--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He got up and ran on, pitching himself…" description: "\"“He got up and ran on, pitching himself down the hill, flying through the branches of the firs, leaping roots and rocks without seeing them. As he went..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/joe-hill-1162_chase_he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-do_2764784.png" --- # He got up and ran on, pitching himself down the hill… ![“He got up and ran on, pitching himself down the hill, flying through the branches of the firs, leaping roots and rocks without seeing them. As he went, the hill got steeper and steeper, until it was really like falling. He was going too fast and he knew when he came to a stop, it would involve…” quote by Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/joe-hill-1162_chase_he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-do_2764784.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/joe-hill-1162_chase_he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-do_2764784.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/joe-hill-1162_chase_he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-do_2764784.png) > ““He got up and ran on, pitching himself down the hill, flying through the branches of the firs, leaping roots and rocks without seeing them. As he went, the hill got steeper and steeper, until it was really like falling. He was going too fast and he knew when he came to a stop, it would involve crashing into something, and shattering pain. Only as he went on, picking up speed all the time, until with each leap he seemed to sail through yards of darkness, he felt a giddy surge of emotion, a sensation that might have been panic but felt strangely like exhilaration. He felt as if at any moment his feet might leave the ground and never come back down. He knew this forest, this darkness, this night. He knew his chances: not good. He knew what was after him. It had been after him all his life. He knew where he was - in a story about to unfold an ending. He knew better than anyone how these stories went, and if anyone could find their way out of these woods, it was him. ("Best New Horror")”” [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A frantic chase through darkness reflects confronting inner fears while seeking exhilaration despite danger. **In simple terms:** Facing fear can feel both terrifying and thrilling. Key Takeaway Balance risk with awareness. Themes fear exhilaration danger persistence Mood intense reflective Type narrative philosophical When to use this quote - adventure sports - creative writing - personal challenges Key Concepts psychology of thrill survival instinct Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to seek thrills? - How do you manage fear and excitement? A Different Perspective Risk can lead to harm if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror-fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-fiction/) ## Related quotes > [“The flames that popped up wouldn't stop coming. Like they were coming straight from her soul. Straight from her anger. Her rage coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-leigh/the-flames-that-popped-up-wouldn-t-stop-coming-like-they-were-coming/) [Amanda Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-leigh/) > [“Although the ending was more John Carpenter than John Updike, Carroll hadn't come across anything like it in any of the horror magazines, either,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/although-the-ending-was-more-john-carpenter-than-john-updike-carroll/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“Carroll was eleven years old when he saw The Haunting in The Oregon Theater. He had gone with his cousins, but when the lights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/carroll-was-eleven-years-old-when-he-saw-the-haunting-in-the-oregon/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“Eddie Carroll had just come in from outside, and read Noonan's letter standing in the mudroom. He flipped to the beginning of the story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/eddie-carroll-had-just-come-in-from-outside-and-read-noonan-s-letter/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“But in the weeks and months after Chidi died, still engulfed in darkness, I felt ready to die too; by which I mean that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-collins/but-in-the-weeks-and-months-after-chidi-died-still-engulfed-in/) [Lauren Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-collins/) > [Dawn came and matters were worse for it. Because now, emerging from the darkness, I could see, what before I had only felt, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/dawn-came-and-matters-were-worse-for-it-because-now-emerging-from-the/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“He strained his ears, and the darkness felt heavier than before. Oppressive. “We’re hungry.” That came from behind him. “They smell tasty,” a voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kreitzer/he-strained-his-ears-and-the-darkness-felt-heavier-than-before/) [Laura Kreitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kreitzer/) > [“Standing on the edge of that darkness, she felt the stirrings of reckless want. A wild sort of bravery beat within her, taking up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-lloyd-jones/standing-on-the-edge-of-that-darkness-she-felt-the-stirrings-of/) [Emily Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-lloyd-jones/) > [“Her eyes were a rich dark brown that were so deep, they reminded me of my sleepless nights, awake, staring into complete darkness. