Run Against Time.

This year is coming up with a wrap but it depends on the type of wrap, sad or happy, I thought.

"Let meet again at the lake with firecrackers. Oh! I'll bring those" one of my four friends with me in tow we are five said in the ambiance of happiness.

"I'll bring the drinks and no it isn't alcohol. We should be able to drink with our head in the game" the sentimental one among us said.

"I'll bring the picnic clothes," the third one said.

"Hmmm... I'll bring the snacks" the fourth declared and they all turned to look at me. "You know me, I'll bring myself to enjoy it. I'm sure it just us, right?" I said for confirmation.

"I might bring my boyfriend," the first one who is called Ena said.

We all gave her the knowing smiles of what others must feel like to kiss under the lights of a happy new year. She's the only one who has one and I know it kinda hurt that we will be sharing her on our hangout. I know about me feeling this way, I don't know about the others.

We parted ways to go home. My peace in the crisp air of the early morning came to a halt when a ball but my leg. I looked up to see who it might belong to and behold my brother of fourteen years who is a foot taller than me since the break of covid-19 sat at the footsteps of our home.

"What are you doing outside in the cold," I asked but all he gave was a smile like why is he acting strange. I kicked the ball with the intention it will kick some sense back into him but my feet kiss led the ball to the door missing him by an inch only lightly hitting him on his back as he picked it up and stood to his height oyster for me to stretch my head. Gosh! This long break did him good but bad for me as I didn't grow an inch of my while seventeen years of my life. As I walked to him, one of the curtains in the parlor revealed my grandma who must've heard the ball and I mouthed sorry to her glaring eyes and she went back to her TV series she was watching. I pushed him back to sit cause it too early to stretch my sore neck to talk to him and sat with him.

"It just that I miss you" he responded to my question. I ruffled his hair just to annoy him. "What happened to you? I know you don't miss me just one night away from home".

"Can't I miss you in my way?" He huffed and I gave him an eye roll. " okay, you got me. It grandma!" He fake cried and hugged me. "She made me cook for the first time in my life and I didn't sleep till midnight".

I hugged him back, " uh-uh, I also slept at midnight because of the gist we said" I smiled.

"Yours is fun but mine was torture. She said she wanted a bonding time with her precious grandson since mom was in the kitchen all day. Like who gives life lessons while cooking! Only grandma, only her!" He complained.

"Are you done" he released me from his hold with a look of betrayal. "Is that all you're going to say?".

"Yeah and Ena sent her greetings" I lied just to get away cause I need my sleep. I left him flustered with creeping heat coloring his cheeks with bright pink enough you warm him. I was thankful for the heat that welcomed me while I put my coat on the coat rack. I greeted everyone awake, my parents and grandma, the rest of my family who is still asleep are my cousin and their parents. I took the stairs two steps each and entered my orbit. In a few hours, we'll be greeting the new year. I decided to sleep since I have nothing to do but something nagged me at the back of my mind but I let the tiredness of my sleepover drag me into la-la land.

I woke up in the evening with a smile and a growling stomach asking for food. I stood to deal with this dilemma but sat back down with horror on my face. I was staring at the paper I clipped on the wall of my room filled with my goal all done except for one. I took it in my hand and it to write a prompt from Reedsy. Com. Though it came late to my list of goals cause I saw you a speck of miracle while searching for things online. At first, it was their money that drew me in and I joined their newsletter on a whim but ever since then I've been suffering from writer's block. To put it short, I've been a writer in my head and dreams and this platform can be used to be a writer in my reality.

I checked my phone to see if I can write this prompt and I'm saved that it'll end in a few hours leading to the break of dawn of a new year. First I need to calm my erratic heart and think deeply to bring any idea to mind. At this rate, my success rate is zero percent they say "there's no success without failing". I just need to put your story out there to be ready and not chase after the money. I know that if I'm knowledgeable enough about my craft, the money will chase me. I nod to myself and sat down in a trance maybe ideas will come but for a few minutes, nothing came. I lied on my bed in frustration and decided to just sit at my desk with a pen and paper to write anything snippet of thought that comes to mind. My stating contest with the blanket paper came to an end when my annoying brother came in without a knock.

"What do you want"? " I turned to him.

"I came to check if you aren't dead seeing that you missed breakfast and lunch. It will be so horrific that it New Year's Eve and you died. Such a gripping tale of a story will compete with the movie' knives out', don't you think?" He looked at me when I didn't respond. I envy him for coming up with such a title, a big contrast to my lack of ideas. I shake my head not in the mood for his talks and went back staring.

"You know to cure your writer block, you need to go out and see the sunset. I'm sure something will come to mind" he sat on my bed.

"What do you know about writing?" I asked.

"I know own nothing about it just that it so glaring anytime I come to your room when I see your goals clipped to the wall" I gave an eye roll to that.

"But try it" he gestured me to my window in which the sun is about to set reminding me that I have little time to think. "And my reason here is to tell you that grandma needs you" he made his way to go out but I held onto him.

"What can I do for you to help me just this once" I put my hands together as If I want to pray.

"Why can't you go?"

"It because of the prompt I'm writing ends today at midnight. I need the time I could get" I plead.

"You know what I want" he declared.

"What do you want? Cause I don't know"

"You know!" I knew what he wants. He wants Ena and she isn't even into young boys Besides she has a boyfriend now but I need a lie to let him help me.

"Okay, I know but are you hate embarrassed to say it". He shrugged.

"You can go out with me to see Ena" I Died. What he doesn't know won't kill him. I know I'll break his heart by telling him but not worries a bar of chocolate should be able to soften his heart later. He smiled a victorious smile and gave a handshake to solidify our deal. I gave a sorrowful smile back.

"You can slip out the window while I do grandma biddings" and with that, he left.

I quickly packed my book and pen into a small bag and arranged my pillows to look as if I'm sleeping cause grandma will come to check the fact. I lightly land on my feet and went through the back of the house.

It has been two hours of walking yet nothing flashed. The night is descending quickly and I checked my time on my phone and it reads at 8 o'clock. I sat on one of the Benches in the park, myself and I rest my head on the cool bench drench in cold to ride off my sudden perspiration, and then and a butterfly flew right in front of me and an idea came to mind. I wrote it down as fast as I can before it could fly away with the wind. I continued writing like that for thirty minutes until I was satisfied that I can finish it back at home.

I ran home as if my life depended on it and yeah, it kinda is. It like writing a history of myself. I forgot that I escaped through the back door when I entered my home using the front door. I gave a sheepish smile when grandma called my name.

"Ana! I thought you were sleeping" she said and my brother gave me the WTF look from where he sat massaging grandma's legs.

"You were busy watching your TV dramas and probably didn't hear me leave," I said smoothly. She was about to fire more questions but just ran upstairs to avoid it. Confined in my room, I could hear the resounding slaps on my poor brother's back.

I need to finish this story. This time I took my phone and went online ready to type fast the words I've written in my book. I hope this will be the beginning of a new me, to tell the stories that surge right out of my heart. I looked at the time and told myself that I could do this. Let go!