18 The train hisses and sighs as you turn things over in your mind. Things catch fire repeatedly, like piles of dead leaves. Each thing is ignited between fear for yourself and fear for your mystery. The mystery binds you and your friend, yet the separation means that you each must survive in your own way.
As day fades, sleep swallows your mind. You stay in place for the night.
Before day breaks, you are illuminated by a flashlight. “Out,” the railman says. “In,” the police woman says, and you are escorted to the police station.
Your mind begins to spin, repeating itself blindly in a dark jail cell. Later, you recount the story in search of what went wrong.
[return to chapter 1]
Saturday, September 13, 2008
17
17 Night falls. You are running feverishly between a fear of the sirens and a fear of missing clues, again. Your past outweighs the present danger of being caught, so you follow the sirens from a distance.
Avoiding roads, you weave through a dump. The ground is uneven and slides away beneath your feet as dump trucks reverse in your path. The sirens fade, again. Finally, you climb a barbed wire fence. From there you are chased by a pack of horses across some fields.
The sirens have returned. Now they are silent, and you see them parked next to a blinking semi truck. As you approach across a distant field, you see Loli and Lacy handcuffing the driver. You continue to descend on the scene under a veil of trees.
As you inspect the area around the figures, you notice body parts rustling like leaves in the wind. The image becomes clearer and it is merely trash. Yet your imagination continues to run wild as you glimpse the faces of the officers. They are not Soli and Lacy.
The foreign faces of the uniformed women becomes less an issue as you study the driver. His hunched figure and bony face suddenly remind you of two people: the old man and your friend. This mixture casts a convincing shadow behind the driver, who is otherwise unrecognizable.
The emergency vehicles take off with the driver, leaving you with a decision.
[to go to the police station, skip to chapter 19. To rest and walk west of Lexington, skip to chapter 20.]
Avoiding roads, you weave through a dump. The ground is uneven and slides away beneath your feet as dump trucks reverse in your path. The sirens fade, again. Finally, you climb a barbed wire fence. From there you are chased by a pack of horses across some fields.
The sirens have returned. Now they are silent, and you see them parked next to a blinking semi truck. As you approach across a distant field, you see Loli and Lacy handcuffing the driver. You continue to descend on the scene under a veil of trees.
As you inspect the area around the figures, you notice body parts rustling like leaves in the wind. The image becomes clearer and it is merely trash. Yet your imagination continues to run wild as you glimpse the faces of the officers. They are not Soli and Lacy.
The foreign faces of the uniformed women becomes less an issue as you study the driver. His hunched figure and bony face suddenly remind you of two people: the old man and your friend. This mixture casts a convincing shadow behind the driver, who is otherwise unrecognizable.
The emergency vehicles take off with the driver, leaving you with a decision.
[to go to the police station, skip to chapter 19. To rest and walk west of Lexington, skip to chapter 20.]
Thursday, September 11, 2008
16
16
The old man's passage overlapped with the women's passage in an uncanny way. It was as if the old man had split into two women. This increases your curiosity, so you follow closely.
In the outskirts of town, the women split. You follow Loli since she waves at you. Suddenly, you pivot and run. Loli has entered the cockpit of a police cruiser. She revs the engine and sirens begin to wail as you cut onto some train tracks.
You bolt through a clearing along the tracks. Sirens penetrate the forest, mixing with the whistle of an oncoming train. Again, you pivot and prepare to jump the train. Abandoning your bag, you leap at full speed.
After successfully jumping onto a box, the train rides southwest, away from the sirens. It coasts for a few miles, then grinds to a halt.
[to get out and run, continue. To remain partially hidden on the train, skip to chapter 18]
The old man's passage overlapped with the women's passage in an uncanny way. It was as if the old man had split into two women. This increases your curiosity, so you follow closely.
In the outskirts of town, the women split. You follow Loli since she waves at you. Suddenly, you pivot and run. Loli has entered the cockpit of a police cruiser. She revs the engine and sirens begin to wail as you cut onto some train tracks.
You bolt through a clearing along the tracks. Sirens penetrate the forest, mixing with the whistle of an oncoming train. Again, you pivot and prepare to jump the train. Abandoning your bag, you leap at full speed.
After successfully jumping onto a box, the train rides southwest, away from the sirens. It coasts for a few miles, then grinds to a halt.
[to get out and run, continue. To remain partially hidden on the train, skip to chapter 18]
15
15
Winds push you across the expanse of waving grass. Sirens pierce the wind, pulling images of danger out of you. They are twofold.
First, you picture your family seeking your arrest. They clearly wish to help. For them, however, help is rehabilitation into society through an institution. This endangers your ability to close the case that violently divides you and your friend.
That disability is palpable enough to avoid. On the other hand, Mario's ambiguous presence always seems to be two steps ahead. Rather than return to Lexington, you're ready to take shortcuts to Little Rock. Little Rock, Mario mentioned, "is a nice place."
The sirens increase. You decide to watch them pass from behind some trees. As the emergency vehicles go by, you fail to see a driver. Instead, you see Loli and Lacy, hanging out of the passenger windows. They are chanting in harmony with the sirens.
"We see you." Their voices echo even after the sirens fade.
[skip to chapter 17]
Winds push you across the expanse of waving grass. Sirens pierce the wind, pulling images of danger out of you. They are twofold.
First, you picture your family seeking your arrest. They clearly wish to help. For them, however, help is rehabilitation into society through an institution. This endangers your ability to close the case that violently divides you and your friend.
