Nick

This was it

It was time to search

As darkness fell, it began to race

It ran, and ran, and ran

Through the shadows, over the hill

It refused to stop, not even for a moment

Not until it found the light

It zipped over bridges and trudged through snow

The paths were different, but all were dark

It collapsed, exhausted from the sprint

A sprint that seemed destined to never end

It grew frustrated, irritated, angry

But despite the hopelessness that permeated its very being, it never stopped searching

It looked around and found countless dead ends

And when it retreated, it was back at the beginning

It moved carefully at first, but soon became reckless

Reckless, wild, and free at last

It became hopeful

That's when it noticed the light

It recognized this avenue

This was familiar

It started to move slowly in the path's direction, but this felt right

The bright sun peaked over the horizon and warmed the air

It settled in for the homestretch

This was it

It found the reward

The reward for following its heart, not its head

Its belief and patience paid off

It had raced through memory

Around previous obstacles, many of which led it to darkness

It dug through dirt and rubble

None of the paths were fruitful until this one appeared

It beamed as it meandered toward the light

This was it