We reached a point where we saw a large sign in the middle of the main street, reading "STREET CLOSED." I knew that that path was no longer a viable option.
"Come. We cannot go this way. We must detour."
An alley, of which I was unsure of it existing before my observation, was to our right. I led them into it. It was wide and the walls were grimy and covered in graffiti.
"Ignore the drawings on the wall. They are designed to scare us. Don't let this place have power over you any longer."
They followed close behind. We wandered down the path. At some point, I realized that the alleyway seemed much tighter than it originally was.
It was getting smaller. And where the hell did the exit go...?
"Run."
They immediately ran beside me as I ran and the alleyway realized that I knew. The rate of its constriction increased. Soon, my companions could not run beside me any longer. Space was precious and time... almost none of that left either.
We barreled out of the tiny crack left between the two wedges of building and found ourselves at the top of a staircase leading downwards.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Sidewalk
It was nighttime in the city. Streetlights illuminated the dark street, and empty shop windows filtered out different sorts of lighting. The glow of the city spread throughout the environment. Everything felt so alive in such a dead and empty world.
We picked up the pace. The excitement had come back to the pair. They were moving quickly beside me, desperate to escape their pain. So eager.
I kept looking into the windows to see my reflection, to see the image of a shepherd leading his flock away to be slaughtered. I frowned. I did not want to see that image, but it's what kept coming back.
Behind everything, I could hear the faint sounds of the city echo all around us.
We were getting close.
We picked up the pace. The excitement had come back to the pair. They were moving quickly beside me, desperate to escape their pain. So eager.
I kept looking into the windows to see my reflection, to see the image of a shepherd leading his flock away to be slaughtered. I frowned. I did not want to see that image, but it's what kept coming back.
Behind everything, I could hear the faint sounds of the city echo all around us.
We were getting close.
Bus IV
"I can hear things the two of you can't."
We turn and face the professor.
"I keep hearing these.... things, and you both aren't really reacting, so I suppose it truly is confined to me. That is probably for the best."
"What do you hear?" The journalist asks.
He sighs.
"I can hear my children, crying. They keep calling my name. They won't stop. They've been dead for years, and they won't stop."
He covers his ears.
"I came here to get away from this, guide. I came here to get away from this."
The bus stops. The doors open. I grab the two of them and swiftly drag them out of the bus. The bus fades away as we step off. We are now on the side walk of the main street of the city.
Back on track.
We turn and face the professor.
"I keep hearing these.... things, and you both aren't really reacting, so I suppose it truly is confined to me. That is probably for the best."
"What do you hear?" The journalist asks.
He sighs.
"I can hear my children, crying. They keep calling my name. They won't stop. They've been dead for years, and they won't stop."
He covers his ears.
"I came here to get away from this, guide. I came here to get away from this."
The bus stops. The doors open. I grab the two of them and swiftly drag them out of the bus. The bus fades away as we step off. We are now on the side walk of the main street of the city.
Back on track.
Bus III
The journalist woke up and I covered his mouth so he did not speak. I nodded to the shadows, and commanded him to keep quiet. He nodded and looked down to the floor. He tapped his foot on the ground nervously and I could feel him shake in fear.
The bus shook and vibrated as it made its way through uncharted territory. I fought the urge to look outside, because at this point, I could feel something staring through the windows at us. We were being watched by the city.
The journalist made the mistake of looking. I had to cover his mouth once again to quiet his gasp. One of the shadows looked right us, but ended up only looking through us, as if it had swore it heard something but in the end it knew it was only daydreaming.
The professor woke up. I repeated myself and assured him into silence. The bus stopped. The shadows emptied out. I realized too late that we should have followed them off of the bus. The door slides shut and the bus heads back to the road.
The bus shook and vibrated as it made its way through uncharted territory. I fought the urge to look outside, because at this point, I could feel something staring through the windows at us. We were being watched by the city.
The journalist made the mistake of looking. I had to cover his mouth once again to quiet his gasp. One of the shadows looked right us, but ended up only looking through us, as if it had swore it heard something but in the end it knew it was only daydreaming.
The professor woke up. I repeated myself and assured him into silence. The bus stopped. The shadows emptied out. I realized too late that we should have followed them off of the bus. The door slides shut and the bus heads back to the road.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Bus II
I could feel the presence of others in the bus. They moved up and down the aisle past us, without appearing to notice us at all. I felt part of one being brush past my knee. It felt as if my knee froze solid. They were trapped just as we were inside of the bus.
If I didn't know any better, I would have called them ghosts. But they weren't ghosts. They were Shadows, lost souls within the multiple dimensions of the city. They didn't belong to anything human anymore. They were unrecognizably apart of the inner folds of the universe. I did my best to ignore them.
I was thankful that my companions were asleep.
If I didn't know any better, I would have called them ghosts. But they weren't ghosts. They were Shadows, lost souls within the multiple dimensions of the city. They didn't belong to anything human anymore. They were unrecognizably apart of the inner folds of the universe. I did my best to ignore them.
I was thankful that my companions were asleep.
Bus
I woke up with a jolt. I sat on a bench in a city bus. On my left side, the professor. On my right side, the journalist. The bus shook as it hit a bump in the phantom road. I got up and made my way to the front of the bus. Nothing was in the front seat. It was driving itself. I walked back to the bench and sat down. I felt immensely tired for whatever reason.
I went back to sleep.
I went back to sleep.
Bridge V
The cables snapped and the concrete gave in as the crescendo of cars' horns honked and blared into one continuous noise. Cars crashed into each other and people jumped over and onto each other in an attempt to get out and the bridge lurched downwards.
The center of the bridge began to bend in place. It cracked and broke and bits and pieces of it fell off into the abyss below. Children screamed and their mothers cried and their fathers were silent. We ran to the center of the bridge. A school bus stood alone at the very center of it.
We ran into the bus and began to ferry children out of it. We tried to awaken the unmoving bus driver but he was clearly dead. We saw ourselves in the school bus mirror and we weren't us.
When we realized this fact the bridge collapsed and the school bus plunged into the abyss.
The center of the bridge began to bend in place. It cracked and broke and bits and pieces of it fell off into the abyss below. Children screamed and their mothers cried and their fathers were silent. We ran to the center of the bridge. A school bus stood alone at the very center of it.
We ran into the bus and began to ferry children out of it. We tried to awaken the unmoving bus driver but he was clearly dead. We saw ourselves in the school bus mirror and we weren't us.
When we realized this fact the bridge collapsed and the school bus plunged into the abyss.
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