That disability is palpable enough to avoid. On the other hand, Mario's ambiguous presence always seems to be two steps ahead. Rather than return to Lexington, you're ready to take shortcuts to Little Rock. Little Rock, Mario mentioned, "is a nice place."
The sirens increase. You decide to watch them pass from behind some trees. As the emergency vehicles go by, you fail to see a driver. Instead, you see Loli and Lacy, hanging out of the passenger windows. They are chanting in harmony with the sirens.
"We see you." Their voices echo even after the sirens fade.
[skip to chapter 17]
14
14
Running past houses, your figure reflects in windows and in children's actions. The elderly don't blink. You pause in front of him and everyone listens as you say, "Wait."
"Cut!" he responds while taking back the front of the line. You march ahead, past the restaurant and out of town. He finally turns and says, "What? You, again?"
Of course, you say "yes" and use the chance to say something. "How do you do?"
He says "Swamp brain. Jump out of the pond, scumbag."
You laugh and respond, "never mind." He winks and leaves in a blink. Next, you see two women coming from the old man's horizon, carrying tomatoes toward you.
As they approach, you see their hands and mouths stained red. Mud drips across their faces. They have been smothered by a harvest. You smile and feel satisfied to see them.
"Hello." "Hello." "Hello." You exchange hellos.
"I'm looking for somebody," you say. They look at you and say "I'm Soli." "I'm Lacy." Soli then pulls Lacy past you, and back toward Lexington. Both of them laugh hysterically, and pull you with rolling eyes. You start to follow them, but you hesitate.
It's growing dark and time to find sleep, again. Crows caw from buzzing telephone wires, watching you walk. Which way now might mean which way forever: you are tired of this mystery, and afraid that you will sooner find yourself in an institution than find your friend in Lexington.
[To leave Lexington, continue. To follow them, stop and go take a break. Then go to chapter 16]
Running past houses, your figure reflects in windows and in children's actions. The elderly don't blink. You pause in front of him and everyone listens as you say, "Wait."
"Cut!" he responds while taking back the front of the line. You march ahead, past the restaurant and out of town. He finally turns and says, "What? You, again?"
Of course, you say "yes" and use the chance to say something. "How do you do?"
He says "Swamp brain. Jump out of the pond, scumbag."
You laugh and respond, "never mind." He winks and leaves in a blink. Next, you see two women coming from the old man's horizon, carrying tomatoes toward you.
As they approach, you see their hands and mouths stained red. Mud drips across their faces. They have been smothered by a harvest. You smile and feel satisfied to see them.
"Hello." "Hello." "Hello." You exchange hellos.
"I'm looking for somebody," you say. They look at you and say "I'm Soli." "I'm Lacy." Soli then pulls Lacy past you, and back toward Lexington. Both of them laugh hysterically, and pull you with rolling eyes. You start to follow them, but you hesitate.
It's growing dark and time to find sleep, again. Crows caw from buzzing telephone wires, watching you walk. Which way now might mean which way forever: you are tired of this mystery, and afraid that you will sooner find yourself in an institution than find your friend in Lexington.
[To leave Lexington, continue. To follow them, stop and go take a break. Then go to chapter 16]
13
13
Outside, a row of large boxes lines a gravel street. A bluish grey mist seals the street into a narrow world. As you walk, a tunnel of laughing children unfolds. Sparrows dive around you and elderly couples eye you from open porches.
At the end, a field approaches. It is waving in winds that carry the smell of soil. Mounds of human flesh spot the field, working close to the land. One is moving. It comes towards you as you cross towards it.
The old man stands before you, yet his complexion seems smoother and darker. He reminds you of Mario.
"Hola." "Hola." The exchange is brief, for the old man proceeds back the way you came. You stand there, watching. Sparrows land on his shoulder, and he swats them with an the automatic manner. He moves like a camel through you; you are deserted, again.
[to follow him, continue. To stay ahead, skip to chapter 15]
Outside, a row of large boxes lines a gravel street. A bluish grey mist seals the street into a narrow world. As you walk, a tunnel of laughing children unfolds. Sparrows dive around you and elderly couples eye you from open porches.
At the end, a field approaches. It is waving in winds that carry the smell of soil. Mounds of human flesh spot the field, working close to the land. One is moving. It comes towards you as you cross towards it.
The old man stands before you, yet his complexion seems smoother and darker. He reminds you of Mario.
"Hola." "Hola." The exchange is brief, for the old man proceeds back the way you came. You stand there, watching. Sparrows land on his shoulder, and he swats them with an the automatic manner. He moves like a camel through you; you are deserted, again.
[to follow him, continue. To stay ahead, skip to chapter 15]
12
12
"I'm fine, and you?" Despite your memory, you find Maria's presence consoling. But memory has complicated things. Part of you responds to her, veiling fear with dumb questions. "What's the special?"
The special takes extra time to prepare. You are waiting patiently, when suddenly a cop walks in. He heads straight for your booth, then proceeds to turn towards the toilet compartment. You decide not to wait around.
Maria sees you passing out the door. "Lo siento," you find yourself speaking words you've never learned.
[continue to chapter 13]
"I'm fine, and you?" Despite your memory, you find Maria's presence consoling. But memory has complicated things. Part of you responds to her, veiling fear with dumb questions. "What's the special?"
The special takes extra time to prepare. You are waiting patiently, when suddenly a cop walks in. He heads straight for your booth, then proceeds to turn towards the toilet compartment. You decide not to wait around.
Maria sees you passing out the door. "Lo siento," you find yourself speaking words you've never learned.
[continue to chapter 13]
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