She saw her future just a little past the lake.

It called to her from across the water

She started towards the future that sat on the other side

As she took her first steps towards the water

She felt her past pulling her back

The past that was following close behind

Her past kept her in place for so many years

It held her in a tar pit of her own guilt, fear, and regret

The past pulled on her hard

The few steps she took she lost

The future continued to call to her

The bright beautiful future

The calm clean water lay before her

She took a few more steps forward and felt the past tighten its grip

She pulled hard against the past

The past pulled back claiming her once more

It began to wrap itself around her

The past was prepared to consume the girl

She felt stuck to her past

She pulled hard against the past

 But the past pulled her in

The past with its tar-like substance grabbed her feet

It quickly began to climb up her legs

She felt herself being lost to it

The future started to fade out of sight

She started to succumb to the past and allow the tar to swallow her

But the future called to her

It sang out to her

The future sang songs of possibilities

The girl felt a renewed determination

And she knew she could make it

She took a deep breath

She screamed out at the past

Cursing its hold on her

She pulled at the tar that had wrapped itself around her waist

She pulled off the guilt that wrapped her legs

The fear that held her throat

The regret that held her feet

She pulled herself free

She ran toward the future

She felt pieces of the tar stuck to her

Pieces of her past

She knew the past was a part of her

She didn’t pull against it

She rubbed the tar against her skin

She let herself absorb the past

She knew she had to accept the past

Without letting it consume her

She took her steps forward to the water

At the edge, she saw the future

She took a deep breath

And leapt to her future