Lights in the Arena, The 2nd Chronicle

My heart beats four times, then stops, I close my eyes, so I can see
I reach out my hands and feel the darkness
I feel the breath of something behind and above me
Towering over me, with . . . with red eyes
RUN! RUN! RUN!
That’s the only thought that runs through my head
I flee the arena, the wind in my face,
While the giant dragonflies circle above me in the darkened sky
My feet fly underneath me
I feel no rest, no exhaustion, no sweat, no blood
I run on the soft grass across the border in the Trees
As I enter, I stop, and look around
Two lone books rest at my feet, open, with pages torn
I pick them up to read, but they are empty pages
I look on the covers
One is entitled Man’s Knowledge and other . . . Man’s Soul
I drop them to the ground and look up into the trees
A rush of wind picks up leaves and the branches creek and sway like arms
I see a creature, a dark creature
THERE! Between the trees
I run again, away from the trees
The coliseum stands on the hilltop in the distance and I dare not go there
The seaside takes up the North
There is one place to go just one place
I run into the ruins of the skyscrapers
I race up the marble shattered steps
Something behind me
Always behind me
I hide up in the rafters
Searchlights!
They come from below me!
But they are not my threat
They are not the danger
I thought I was safe
Safe in the rafters
That was my second mistake
Cause this is where THEY hide as well