A Fine Mist of Rain Fell

I stepped out on to the street and pulled my gate shut. The air was cold, I shivered. I pulled my collar up around my neck as my body vibrated underneath my coat, I shivered down my spine, as you say. It was early, the full veil of the morning hadn't quite lifted. The light was grey, a fine mist of rain fell, you know, just enough to cover your hair with diamonds of water.

I had only taken a few steps when I heard, pad, pad, pad behind me. Then whoosh, a jogger whirled passed me. I stepped sideways and out of the way. I mean, he probably wasn't going so fast, maybe I was still on slow, no coffee yet, no heart starter to make my eyes fully open. I almost felt as though I staggered out of his way. Not a full stagger, you understand, but a sense of it.

I heard him snort and pant, gasp in, exhale. I watched his legs, like steel springs, propel him past me. There was a slight gust of air, well, I think there was. I watched his ankles flip up behind him and then push his feet to the ground, straightening as his shoes touched down on the bitumen. The backs of his wide-legged black shorts flapped with each step. The was a hint of his red jocks underneath hugging him tight. His arms swung rhythmically, matching his breaths.

His back was straight, his head was up, he pranced. He was a fine specimen of a running machine. It was whoosh, and then he was gone.

He flipped around the corner at the intersection and disappeared. He was nowhere to be seen when I turned that same corner a few moments later.

Where did he go, I thought, but I really wasn’t bothered to give it more than a passing thought, no coffee as yet, as I have already said.

The street was quiet again, except for my short, sharp breaths sounding in my ears. And the clop, clop, clop of my own feet. 

The morning air was cold on my face. I yawned. The inhale of breath was cold. I looked both ways on the street, and then I crossed over to the other side and continued my walk. A car drove past me on the road, otherwise it was early and it was only me making my way in the deserted neighbourhood. 

The rain still fell like a fine mist. I pulled my coat tight around my body.