U-TURN

A sign post: “I get dreams even in my sleep.”

It’s been half a day and all I have seen is barren land. I had been to this strange place. The people who lived there were mysterious and spoke the other way around! It was a paradise for insane pricks, smelly men in tow cars and every damn soul living the life of a parasite.

Nearest town: PINEWOOD. 1 mile

“PINEWOOD….I guess this is it. “

A 1960’s special edition convertible zoomed through the night’s country side. I had the strange feeling of passing through a new dimension- like a semi-permeable layer. “Damn, I told Johnny not to mess with my drink. Shit.”The sky was greenish blue and the breeze suddenly turned dead.

Welcome to PINEWOOD.POP.627 EST 1909

It was dark already and the place gave me chills. I drove into the neighborhood trying to catch hold of any soul which seemed a tad negative .The whole place looked deserted. I decided to walk on the pretext that it would ease my back ache!

Sounds could be heard afar. It seemed to be coming from behind the huge water tower, the only silhouetted image visible to my tired, droopy eyes. As I came closer, the sounds turned funnier and bright lights spanned all over the place. Hiding behind a bush ideally placed within the vicinity, I saw people. PEOPLE!

I was happy; actually I was relaxed to see the sight of two legged beings, to be in the company of fellow people filled with disgusting animosity to wither at tender age and rarely feel joy through good deeds!

“What time is it, son?”

Panicked by the sudden voice, I turned around to see an old man eagerly expecting my reply. He kept staring at my lips. He looked like a worn out garden tool. His brown pointed cap half torn at the top seemed to sway either side in spite of a dead breeze. He was tall enough to hurt my neck but he stood bending the knees. Pulling out from his overpowering eyes, I said “Must be a bad time!”

“Ah! Talk of the heart. Lost track of time eh! Once you are here, you will be running around in circles!” the old man quipped in his coarse voice.

A strange breeze came along blowing dirt and mucking my eyes. Covering my face, I saw the old man holding his cap down in a gesture of bidding adieu and gone, with the wind!

“Well that was some sort of a welcome!” I said to myself.

Reviving myself from the odd acquaintance, I went back to the bush and hello! I was being pulled by a hand! The next moment I was standing dead centre with weird eyes staring at me.

“This man has been hiding behind that bush looking at us all night. Look at those fiery eyes fellas. He is the spirit of the old man!” said the guy who seemed to be in complete authority and probably the guy who pulled me out.

The circle started whispering. Uneasiness began to set in.

“Oh my god, it is him” said one voice.

“No, not the old man!” said another.

“Kill him!” shouted an additional.

I was getting restless.

“His name is Sasha and he is my guest!” a fat figure loomed amongst the crowd.

“Gary you old fool, how many times have I told you not to come here! You are sick and you have NO FRIENDS! AND NO GUESTS! Bugger off”, shouted the guy holding my right arm.

“I may be fat. I may look obnoxious. I may be sick. I may…….”

“Yeah, yeah, we have heard that a million times, now get out!”

No idea who this Gary guy was, but I started enjoying the exchange! This fat guy remained quiet for a while like he was devising a plan or coming up with something. He then exclaimed “I think I am going to burp, I just had some…….”

“Oh no, I have seen this one before. Alright people, this is a code 9 situation. I want all of you to evacuate the area ASAP and I want a 2 mile perimeter check for radiation. All incoming bogies are to be searched for……”

“Oh for Christ’s sake, cut the shit will you Niles. I told you not to watch ‘Snipers in cross hairs’!”

Focusing on enigmatic fat guy Gary, he said “I have had enough for one night. The ceremony is behind schedule. Now take him with you and keep a safe distance from my eyes!”

The man pushed me forward. I lost my grip and fell into the arms of Gary, my fat ass savior. My eyes slowly faded away with so much of non sense seeping into my head.

“Sasha, wake up Sasha! You have to get out of here.”

He slapped my face twice and gave my neck a twist. I woke up with a throbbing pain in my neck and found myself stranded with Gary somewhere away from the noise and lights. I could see the lights at a distance.

“Sasha, you have to get out of here!”

“Who is Sasha? Why do you keep calling me like that?”

Gary’s eyes were filled with remorse. He let go off my hand and sat on his haunches. Silence prevailed and it never seemed to end!

I interrupted “Well, is there a story to tell. I mean, look at you!”

“Sasha was my kid brother. You look alike. He had the same brown eyes and his walking was funny just like yours!”

“Oh, so now you are making fun of me huh!”

“Sasha worked in a car mod shop far uptown. I hadn’t the slightest idea that he would come searching here for me. Had I known before, I would have stopped him.”

