Still sick, but here we are... Character post 4...

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He had to be faster. He knew that he could be faster if he only could push himself a little harder. He was a cross country runner and was so close to breaking nearly every record on the books, but he felt a barrier that he could not pass. His friend Risser, always told him that he needed a reason to break down the barrier and that reason wasn’t for something as pointless as records. He was meant for something greater.

Jace didn’t believe any of that, but he had to admit that Risser was rarely wrong about things. The memory of her soft voice whispering words in his ear with warm moist lips nearly made him fall off the path. He must have spaced because he was back on the path and much farther ahead than he would have thought. That autopilot mode had been happening more frequently as of late. Moments would pass and he felt like he wasn’t there and then suddenly he had moved somewhere else. Right now he had to concentrate. There was never anyone near him, but he always felt like he was chasing himself and running from himself at all times. Like there was a version of him three seconds ahead of him and one three seconds behind and he was forever racing against them both. Always beating one, but never able to catch the other. He had to get faster. He wanted to feel like he was the version in the front.

The race ended as predicted and he cheered and at the same time realized the he had already celebrated this three seconds ago and three second from now he would do the same thing again. In his mind past and future were always part of the present. It was frustrating being the middle of the trio, but he was determined that would not last forever. Risser kissed him and then headed off to her vocal coach. She was amazingly talented and yet never appeared arrogant to ungrateful for praise. He had learned a lot about being a better runner from her attitude. He always felt rushed, frenetic and being pulled in different directions and she was wind, a gentle breeze drifting along leisurely flowing around and through obstacles. How she did it was a mystery, but then that was Risser.

Jace showered and dressed and hopped on his motorcycle, grabbing his spare helmet and securing it to the back for when he picked her up after practice. He did this three times a week. He would park at the diner on the corner and order something with meat for him, and something with ice cream for her and then they would talk about life and death and the future and past and everything all at once, but it was never chaotic, but instead it was musical.

He saw a blue Caddy with tinted windows and gold rims roll by and thought that this side of town hadn’t seen any real gang activity in a long time, but he knew that it was always possible and he insisted on escorting Risser to her lessons. Food had just arrived when Jace saw the light to the studio go out and knew she would be heading down. The same Cadillac was parked at the corner. Lights off, silent with smoke drifting out the tops of barely cracker windows like a predator’s breath in the fading light, anticipating the kill. Two men exited the car and began walking towards the stoop the Risser would be coming down where an older woman and man were sitting while two kids were playing with toy cars in front of them. The men were not well, with hoodies drawn tight about them and a movement with purpose and pain all at once. Then he saw the gun.

The firs thug popped off a quick scattered blast at the older couple killing the woman with a shot to her head instantly while the man was lifted up and over the back of the bench from the force of the slugs. The two kids sat staring at the two men and Risser screamed as the other lowered the barrel of a sawed off Mossberg straight at them. Suddenly he was shoving Risser clear behind the ledge. The barrier shattered and he was in the lead. Risser looked at him as if she understood in an instant Jace heard her voice plead with him as he watched the barrel explode sending buckshot towards the children.

The conversation with Risser was brief. She loved him and she thanked him, but he had to undo it and save the kids. They wouldn’t survive a blast from that distance and he knew that as well, but instinct made him choose the woman he loved. She kissed Jace within his mind and told him he needed to ignore his feelings and do what was right. Saving the kids was right. He screamed and was thrown backwards with himself to the farthest behind he could get which gave him just enough time to slam into the one with the shotgun and cause it to go off, but this time it was leveled at him companion. He tripped the off balance shooter and knocked him to the ground while he stomped down on the side of his head with a decided crack. The other one lay bleeding out in the street, crying and screaming in pain. Too bad for him. The children ran towards Risser’s vocal coach who was calling them to her, the elderly couple dead and Risser slumped against the side of the building. She looked sheet white and he could see the fear in her eyes. Jace shifted once more to the farthest him he could see and was in front of her helping her to sit on the ground leaning against him. Behind her were 3 bullet holes center mast one through her heart and one through each lunch, but not a drop of blood and her racing heart and soft breath told him that this miracle really happened. She wasn’t even scratched, but then again she was far from fine. The sirens were coming and so would a lot of questions, but right now he held the woman he loved and he was never going to have to be in the middle of the pack again. Jace then and there was going to vow that he would forever remain in the lead.