A Theory of Planets and Goals

I met a little girl one day, sun rays reflecting on her wild golden locks. Her hair and dress manhandled by the wind as she gazed towards the sea she overhung from her place on the pontoon.

Flags were hung high on each side of the wooden structure and their strings collided with their metal pillars, producing a soft rythmical drumming sound. Seagulls could be heard once in a while over the relaxing whispers of the waves crashing on the pebbles and releasing the typical iodized smell of the seashore.

“Do you have dreams?”

My reverie was cut short and I opened my eyes, that I had unconsciously closed, and was met by a familiar face.

“Dreams?” My voice sounded low, gruff even, compared to her high-pitched tone.

“Dreams, that's what I said.” She raised her head to stare expectantly into my eyes. “You know, like goals.” Her greyish blue gaze bore into my own.

“Well, of course I have.” I answered, somewhat a little matter-of-factly. She kept examining me with those innocent eyes of hers, as if wanting to find something that would confirm my statement, but stayed quiet as the wind ruffled both of our hair and clothes.

After a couple of minutes, or so it seemed to me as I let the sound of the waves and the smell of salt invade my mind again, she clapped her hands in her back, in a fashion similar to mine.

“Keep running after them.” A hint of mischief adorned her face as she gauged the effect her sentence would have on me.

Deciding I might as well play along, I thought of an answer.

“What if I don't?” My tone was slightly taunting, and she took a few seconds before speaking up again, a daring smirk gracing her pale lips, mirroring my current expression.

“The Earth is round, right?” Her lopsided smile only grew when she saw she had successfully confused me.

“Alright, go on, explain to me.” She giggled at my defeated look.

“So the planet is round” -I nodded- “Which means if you stop completely running after your dreams, if you give up, first they'll outrun you.” I nodded again and she held up a finger in front of her, her second hand still firmly staying in her back  

“But after some time... They will be the ones who are chasing you.” Her face was serious, any sign of mischief or play had left her pale complexion and her eyes, those all too familiar speckled blue orbs, held a sense of worry.

“I won't let them, then.” It was my turn to value the effect of my words on her when she looked at me, disbelief written all over her face.

“You won't let them?”

I crouched in front of her, so that we could really face each other.

“That's what I said.” -She frowned- “I'll run, and I'll chase my dreams. I'll stop only when I catch them, when I succeed.”

“Promise?” She smiled, my smile.

“Promise.”