Sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, Seth strapped his blades to his feet. A boot for each foot with four inline wheels a piece. His weapons of choice. He confidently sprung to his feet and began to roll towards the trail. As he turned onto the path he pondered the events that brought him to this place. 

 

His first encounter with the darkness had been subtle, after all it only spoke four words. 

 

“You're not good enough,” it said, like a whisper carried on the wind.

 

“I’m not good enough?” Seth thought. “I am behind at work... and nothing I’ve done recently seems to turn out right.”He continued the list, “I complain too much, I’m not grateful enough, and I could really stand to lose a few pounds...” 

 

“See?” It sneered. “You're not good enough.”

 

This thought took root like a seed and the darkness knew its victim was trapped. Seth's racing thoughts fertilized the seed, giving life to feelings of self-loathing and hopelessness. Devouring Seth’s repugnant thoughts, the darkness slowly grew till it became an unbearable monster.

 

“You’re not -” the monster started. 

 

“good enough.” Seth said, hanging his head in despair. 

 

For two years the monster continued to prey on Seth eating away at him from the inside out. Until finally the overwhelming presence of the monster pushed him to a breaking point. Scrambling for something to keep the monster at bay, he fumbled for tools in the darkness. He found some useful instruments to help in the fight. Soothing words, positive thoughts, and slowing the breath all had merit, but he found the most helpful weapon in his arsenal completely by accident. 

 

He had no plans to buy skates on his weekly trip to the supermarket, but as he walked through the store a display of inline skates caught his eye. So he sat on a bench, removed his shoes, and slipped the skates onto his feet. All the while the monster insisted there was no time for this childish detour. In a rare act of defiance Seth pushed the monster aside and stood to his feet. Something about the feel of his weight on the wheels brought him back. Back to the days before the monster. Before the crushing weight of its claws had sunken into his chest.

 

Like a lightning strike, he remembered the battle his first pair of skates helped him wage nearly 15 years ago. The enemy was different back then, that beast was born out of death. Nothing in his young ten year old life prepared him to mourn the loss of a father. His mother had given him skates in a hope that he would channel his grief into something physical, and he spent many hours doing just that. He used the skates to escape, to find respite from the sorrowful feelings of loss. Skating around the neighborhood was a chance to play and laugh with friends. 

 

So Seth put the skates back in the box and headed straight for the register. With a new enemy in front of him, he hoped these blades would come to his aid once again. His first outing with his new skates felt like bliss. With each stride he gained more control. Speed felt like freedom, sweat like purpose. As his blades hit the asphalt each day, Seth felt the distance grow between him and his monster. However, the monster remained, waiting for a chance to feed, grow, and gain back the precious ground it had so carefully amassed.

 

That’s why Seth found himself heading down the trail that day with the wind in his face and the cement zipping by beneath his feet. He knew how important it was to keep fighting.

 

“You’re not-” the monster whined.

 

“Oh, fuck off!” Seth said with a smile on his face.