“Why would you stop him?”

Gary ‘s eyes rolled out in spooky fashion,” Because this place is cursed and people here are insane.”

“You mean people like you.”

“Look, I may be insane but I am trying to help you out here. Why do you thing I saved you from those people. I lost my brother and I don’t want that to happen again!”

“What happened to Sasha?”

“You wouldn’t believe me anyway. Let’s get you some place to rest. On the first count of sun, you run away from this place.”

It was pitch black. Armed with a flash light and a bottle of whiskey tucked in his pocket, Gary led the way. He remained hushed. I tried my best to pick up a conversation but he seemed pissed off. I thought it would be better to shut up rather than to be confronted by an insane alcoholic fat man! I came across a broken wooden board that said “CHARLIE’S RINGS-Life is a circle. The best place to buy rings. “Gary ran out of whiskey and the one way path that cut thru the grass dizzied his eyes. “We better hurry, it’s not safe outside!” mumbled Gary. We passed through a blue bridge. Gary stayed in a cabin across the bridge down a meadow of white rocks. The moment Gary arrived at his place, he dropped dead on the floor snoring like a wild pig and I, for a while, sat thinking about the situation I was stuck in. “Who was the old man I saw? Better ask Gary in the morning.” A rickety cot was all I needed!

A strong pungent smell stirred me up. I woke up with a sore throat and an allergic nose sneezing upon the slightest change in air molecules! “Phew! What is that smell. “I could feel the warmth of the sun upon the steel cot.

Gary was absent. I walked out to the front door partly open to see if he was nearby. The place was scenic; must have lost the view at night. That tingling sensation came up once again sending my nose on a runny job! I searched for him all around the field with no clue. A loud thud came from the back. I ran into the house .Pulling him from under the wabbly-woobly cot; I tried to wake him up. The sharp scent had no effect on his body, already reeling under the effect of alcohol.

“Don’t worry. It fades away quickly. It’s the rocks, the white ones made of sulphur. It reacts with the first rays of the sun. “, whispered a half asleep Gary.

“Gary, get up man. Help me out. How am I supposed to get out of here?”

Gary caught hold of my collar and muttered into my ears,” There is no way out.”

I started laughing sarcastically,” Ha ha….one of your jokes! Alrit, you win. Now tell me!”

“I’m serious kid. Look around, why do you think I still live in this shamble. I just wanted to save you from those necromancies!”

“You lied to me!”

“I saved your rear! You should be happy to be in one hell of a piece!”

“You know what! I will find my own way out.” I barged out in anger and desperation taking the one way path Gary treaded last night. As I crossed the bridge, Gary yelled from a distance,” It’s not that I don’t know the way but there is no way out! There’s a difference kid!”

“Insane! Totally insane….” I said to myself. Frantic about my further actions, I realized I needed wheels. My car! I had no idea where it was parked last night. The path took me back to the people who deemed me evil and not to mention the fact that they wanted me dead. I had to get into the town unnoticed. A dilapidated warehouse caught my sight and I sneaked in. Through the holes on the wall, I got a view of the town. One or two souls lingering down the streets .There was a highway far right past the town. Out of nowhere, a bobcat swerved past me and stopped adjacent to the building.

“That’s my ticket!”

It wasn’t far but still I needed a plan. Thirty seconds, and I was in! There were three obstacles – a bush, a used up tire and a garbage can. I crouched all the way to the bobcat stopping occasionally behind these obstacles. The engine was running and all I had to do was hit the gas! Zap! A man pounced to the right window of the car and I put my foot on the accelerator in that commotion. He clinged to the window and said” Looking for a ride daddy’O b’cuz this is my ride!”

“Do you want to get killed?” I shouted, speeding up through the town. The guy stuck his hand in the steering and laughed “Oh, this is fun. Let’s play again!” The car moved to a left, right, made all kinds of symbols. I started hitting his head “Get down you idiot, get…get down!” Hands on the navigation, I saw my cue- the sharp turn to the right. Introducing my hard elbow to the guy’s face, I took a really sharp turn. The guy landed face first on the ground and that was the last time I saw him.

Found a little map in the glove compartment. I decided to go south west towards the setting sun. It’s been half a day and all I have seen is barren land.

A sign post: “I get dreams even in my sleep.”

I had a funny feeling of having seen it before. I grew suspicious and then, I freaked out! My eyes kept staring at the horror that lay ahead.

Nearest town: PINE WOOD. 1 mile

All the bits and pieces came hitting upon me- the message on the broken board; the old man’s voice echoed” Once you are here, you will be running around in circles!”