Out of the Darkness

I got just two blocks away from the finish line. And now my legs are starting to shut down. The street is dark but I can hear the crowds roaring.

Unfortunately, I am fading and I am pretty sure that there are less than a few minutes to go before the whole course is shut down.

Out of the darkness, a volunter gets right up in my grill and says, "You have got to move--NOW". I told him that my legs would not work. He says I have four minutes to go and starts o bark out instructions, "Swing your hips----Breathe this way---Do not stop". Clearly this man is a trained professional.

He gets me through one block in a minute and a half.

Now I can see the arch that leads to the finish line. There are massive neon signs lit up. There are huge spotlights on the finish line. The clock is ticking. The crowd roar is huge. I can also hear a countdown going on and I know that they are counting down the closure of the course.

The volunter (Dark Angel) tells me that he is going to leave me at the arch and that I need to make it to the finish line. I pass the arch swining my hips and now the legs are locking up further. They are basically non functional and just 25 yards from the finish I am not sure I can stand up. I realize if I fall that crawling will actually take too long.

Out of knowwhere and with no active higher brain function, I let out a yell. An incredible hulk kind of yell. The kind of yell that is not pre planned and that has no other purpose than survival. This launches me across the finish line. For a second I am not sure that I crossed it but then another volunteer catches me. He is as happy as I am and wants to put me in a wheelchair--I refuse because I know that I will get up again if I sit down now. Out of the corner of me eye I see Lisa and Jody running towards me. I recognize them but cannot but the whole scene together-
I look at the guy and say, "Holy ------- ---t"

Next the aftermath