Breathing is natural. It doesn't hurt, it doesn't take time, it's not forced … it's easy.

Breathing while running with everything in you, that's different.

The imaginary pistol went off, signaling the green flag, with one wave … and she was off. Her heart stampeded forward in sync with her light feet as she pulled away from the starting line. The sidewalk was all she could see, sometimes there'd be a blur of green or black, but she mainly focused on the gray, damp pavement before her.

In and out. In and out. In and out.

The oxygen burned and relieved her lungs at the same time. She was starting to forget the difference, everything hurt at the moment. All she could focus on right now was going forward.

Her chest heaved as she took longer strides. Her knees shook furiously as she pushed herself along, against her body's will. She could hear her heart pounding in the back of her head and the tears pricked her eyes.

All the things she worked for were slowly fading away it seemed. This new life without her father, her two best friends who couldn't hurt her even if they tried, Nick … the angel she knew her father had sent for her, even Joe … poor, clueless Joe who she just dumped everything on. It was all slowly disappearing with every stride she took.

Her breathing began to come in short gasps now, it was all hitting her … hard.

Everything was blurred now; including the sidewalk … she was losing her path.

Just one second, she thought, I'll only close my eyes for one second. And in that second she collided with something hard, hollow … warm?

With a swell of her almost collapsing heart, she lifted her eyelids a centimeter to see a figure. But, her vision was too foggy and she was light headed, so she did the only thing she knew to do; she closed her eyes and let her breathing slow … allowing the shadow to swallow her whole.

--

She awoke to the darkness hiding behind her eyelids. She liked this type of darkness, it was hers … you know? The one thing she could own. Her songs had been that thing for a while, but her mother stole them away without even the bat of an eyelash. But, no … behind her eyes, a movie played. Starring herself and all the ones she loved.

Truly loved.

Lacey was there … and so was Ty. Even Ty's sister, Mia; defending her brother in the way Miley admired.

The three friends lay on lounge chairs, resting by her sparkling pool on a hot summery day. Lacey read 'People' and sipped her iced tea until Ty finally tipped the drink over onto Lacey's bare, flat stomach. She screamed of course, but in the free way Miley loved. Ty quickly shot up from his chair and dove for the clearing of fresh, newly cut grass. Lacey eventually tackled him, the two laughing out of happiness. Mia sat by the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water as she hummed a sweet tune.

And then there was Nick, sitting cross legged next to her, his halo glowing brightly and his toothy smile blinding her with love. "How's it look?" he smiled warmly.

Miley directed her vision toward Lacey and Ty laughing on the lawn, yanking grass from the earth's floor and flinging chunks of it at each other. Then to Joe who was walking down the three steps of the porch, he had a pitcher of lemonade in his hands and sunglasses shielding his smiling eyes. Mia continued to hum to herself, blissfully.

"It's nice here" Miley smiled brightly.

"It is" Nick nodded, sitting calmly beside her. "And you know you can come here whenever you'd like" he notified her. She slowly turned her head toward the glowing boy, "Whenever?" her eyes widened with delight.

"Whenever" Nick half-smiled, "It's your world … everything here, is yours"

Miley inhaled the scent of hydrangeas and honeysuckles, letting her head fall back in pure bliss. "That's funny … my mother has been planting roses, ever since my dad-"

Her breath caught in her throat, that laugh … she'd recognize it anywhere. Her eyes shot to the porch. A lump grew in her throat, no words could form.

Her two parents laughed, holding each other closely and dancing to the song Mia played for them.

Bones are sinking like stones
All that we fall for

Tears pricked her eyes as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. This place, she liked it. It was warm and sunny, it had everyone she needed, everyone she loved and mostly … it just made her feel free and alive. She felt a salty drop slide down her cheeks. "No crying" she heard a voice whisper in her ear, but when she turned to see the glowing boy … he was gone.

Homes places we've grown
All of us are done for

"Everything here is yours" his voice echoed. Lacey and Ty lay sprawled out on the green, laughing, they slowly dissolved. Joe removed his sunglasses with his one free hand and winked at her before slowly fading away as well. Mia's small body disappeared, but that tune she hummed hung in the air like the strong scent of those two flowers.

And we live in a beautiful world (yeah we do yeah we do)
We live in a beautiful world

Soon, it was just her on that lounge chair watching her parents slow dance to that sweet melody. The sun fell silently and the sky was lit up with pearly pinks and dreamy purples. Her heart swelled and her lip trembled as she watched her father wrap his finger around a lock of her mother's hair and finger it gently, "I love you" she saw him mouth.

And that's when the smile she missed returned; her mom's face was lit up with happiness and for the first time in a long time, so was hers.

Oh all that I know is nothing to run from
Cause yeah everybody here got's somebody to lean on

--

"Miley…" the angelic voice whispered. The darkness reappeared and for a moment she felt lost, until she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her body and heard the beating of someone else's heart. Involuntarily, she shivered, was it raining? Or was there just a cool breeze?

Slowly, very slowly, her eyelids fluttered open and her vision cleared.

The angel's face lit up with relief, "Miley" he breathed out. "Are we still there?" she whispered, a small smile making its way to her mouth. The angel's eyebrows furrowed with confusion, "Still where? I-I found you … you were running, you looked lost" he stuttered then paused, "Miley, where were you running to?"

Her eyes darted to every corner she could find, they were sitting under a tree while the rain beat down on the sidewalk located to her left. She must have fallen before he had gotten to her because there was some small beads of blood on her arm.

His answer washed the smile away, and she just shook her head, letting her body fall limp in his arms. She rested her head on his warm shoulder and wrapped her arms around his small waist, "If it's ok, I'm going to go back now" she whispered, closing her eyes, "It was nice there. He was there and loved me … even she did …" she paused, before taking in a deep breath and letting sleep overtake her drained body, "and you loved me too."

I'm happy with the way this chapter came out. Are you? I'm really hoping you all are still liking this story. I don't hear much from you guys anymore :( Review?

lovelovelove,
emilykearsexx