I sprinted, dashed through the air, as my sweat gradually fell down on the outline of my face. I gasped for air, craving for oxygen; when everything around me was eaten by darkness. All I saw was BLACK; I fell down on my knees—I stopped.
This was what happened when it was just minutes away from ending my first soccer training in UST. I had a rough training for my first practice in the soccer team. I thought I could finish the training successfully, knowing that I could do like what it was before. The training took almost 4 hours; yes, several hours of sweat and energy loss. Before the training was about to end, we were asked to sprint for 3 laps circling the whole field. I tried to run, but I stopped and exhaled for everything around me seems to be eaten by a black cloud. I started to worry, and I thought I was going to be blind. I fell down on my knees; the last thing I saw before the total darkness consumed my eyes was my coach. I could only hear his voice now, and unable to see anything. I almost cried, and I said that I’ll be going home half-consciously. I regained my sight after a couple of minutes. My breathing slowed down and I felt I was ready to collapse anytime. I said farewell to everyone, trying to force a smile from a very awful feeling. I walked home all by myself. I stopped one-fourth far away from where I started. I tried to catch my breath; my taste was getting bitter and felt like I was going to vomit soon. I texted Janina knowing that anytime my body would give in and collapse. Before she rescued me from the inferno that I was feeling, I already made it until halfway home. I stopped once again, and checked my breath intervals. I lied down on the nearest bench I could find. I didn’t care about the people looking at me anymore…All I wanted was to rest and catch my breath. Not a moment longer, Janina and Charis arrived and escorted me home. They grabbed me by the arm because I could barely stand up and walk. I rested in Charis’ bed while she and Janina went out to buy me food. We ate dinner altogether, I changed into my pajamas and finally closed my eyes. I woke up very early to study for Chemistry. I felt the pain, oh sweet pain. I felt good feeling the pain again, the pain you longed like you were numbed for years.
I’ve been inhibited for years, my body got oxidized. I lost my skills, and my abilities inclined in sports. Studies made me busy and tamed my once highly-awakened abilities. The desire for action and adrenaline almost killed me. The training battered my body and drained all the energy I got. All I wanted was to reignite my interest in sports, and I decided to pursue my football career. I’d been knocked out by the training. I realized that the only thing that has been active from the previous years was my brain. I knew that my body was not as strong and flexible like what it was before. I realized that the only thing I could do is to be sporty with my pen and feel the adrenaline rush of my thoughts. I could never run like how I ran before; I could never endure what I endured before; but I could write now better than how I write before.
-S.Reyes