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-martin/her-eyes-were-a-rich-dark-brown-that-were-so-deep-they-reminded-me-of/) Cristina Martin > [“And so, in the face of the most awful darkness he’d ever felt, Kaladin Stormblessed took a deep breath. Then stood up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-so-in-the-face-of-the-most-awful-darkness-he-d-ever-felt-kaladin/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He saw either death or the approach of it everywhere. But his undertaking now occupied him all the more. He had to live his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-saw-either-death-or-the-approach-of-it-everywhere-but-his/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“The more I stepped away from darkness, the less it felt like home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitali-meelan/the-more-i-stepped-away-from-darkness-the-less-it-felt-like-home/) [Mitali Meelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitali-meelan/) > [“Their eyes wide open, they stared into empty nothingness. There was silence everywhere. Apart from a few twinkling of stars, masses of dark void…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehreen-ahmed/their-eyes-wide-open-they-stared-into-empty-nothingness-there-was/) [Mehreen Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehreen-ahmed/) > [Darkness had fallen upon everything for him; but just because of this darkness he felt that the one guiding clue in the darkness was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/darkness-had-fallen-upon-everything-for-him-but-just-because-of-this/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Our appearance belongs to others, we live in the darkness of the body-part of all darkness but felt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/our-appearance-belongs-to-others-we-live-in-the-darkness-of-the-body/) [Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/) ## More by Joe Hill > [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“He had despised that Mary with her idiot smile, symbol of a story that meant nothing, servant of a God who no good to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/he-had-despised-that-mary-with-her-idiot-smile-symbol-of-a-story-that/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“He'd possessed all the key elements of a school shooter: hormones, misery, ammunition. People wondered how something like Columbine could happen. Jude wondered why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/he-d-possessed-all-the-key-elements-of-a-school-shooter-hormones/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [I have nothing to say for myself, only that I have always tried to make this earth a little bit better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/i-have-nothing-to-say-for-myself-only-that-i-have-always-tried-to/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [Work and pray, live on hay, youll get pie in the sky when you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/work-and-pray-live-on-hay-youll-get-pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“If hell was anything, it was talk radio — and family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/if-hell-was-anything-it-was-talk-radio-and-family/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“Vic’s father was badass. Other dads built things. Hers blew shit up and rode away on a Harley, smoking the cigarette he used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/vic-s-father-was-badass-other-dads-built-things-hers-blew-shit-up-and/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [It's like in the Bible.You can't always get what you want, but if you really need something, you usually find it." "What part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/it-s-like-in-the-bible-you-can-t-always-get-what-you-want-but-if-you/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“The air was rank, and on my left, in a broad green meadow, arranged neatly in pairs, were dead lions and dead walruses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/the-air-was-rank-and-on-my-left-in-a-broad-green-meadow-arranged/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“Secrets are the prisons we make for ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/secrets-are-the-prisons-we-make-for-ourselves/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“a room full of books smelled like dessert: a sweet snack made of figs, vanilla, glue, and cleverness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/a-room-full-of-books-smelled-like-dessert-a-sweet-snack-made-of-figs/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“When you were a Goth, it was important to at least imply the possibility you might burst into flames in direct sunlight.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/when-you-were-a-goth-it-was-important-to-at-least-imply-the/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“At the end, I get to be the person I always wanted to be," she thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/at-the-end-i-get-to-be-the-person-i-always-wanted-to-be-she-thought/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“They came to believe their doctors were holding back limited quantities of a cure, and attempted to take them hostage. They formed armies, congresses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/they-came-to-believe-their-doctors-were-holding-back-limited/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“He had his flaws - he'd voted for Reagan, he believed that Carl Weathers was a GREAT thespian, and he grew emotional listening to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/he-had-his-flaws-he-d-voted-for-reagan-he-believed-that-carl-weathers/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) [Explore all 278 Joe Hill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) ## More Chase quotes > [I think women in general like men that don't give them the thing that we want. We want a chase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-think-women-in-general-like-men-that-don-t-give-them-the-thing-that/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [“The