The Running Dream

In this chapter, Jessica further defines Rigor Mortis Bend, the most challenging spot in a 400-meter race. This location, on the last turn of the track, was even more daunting than the track at Jessica’s school, Liberty High, because it was accompanied by a massive headwind. Jessica remembers racing toward the finish line, “but the wind pushes you back, your body begs for you to give up, and the whole world seems to grind into slow motion” (18).

Jessica remembers the determination and force necessary to power past this difficult moment despite the physical toll it cost: the burning muscles, the aching lungs, the stiff arms. She remembers her teammates screaming at her to push herself harder. All the effort that she put into the hardest part of that race is now a constant reality in her life. She realizes that instead of pushing through Rigor Mortis Bend on the track, she is wallowing in it daily in the hospital, as she struggles to find the same determination to push through each day.

Jessica believes that her sense of smell has sharpened during her stay in the hospital, especially when it comes to the multitude of flowers she has received from well-wishers.