The Life of a Shoe

I feel warmth, and I see light. Something's not right though - I shouldn't be feeling anything!

I've become something bigger. I feel sturdy; I'm no longer the unstable little mole I was before. There are machines all around me. Ow! Ow! Ow! A creature just shoved a string through holes in my body. That string doesn't belong there!

Ah! The creature is putting me in a box! What the...? It's putting another in this box... it looks just like me! Maybe we'll turn out to be quite a pair - if we can get along for even three seconds, that is.

The journey to wherever they're taking us is a long one. We've been crammed in this box now for so long. At least the creature's had enough sense to cushion us with paper. Don't get me wrong - this bumpy ride is still making me stiff and sore.

I don't understand these creatures. Oh my gosh, one of their young is talking about buying me as if I'm some sort of property. Go away - I'm not your slave! Put me down! These creatures are terrorizing.

Oh my gosh! The young creature is pulling my lip out! Ah... *gag!* She... is shoving... her foot down... my... throat! Ugh, okay, she got it, but now I can hardly breathe.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO THAT TO YOU, BIG JERK?!

She's doing the same thing to my partn-

*Oof!* ... *oof!* that little witch is walking on me! *Oof!*

"26.2 miles" is what I hear her mother say. Wait a minute... no! Could it be? Is this why I was created? Are these creatures using me as some sort of tool? If a mile is 5,280 feet, then there are 138,336 feet in 26.2 miles. Providing each one of this child's steps are two feet apart and there are two of us... no... I'm got to get stepped on 34,584 times by this huge creature in the next few hours! How traumatizing!

A gun shot? OH NO!

It *oof* has *oof* begun! *Oof* *oof* *oof!*