The runners were told to stop stretching and to get ready to start the race. We froze in place, preparing our legs to jog like that they had never jogged before. Ariana put one leg forward and the other behind her. Laila did the same in addition to resting her palms on the street as if she were a four-legged animal. As for me, I just stood between the sisters and rocked back and forth on my heels.

The same person who announced to us runners that it was time aimed a gun at the purple sky and counted. Do not worry. It was not a real gun. It only shot blanks.

"Three...two...one...go!"

The guy shot a blank, and the runners took off like the speed of light. Except me. I am neither fast nor do I like to run. That is why I own a car. But I was doing this for Ariana. I desired to spend every chance that I could with her.

Speaking of Ariana, she and her sister were not doing so hot either. Yes, they were way ahead of me, but they were in third-to-last and second-to-last place. I would have called out to them if I had not been breathing hard through my mouth.

I watched as my girlfriend turned her body while her legs were jogging in place and shouted to me. She said, "Come on, Daniel! You said it yourself yesterday! We are doing this together!"

She and Laila stayed where they were until I reached them. Then they jogged at my pace. I could feel my cheeks growing hot.

"I do appreciate that you girls waited for me and are jogging like a snail because of me, but you do not have to," I said.

"We know," Ariana replied. "We do not mind at all. This race is not about winning. It is about having fun with your family and friends."

"Uh, sis?" Laila piped up. "All of that is your thinking. I am in it for the win!"

I chuckled softly. "Not if you are running like a sloth."

"Hey. Sloths are too good for running. That is why the good Lord gave them the ability to climb trees."

Ariana giggled. "Slowly," she added. "Hey, where were you yesterday morning?"

"You do not recall where I was? I was with you and your boyfriend."

"A little after you and I were onstage," I commented. "You disappeared to somewhere."

"Oh. I get it now. I see what you are saying."

Her older sister narrowed her eyebrows at her. "Do not keep me and Daniel in suspense. Where did you run off to?"

Laila hesitated. "Promise me that you will not laugh."

"We will not laugh at you," I reassured her. "Both your sister and I care about you."

"Yeah. You are right."

She swallowed hard and explained to us that she left the gym and hid in one of the classrooms nearby. She was worried that her big sister was gone for good and afraid that the bad magician was coming for her next.

"A teacher did find me after the assembly was done with," she finished.

I so wanted to explain to the girls that it was the ghost who was at fault, not the magician. Though, I knew better. They did not have a ghost friend like Derek and probably did not believe in ghosts anyway.

An hour later, we jogged into the woods and followed the path that would lead us out of there. Laila asked why these woods and not Forgotten Forest, and Ariana remarked that Forgotten Forest was cursed.

"I pray that we do not get lost in these woods," I said.

"Calm down, Daniel," Ariana responded. "None of us are going to get lost."

"Ariana, do you not remember why I do not like being in the woods or a forest?"

"As plain as day. You accidentally got lost in the woods when you were picking berries."

"I was in here for days."

"It was a mere ten minutes. You eventually found your way out."

"True, but it felt like days."

"The worst thing that could happen to you right now, Daniel, is if you were in a coma," Laila stated.

Ariana giggled again. "Silly Laila. There is no way that he will be in a coma unless something happens to his brain."

I opened my mouth to speak, and the only sound that escaped from my throat was a loud cry.

We were turning a corner when I tripped on a tree branch that was lying in the middle of the path. I lost my balance and rolled down a hill piled with branches and rocks. I shut my eyes tight to protect them and felt myself falling into a deep ditch.

"Daniel! Daniel, wake up! Get up!"

I overheard Laila's voice and opened my eyes. I was lying on my back and indeed in a ditch. The first thing that I saw was Laila. She was peering down at me and had tears in her eyes.

"Daniel! Take my hand!"

She stretched out her arm and thumb and fingers. As I was climbing to my feet, I felt every part of my body, especially my back, aching with pain. I was tall enough to grab ahold of her hand, and she pulled me out of the ditch.

"Are you okay, Daniel?"

I noticed that there were scratches and bruises all over my skin. "I would be lying if I said that I was," I choked out.

"I will get you and Ariana to the hospital right away."

My eyes widened when she mentioned Ariana. "What is wrong with her, Laila? Why does Ariana need to go to the hospital?"

Laila whimpered. "My big sister is not waking up. Seconds after your fall...she said that she was not feeling well and collapsed on the path." She grasped my arm. "Is she in a coma?"