Sky Runner Read online

  “Let the fire within ignite my connection to the flow,” he pulsed to himself, almost meditatively. In that moment he felt a mystical energy inside, a raw passion, a deep seeded passion to just break free and win, it was clear like crystal, pure and uninhibited. But just as that passion rose inside something repelled against it, in his mind. He could see dark shadows, shadows that perpetually pulled him under and under. Then he realised the shadows holding him back was his own fear, was his own foolish expectation to always disappoint and lose. “How can I fight the shadows?” he asked himself quietly and sincerely. Makasaki’s voice radiated inside him, “Let go of the fear Rissian and embrace the flow.” Rissian wondered why he was always afraid and broke into tears. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore, make the shadows go away, please flow help me, I need you, please let me connect,” he said, pouring the entire contents of his heart out in that moment.

  Suddenly, the world around him seemed to move in slow motion as he was hit with a blinding purple light that went straight into the middle of his forehead, awakening his third eye. As he looked around, everything was more transient and he could almost see the molecules, atoms and fabric of the universe unfolding before his eyes. “Where am I?” He asked, but then he smiled, because he knew exactly where he was, he had just connected to the flow. He waved his hand through the air which just morphed and beamed in various shades of luminous colour; it was wonderfully beautiful, like it was made up of some surreal, mysterious energy that was uniquely alive and vibrant. Then he thought momentarily about the slip stream and as the thought gently passed out of his mind and into the universe, there in front of him materialised another track layered on top of the sky track which was composed of blinding beautiful ribbons of colour, depicting every colour in the spectrum and even beyond, like from a surreal, distant dream.

  Instinctively, he knew exactly what to do, there was no more fear, no more hesitation, just joy and pure exhalation and deep understanding. With the Nav stick he glided his air speeder onto the astral track and effortlessly followed it onwards and onwards, curving as it curved, going up and down, there and around, which seemed to last for infinity. Abruptly, the world resumed at normal speed and Rissian found himself crossing the finish line as the crowd went deafening silent. No one could believe it, Rissian couldn’t believe it. He looked up at the big, holo race board, which read, ‘Rissian Cardenia Rank 1’ and burst into a flurry of tears. A miracle had just happened.

  Rissian waited for the dream to be over, but he was still awake. He waited which seemed like a whole minute before he saw another racer speed down sky bridge, it was Kastian Blaze. A bell rung through the air and he looked back up to the holo race board, which read, ‘fastest lap Rissian Cardenia 2:21 seconds,’ and felt his heart literally burst through his chest. Faintly he could hear in the background the commentator narrate, with wild excitement, “This is just unbelievable, the write off, the under dog, the person no one ever believed could win has actually won this year’s Sky Runner Championship.” The guest commentator added, “And to top it all off he has just pulled out the fastest lap in the sport’s history, shattering all records. The question on everyone’s mind is how did this happen?” The commentator replied, as a live debate ensued, “I mean the last thing I remember is Rissian Cardenia peddling along at 13th place and from nowhere he finds himself glued into the slip stream, following it through most of downtown new Miami, across Carmine River and finally through zone 5, sky bridge.”

  Rissian tuned off, dismounted the hippy truck and found a bench to sit on, somewhere in the crowd. Joey raced over, her eyes gleaming with pride and joy, “Hey champ, how do you feel, looks like you’ll be graduating after all. I’ll see you on Mars.” She kissed him passionately on the lips, “What, what’s going on,” Rissian responded, slightly dumbfounded. “I’m sorry, I just got a little excited, it’s not every day that the under dog wins and when they do, its like destiny calling or something.” Rissian feeling overwhelmed and delirious said, “You won’t believe this Joey but I was somewhere else, in my mind, literally I was somewhere else, in this magical, surreal place where time almost stood still and I could manifest anything I wanted.” Joey looked at Rissian a shade peculiarly, “Sounds like a trip. Are you sure you didn’t sniff the old leaf before the race.” Rissian chuckled, “Of course not, I guess you have to experience it for yourself to really understand.” Joey pecked him on the cheek, “Why don’t we have coffee later and you can tell me all about it.” Rissian smiled, “Sounds good.”

  Kastian Blaze red faced strutted over to Rissian, “I figured you out all wrong, you did really good out there, friends.” Rissian smiled warmly, “Sure thing, friends,” and they shook hands, in a brotherly type manner. “Just one thing, how did you go from zero to hero?” Kastian inquired, his blue eyed, beach boy looks radiating under a sparkle of sunlight. “You know the flow, it’s all in the flow.” Kastian raised his eyebrows and with an element of jaded curiosity replied, “The flow, you mean all that mumbo jumbo Redmore calls it.” Rissian laughed wholeheartedly thinking, if only you knew, if only you knew. “Yeah exactly, all that mumbo jumbo,” he agreed, but really knowing better on the inside. Kastian saluted him, “Good show sailor, there’s always next year, Mars Red Canyon. See you their, champ.”

  Typically, Redmore walked over eating an ice cream. Oh no, Rissian thought, he’s going to give me a real talking to or worse completely down play my victory as juvenile luck. “How did you do it? Mary, Joseph, Jesus, my oh my, how did you do it?” he said, starring at Rissian, painfully. Rissian shrugged his shoulders, but unlike other times, he wasn’t shrugging as the loser, not this time anyway. “The flow, you should try it.” Redmore grinned cryptically like he was burying a secret, “Makasaki was it. This is for your mother,” he replied whilst revealing a quaint yellow and green bag carrying herbal supplement. Rissian seemed shocked, “You knew about the flow all along didn’t you, why didn’t you say something?” Redmore licked his ice cream and answered, plainly and simply, “You would have never believed me but I knew you would get curious and you did.” Rissian pondered, “So what exactly is the flow then, after all.” Redmore concluded, grinning like a wise old man, “It's whatever you need it to be and much much more.”