chase was the best part, Hunting was intoxicating. And knowing I had the power to snuff out Nila Weaver’s life the moment I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepper-winters/the-chase-was-the-best-part-hunting-was-intoxicating-and-knowing-i/) [Pepper Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepper-winters/) > [I have to chase down the most scientifically efficient way to get the golf ball in the hole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryson-dechambeau/i-have-to-chase-down-the-most-scientifically-efficient-way-to-get-the/) [Bryson DeChambeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryson-dechambeau/) > [I dislike the gym, but I'll chase a tennis ball all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-kuchar/i-dislike-the-gym-but-i-ll-chase-a-tennis-ball-all-day/) [Matt Kuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-kuchar/) > [The first act is the easiest to plot. The second act is always the hardest to plot. Generally a good, you know, sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-cannell/the-first-act-is-the-easiest-to-plot-the-second-act-is-always-the/) [Stephen J. Cannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-cannell/) > [Don't take anyone for granted, just because they texts you first doesn't mean they're going to chase you around and be your last choice..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-take-anyone-for-granted-just-because-they-texts-you-first-doesn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Kohli scores so freely. He's like Joe Root in that before you know it, he's on 30 off 20 balls. He is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-guha/kohli-scores-so-freely-he-s-like-joe-root-in-that-before-you-know-it/) [Isa Guha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-guha/) > [Chase your dreams, don't stop until you catch it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ngan-hoai-tran-vo/chase-your-dreams-don-t-stop-until-you-catch-it/) [Ngan Hoai Tran Vo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ngan-hoai-tran-vo/) > [I'd rather walk alone, than chase you around. I'd rather fall by myself, than have you bring me down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-d-rather-walk-alone-than-chase-you-around-i-d-rather-fall-by-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Lola Chase, you’re going to send me to hell.  And I couldn’t care less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-herrera/lola-chase-you-re-going-to-send-me-to-hell-and-i-couldn-t-care-less/) [Devon Herrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-herrera/) > [“Bees chase flowers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-l-shreve/bees-chase-flowers/) Tracy L. Shreve > [There are roles that you chase sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/there-are-roles-that-you-chase-sometimes/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [I like you, but I'm not gonna chase you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-you-but-i-m-not-gonna-chase-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [DON'T CHASE, REPLACE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-chase-replace/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And how did you know about that?” Seven looked at his watch. Chase held up a hand. “Let me guess, in two minutes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-wilder/and-how-did-you-know-about-that-seven-looked-at-his-watch-chase-held/) [Adrienne Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-wilder/) Browse all 724 Chase quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He got up and ran on, pitching himself down the hill, flying through the branches of the firs, leaping roots and rocks without seeing them. As he went, the hill got steeper and steeper, until it was really like falling. He was going too fast and he knew when he came to a stop, it would involve crashing into something, and shattering pain. Only as he went on, picking up speed all the time, until with each leap he seemed to sail through yards of darkness, he felt a giddy surge of emotion, a sensation that might have been panic but felt strangely like exhilaration. He felt as if at any moment his feet might leave the ground and never come back down. He knew this forest, this darkness, this night. He knew his chances: not good. He knew what was after him. It had been after him all his life. He knew where he was - in a story about to unfold an ending. He knew better than anyone how these stories went, and if anyone could find their way out of these woods, it was him. (\"Best New Horror\")”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Hill" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-down-the-hill-flying-through/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chase" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-down-the-hill-flying-through/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/joe-hill-1162_chase_he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-do_2764784.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/joe-hill-1162_chase_he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-do_2764784.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d16/joe-hill-1162_chase_he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-do_2764784.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He got up and ran on, pitching himself down the hill, flying through the branches of the firs, leaping roots…” — Joe Hill", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joe Hill", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He got up and ran on,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-down-the-hill-flying-through/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/he-got-up-and-ran-on-pitching-himself-down-the-hill-flying-through/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```