In the dark of night, Max loaded her bike. Logan had insisted that she take his cell phone with her; she thought it was the least she could do if it would let him would worry less. She smirked to herself, remembering how he ran his hand through his hair for the thousandth time. She imagined returning to Seattle, and finding that Logan had absentmindedly rubbed all the hair off of his head. She giggled, then became somber. Would she ever return? She put on her goggles, and sped off. Stories above, Logan pressed his forehead against the window, and watched her motorcycle disappear.
She carried her bike through the woods around the checkpoints, or took side street detours. Several times in the city, she was asked to halt for a routine barcode check. Most of the time, she just sped past, outracing the shabby civilian vehicles. A few times she had to fight her way past. Finally, she was out on the freeway, anonymous among the few trucks driving the graveyard shift.
Hours went by, the sun rose. The landscape around her became more mountainous and rugged. Turning north on highway 37, she took in the yellow and red rock formations and stunted pine trees, the blue rivers slicing through. The scenery was gorgeous, the spicy scent of warm pine drifted through the air. After about 5 miles, she saw what must be the landmark-two large holes, side by side, that went straight through the top of a high rounded hill. She drove off road as far as she could, then walked her bike to the foot of the karst. She didn't see any signs of human life.
"Hello?" she called. She heard her voice echo across the hills and canyons. She turned around, surveying the area. She looked back and-- ! There, where she had first looked, was a red arrow nailed to a tree! She hadn't heard a sound, she knew it wasn't there the first time she looked..
"Look, there's no need to be shy, I don't bite.. hard.. " Max called. Nothing answered back. Hmm. She guardedly walked in the direction indicated by the arrow.
"How do I know how far to go?" she asked the nearest tree.
There, smack in front of her, was another arrow on the ground, pointing the way. Damn! Were they motion triggered? She hadn't really been paying attention to the ground, but there was no way she would have missed a big red arrow.
"Ok, this is kind of freaking me out.. Could you please come out now?" The wind blew through the trees. Further away she heard a bird twittering. Max sighed. She stashed her bike under some pine boughs, put her backpack on, and followed the second arrow. And the next, and the next, as they kept mysteriously appearing whenever she looked away. She walked for nearly 10 miles, deeper into the mountain range. Soon, she was hiking along a path next to a deep ravine. The rock face dropped away dramatically to her right.
Then-- she heard the nearly imperceptible sound of a footstep ahead of her. Her eyes narrowed, focusing into the distance, and caught a glimpse of a form disappearing around the bend in the path ahead. She walked faster. Around the next corner, she saw a dark opening in the side of the rock, it looked like the entrance to a cave.
She ducked inside, and found a rope attached to the side of the cave wall. She followed the rope, even though she could see in the dark, the rope presented the path she guessed she should follow. Other tunnels forked off and twisted away into the dark. She saw light flickering further on, coming up from a hole in the ground. She saw a ladder nailed in place, and climbed down cautiously, every fiber tensed for unexpected danger. She found herself standing in a large cavern, lit by torches. Wires ran along the ceiling and walls of the cavern, and away through several tunnels which connected all around.
"Hello, esteemed sister. Finally, you grace us with your presence?" Sarcasm practically dripped off the walls as the voice echoed. She looked around swiftly, and saw someone standing in an archway.
"We have long awaited your arrival.. What kept you?" He talked as if he were on the verge of drowning. His voice was resonant, but was filled with gurgling and wet sounds.. She was close enough now to see him clearly. His clothes were obviously homemade, the fabric was a rough woven texture. One arm was too small, too thin.. His lips were smeared across an uneven head, slightly pointed on one side, his jaw seemed longer on the other side, causing his head to resemble a parallelogram. Saliva trickled down one side of his mouth, which he continually wiped away. But his eyes- they were sharp and clear, unrelenting.. Deep gray.. a colorless fire burning in them..
"Welcome to Valhalla."
She carried her bike through the woods around the checkpoints, or took side street detours. Several times in the city, she was asked to halt for a routine barcode check. Most of the time, she just sped past, outracing the shabby civilian vehicles. A few times she had to fight her way past. Finally, she was out on the freeway, anonymous among the few trucks driving the graveyard shift.
Hours went by, the sun rose. The landscape around her became more mountainous and rugged. Turning north on highway 37, she took in the yellow and red rock formations and stunted pine trees, the blue rivers slicing through. The scenery was gorgeous, the spicy scent of warm pine drifted through the air. After about 5 miles, she saw what must be the landmark-two large holes, side by side, that went straight through the top of a high rounded hill. She drove off road as far as she could, then walked her bike to the foot of the karst. She didn't see any signs of human life.
"Hello?" she called. She heard her voice echo across the hills and canyons. She turned around, surveying the area. She looked back and-- ! There, where she had first looked, was a red arrow nailed to a tree! She hadn't heard a sound, she knew it wasn't there the first time she looked..
"Look, there's no need to be shy, I don't bite.. hard.. " Max called. Nothing answered back. Hmm. She guardedly walked in the direction indicated by the arrow.
"How do I know how far to go?" she asked the nearest tree.
There, smack in front of her, was another arrow on the ground, pointing the way. Damn! Were they motion triggered? She hadn't really been paying attention to the ground, but there was no way she would have missed a big red arrow.
"Ok, this is kind of freaking me out.. Could you please come out now?" The wind blew through the trees. Further away she heard a bird twittering. Max sighed. She stashed her bike under some pine boughs, put her backpack on, and followed the second arrow. And the next, and the next, as they kept mysteriously appearing whenever she looked away. She walked for nearly 10 miles, deeper into the mountain range. Soon, she was hiking along a path next to a deep ravine. The rock face dropped away dramatically to her right.
Then-- she heard the nearly imperceptible sound of a footstep ahead of her. Her eyes narrowed, focusing into the distance, and caught a glimpse of a form disappearing around the bend in the path ahead. She walked faster. Around the next corner, she saw a dark opening in the side of the rock, it looked like the entrance to a cave.
She ducked inside, and found a rope attached to the side of the cave wall. She followed the rope, even though she could see in the dark, the rope presented the path she guessed she should follow. Other tunnels forked off and twisted away into the dark. She saw light flickering further on, coming up from a hole in the ground. She saw a ladder nailed in place, and climbed down cautiously, every fiber tensed for unexpected danger. She found herself standing in a large cavern, lit by torches. Wires ran along the ceiling and walls of the cavern, and away through several tunnels which connected all around.
"Hello, esteemed sister. Finally, you grace us with your presence?" Sarcasm practically dripped off the walls as the voice echoed. She looked around swiftly, and saw someone standing in an archway.
"We have long awaited your arrival.. What kept you?" He talked as if he were on the verge of drowning. His voice was resonant, but was filled with gurgling and wet sounds.. She was close enough now to see him clearly. His clothes were obviously homemade, the fabric was a rough woven texture. One arm was too small, too thin.. His lips were smeared across an uneven head, slightly pointed on one side, his jaw seemed longer on the other side, causing his head to resemble a parallelogram. Saliva trickled down one side of his mouth, which he continually wiped away. But his eyes- they were sharp and clear, unrelenting.. Deep gray.. a colorless fire burning in them..
"Welcome to Valhalla."