The Runner

He started; after a few minutes he reached an even rhythm.  He became aware only of his breathing, then he was aware of almost nothing. All he heard was the even mechanics of his feet striking the ground.

He reached the summit of the hill, and paused a second or two before hurdling down the opposite slope.  Nothing was audible to him now.

Near the bottom he was overwhelmed by his own speed and force, and he began to stumble.  He leaned backwards, lengthened his stride, and at last prevented himself from falling.  He slowed to a walk.  He touched his face, but the feeling was unfamiliar.  His breathing was preternaturally loud.

The Man

He sat on his haunches with an unfixed forward gaze. The blinking of his eyes was his only movement. Then he mechanically unfolded his "Diario de Mexico" and read: "Unknown Person Thrown From Bridge...After his throat had been cut, a man of unknown identity was apparently thrown from the bridge near the colonia S.  No suspects have been discovered, though authorities have been questioning residents of the colonia S. in an effort both to discover the victim's identity and to get a lead on possible suspects."

His eyes resumed their gaze.  He refolded the newspaper four times to form a dirty rectangle, resting it on his lap.