A solitary woman runs down a deserted country road through the flow blue night. She’s desperate to burn off a day’s worth of pent up energy. In the distance the low throaty sound of thunder warns her to turn back. She refuses.

As she runs deeper into the countryside she wonders if this will be the night she’ll finally stave off the carousel of questions that have assailed her ever since that bitter winter’s night five months ago.

~

Ava Land had driven the interstate for six long hours. Stopping only once to refill the gas tank of her Eddie Bauer designer Jeep her body now hungered for hard physical exercise. Her mind hungered for more, much more. It hungered for peace.

Finally reaching her destination point, she entered Eden and began searching for a motel. Ava drove the entire length of the little country town searching for a Ramada, Best Western, even a Quality Inn to check into for the night. Eden’s only motel was situated on its western edge where the town met the countryside in an instant.  Ava checked into The Red Delicious Inn, a 1950’s style motel court with seperate bungalows for rooms.

 Entering her bungalow with some trepidation Ava locked herself in before emptying the contents of her overnight bag on to the bed. The bed was dressed in a handmade patchwork quilt that had seen many washings but was far from threadbare. 
 
 Quickly changing into her running clothes she headed back outside. Standing in the glow of the last antiquated street lights on this far edge of town, she scanned for possible running routes. 
 
 A run through town would be the safest bet, thought Ava.  But a narrow country road just  beyond her bungalow caught her eye. Something about it was beckoning to her and Ava set off.  She’d made the right choice. It didn’t take long for the narrow meandering road with its periodic deep knee-bend turns to start soothing both her body and mind. This was a new sensation for Ava, and it felt delicious.

“Did people run in a place like Eden?” Ava wondered. She supposed joggers weren’t a common sight in these parts. And certainly not at eleven o’clock at night!

Suddenly Ava was grateful to be concealed by darkness. She had a pathological fear of making a spectical of herself under any circumstances. Dressed in her blue-black, second-skin running tights and matching top, Ava dissolved into the night like instant coffee in water.

In fact a cat sponging up heat from the still sun warm blacktop never saw Ava coming. Spotting the cat at the last instant, Ava sprung over the creature like a pebble skipping on water scaring it screaming into the ditch.  Ava emitted her own involuntary animal sound in reply. Her heart thundered. It echoed in her eardrums along with the thunder overhead. Ava jogged in tight little circles until her heart settled back down.

Still she wasn’t ready to turn back.

Pushing off again, she ran with the supple, practiced gait that had taken her years to perfect. Her feet glanced the surface of the taffy-soft asphalt momentarily, rhythmically. Simultaneously Ava dragged great drafts of air smelling of sweet, freshly leafed out foliage deep into her lungs. She prayed this country air would help her sleep tonight.

Ava kept up a steady pace as she neared a row of giant pines standing boldly, like sentries, waiting to greet her. The sound of oceans emanated from the trees as the strong breeze foreshadowing the approach of the storm,  breathed through their boughs. A smile flickered across Ava’s lips. The surf was definitely up in the old pines tonight! Memories of her last trip to Maui flooded back to her.

Schizophrenic lightening suddenly jittered across the night sky. Just as suddenly the questions, spiced with love and regret, broke through to Ava’s consciousness to begin their nightly assualt. “Why’d you have to die Chris? And now this. Why did you do this to me?”