THE CEDARVILLE REVIEW 35 your mouth. Will anyone ever hear you? Will anyone ever fi nd you? You stop, press your back against the door, and mutter a silent prayer— “Somebody help me.” Hopelessness. More heavy breathing. You can hardly feel the air entering and leaving your lungs anymore. They’ve gone numb. Your heart falls like a mountain into the sea. All at once, you freeze. At your rear, there’s a clatter of footsteps. They approach. Closer and closer. Jogging, and then running. They reverberate over the rain. With a thousand muscle fi bers letting go at once, you lean your head against the door, and exhale. Sheer solace swells with each breath. Rapturous joy reddens your sallowed face, and tears stream down your cheeks. Suddenly embarrassed, you wipe them from your eyes. Thank you, God. Someone is coming.
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