Start Over

I found myself driving mindlessly. The road in front of me, meaningless. The road behind a fading and forgotten memory, like an elusive fly. I tried to figure out where I had been for the past few months, but every grasp at the past ended in a thick fog in my mind. Snow flurries we in the sky now; slowly dropping in the distance and whipping by my car as I approached them. In the rear view mirror I could seem them settling back on their path to the ground as if I had never been there.

The cityscape seemed so far behind me now, nothing but fields around. I swear I was just immersed in tall buildings, making fast sharp turns. Feeling the extra gravity press me back into my seat. The excitement imprinted on me like a kiss from a long lost loved one, felt forevermore. But now, there were no curves, nothing to add to the feeling of movement. The world was passing around me at what felt like a snails pace.

The sun glinted and blinded me from something on the horizon. My mind raced around all the possibilities of the cause. A companion for my ride? A bridge to a new land? A town? The drive to the object seemed to last forever. And, alas I was broken to learn it was a simple sign posted on the side of the road. It read, “10 smi to Forgict.” I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this. The sign was a cool metal, but the text on it looked hand written, it was sort of elegant and sloppy at the same time, if that’s even possible.

I looked down at the gages in my car, it seemed this was the first time they had any meaning. The fuel gage was strangely dropping fast to ‘E’. Something was pulling me towards this place. Who am I to go against a greater plan? On top of that, what else could I do? I drove on.

As I crossed into the town the snow abruptly stopped. It almost looked like summer outside of my windows. I chanced it and lowered the driver’s side. A blast of fresh warm air slapped across my face. It forced it way up my nose and pressed on directly into the back of my mind. Wildflowers and clouds were the only thing I could focus on for that moment. I drove right into the center of the town and found myself stopped in front of a statute of a beautiful women with expansive wings extended behind her.

Compelled I exited the car and walked up to the sculpture. Her hands were above her holding a sword that seemed to be engulfed in flames. I locked eyes with hers, and in that brief juncture the sword burst into real flames. Her face broke free of the stone; I could see tears streaming down her face. And then she brought the sword down.

-V-

The Traveler

“I never thought much about the man,” I recounted to my friend. “He was just there on the trail sometimes. Most times he wasn’t.”

“Yeah? So what? You saw a guy on the trail, and?” Janni wasn’t a very supportive friend, but you take what you can get sometimes. I’d just known them so long they sort of became my best friend by default.

“I don’t think you get it,” I replied a little exasperated, “I followed him.”

“Oh, so you were creeping on him?” Her expression was a little tongue in cheek, “that’s nice.”

“No!” I quickly asserted, “I don’t think you understand what I mean. I didn’t stalk him or anything, I just happened to be behind him when it happened. Riding at my own pace on my bike on one of those perfect days. You know the kind: sun out but cheating behind the clouds on a regular basis, mid seventies, light breeze, but not enough to make pushing into the wind a hassle. Anyhow…

“I knew it was him from a distance. He always wears the exact same outfit, always has his large white beard trimmed the same way. The wisps of white hair beneath his wide brimmed hat always carefully groomed into the same position.”

“Are you sure you weren’t stalking him?” Janni interjected.

“Absolutely NOT!” I held my eye contact with her a little longer than I normally would, it was slightly uncomfortable, but I needed to be sure that she was taking me seriously. This had done the trick she was taken aback. “It may not show on my face, but I’ve been gone a long time.”

“Long time? I was hanging out with you just last week.”

“I’ve been away for years, but time and aging work different there. I really wish I could explain it better to you. It was brilliant and a nightmare all at the same time. But that’s not the point. The point is the man.”

“Are you feeling okay?” She asked with concern showing deep in her face.

“Yes!” I screamed. I just needed to get this out. I need to get my point across. I didn’t know how long I had. I calmed myself and continued, “yes, I’m absolutely fine, but I’m sort on time and need to tell you about the man before I have to go back.”

“Go back? It doesn’t sound like you really want to.”

“I don’t,” I assured her, “but I don’t have a choice in the matter. They will be coming for me really soon. Listen, it’s all about that man. Everything is related to him, he is the center of this. I never should have gotten caught in his wake, but I did.”

“What do you want me to do?” She asked. I think I was finally getting through to her.

“I need you to…” They came. They plucked me from our reality before I could finish. I will always wonder how she reacted to that. I just hope she doesn’t try to follow me here. That would be the absolute worst thing she could do. But perhaps that was their plan all along, I’ll never know.

-V-