and yellows blending away the shadows of night were a sight to behold on mornings like this, and she smiled to herself knowing the summer visitors would be missing it, sleeping away hangovers and from partying all night. The warmth of the morning seemed to kiss her face, and as she opened her eyes, she realized it was too late and ran right into a man standing in front of her, facing the ocean.
The collision was abrupt, but seemed to take forever. Her face smacked into his shoulder, and he fell backward as he tried to turn and grab her to soften her fall. They fell together, with his arms around her, landing on the sand, both of them letting out a grunt at impact. She jumped up immediately, wiped her face and jacket, grumbled, "I'm so sorry," and ran off before he could say a word, barely even looking at him.
"Hey! It's ok!" he shouted after her, but she already had her headphones back in and was too embarrassed to acknowledge him anyway.
When she reached her car, she got in and closed the door. Leaning her head on the steering wheel, she closed her eyes and breathed. Well, that was embarrassing, she thought. She sighed and tried to remember how peaceful her run was before it swiftly came to a crash and burn. The thought of it made her chuckle a little, and the more she chuckled, the harder her laugh came out. Before she knew it she was completely inconsolable, laughing hysterically at her forgetfulness and feeling like a preteen all over again.
"Who even does that?" she asked out loud, laughing some more.
"I do, but of course," she responded, now having a full conversation with herself. She allowed herself to laugh some more because that was quite a mess, and she enjoyed the feeling of it vibrating through her body.
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