Chapter XI
Lost Highways
"Why are you here?"
Line, after line, after line, after line. The cement of the road rushed by with speediness, layered after border, after border, after border. Situated and obligated to whatever destination the road leads to. The certain extent of this leading road, no one knows. But a destination to them can always be made by the brake, which is made by the pedal, which is made by the foot, which is made by the mind. Or you can just continue along your way, along the speedy road, line, after line, after line, after line. But a road is a road, that's what the extent of a corporate business man would say, caring only for the continuation of his finance rather than the path of the highway. And yes, a road is a road, because of his desire for finance as it continues and continues.
A road is a road if it's playing through the urban centers of the mass and industrious. A road is a road if its running through the innocent residence of happy go neighbors. A road is a road if it extends to the high reaches of the mountains in which erects the earth towards heaven. Anywhere, whether cement, dirt, or just plain grass which has been imprinted by the recent travels of someone's feet. A road is a road.
Even if it travels through the depths of perdition's flames. Hot, burning, scourge, and flame. The road truly does exist anywhere. To the place of ponder and journey.
A foggy and empty space can even run a beaten path. A path running through mist and shroud, ha! Yeah that exists too. In fact one could say it exists on a lot of people's roads. Whether they walk outside and meddle with their feet upon ground, or steer that wheel to the likings of their vehicle. That fog is right there in front of their eyes.
And that's all Alex could see, as he continued to stare out the passenger window, was a shrouded, and beat fog making its known settlement upon everything.
For what taking could Alex receive from this sight? Apparently nothing, nothing at all. Great, the very same thing he'd always find behind every mask and door. Just great. Absolutely great. Alex receiving greatness. Now that's something.
But really, should Alex be so concerned of such things? His heart was still pumping a little rapidly from his meeting with the hounds. Never had he seen something so horrifying and grotesque. Just how could such works exist…just how?
What were those creatures? Alex constantly asked in his mind over and over again, just as he continued to stare at that blinding fog. Questioning what else lies under that blanket. What other circus possessions is wrapped under that moist present?
The questioning made Alex's head hurt. He laid his head against the window, hoping the coolness of the glass would calm him down. He closed his eyes and began to ponder on things which have already been accounted for. But he couldn't help wonder if yet another grotesque sight sat on the other side of the glass. If he would simply open his eyes and find yet another diabolical face staring at him with viciousness and desire.
The hounds…
Memories shot through Alex like a flicker of a television's signal. Flicker, flicker, flicker… Like an interception which has made its unneeded dwelling. That clamor of static which randomly shoots images at your face in splits of sliced seconds.
Random, random, random, and a collective of horrific sights which caused Alex's brow to indent down in attempt to keep those lids shut.
The desperate and poor corpse which lay before Alex…asking and pleading for salvation…
The blood…the rich, rich, blood…
Alex slightly bumped his head against the glass surface. An impact or two just might help the cure of this haunting.
Stuck in the grasp of the window, and pulled by the canine's malicious tongue… Alex slowly swayed his head left to right, as if responding "no" to some being making his attention upon this poor and unfortunate soul.
A staring and eager hound…eyeing very happily at its prey on the other side of the glass barrier. Now upon achievement of gourmet. Staring at the delicious Alex.
Staring…
Staring…
Staring…
..And Alex's eyes shot open, and succumbed to the sight of the predator's face. Those wide and piercing yellow eyes. Proud to achievement and works of the keenness. The teeth were as decayed yet sharp as ever. Ready to grasp achievement. Ready to assimilate into death. Snout, skull, and flesh ready to fall into dismay as this is the chance of clasp. And Alex's eyes watered at the very sight, and the pupils shrank down ever so small.
Staring…
Staring…
Staring…
"Hey kid! You all right?"
Alex's head shot back in reaction to the old man's response. Indeed, there he was, sitting in the driver's seat and grasping hold to the vehicle's steering wheel. Alex glanced back towards the window. Indeed, the very sight of fog was still there. Shroud and mist, situated along the long and speedy road. Sitting there as line, after line, after line shot out of that blanket.
"You look as if you're about to be sick." The man's concerns weren't exactly caring, but nothing more.
Alex slumped back into his seat; his head leaned back and pointed up towards the ceiling, while eyes closed in relief of stress.
"I'm fine. I'm absolutely and positively fine." Alex's voice seemed deeper than usual. Yet it was probably due to his process of cool down.
The old man multitasked between the road, and the boy. He expressed no sympathy for the boy, yet a sense of concern formed in his eyes. Understandable of the situation they both just experienced, yet this boy seems to be hiding something other boys might not posses.
Alex lifted his head forward, and slowly opened his eyes. He glanced forward to the vehicle's wind shield. Undeniably, that barrier was still inflicted with a fracture across its surface. Made by the car's attempt for escape.
"That's quite a crack." Alex calmly and positively said.
The man eyed up to the windshield. A look of peculiar reference came upon his face. Somehow, the boy's opinion seemed a little off the subject. Alex continued to stare at the fracture with dullness.
The old man focused once again on the road, only meeting the sight of more fog and mist. A look of focus to supplement the driving.
"What's your name kid?"
Alex's eyes widened, as if a curious little girl had just pinched the thin layer of skin behind his neck. Waiting for an answer to the need of knowing Alex's identity. Eager to know, who he is. What name this stranger has under gone.
Go ahead David. Tell the nice man your name.
Alex only stared forward, as if he was deaf or something. Having no recollection of a question referred to his name, he stared down at his pants. They were jeans alright, a dark blue to cover the outline. Supplied with parallel streaks reaching from his waist down to the joints of his feet. Two side pockets were designated at the height of his knees. Useful to have these two lower holdings, rather than the ones situated by his crotch.
The old man eyed back at the boy. Making sure he was just being careless and not lifeless.
"I'm not going to hurt you kid."
Of course, Alex gave no response to the empathy. He continued to stare at the outlines and fixtures of his blue jeans.
The old man simply turned back to the road, falling back to the focused and eyed look of attention.
"Don't want to tell me, huh?"
The fog continued to shoot out the forwarded lines, imbedded in the cement carvings of the street. As if each one was fleeing from the shroud which had overcome them.
"That's okay. I understand."
Line, after line, after line…
"I understand if you don't want to say. Since this is probably the first time you've experienced something like this."
Alex continued to stare. Motionlessly, and silently.
"I understand."
Blue and dark jeans.
The old man continued to focus on the road and the likings of driving. But he couldn't help notice a small voice come from the careless boy.
"My name is Alex."
The man eyed back at Alex. Nothing too alarming, but at least he said something. The man couldn't help as about Alex's identity, but he needed to say something.
"Just Alex?"
Alex continued to stare downward at the fixtures of his legs.
"Yes! Just Alex. That's all."
Provoking the lack of understanding to such a response, the man just simply raised an eyebrow. But that was all that should be said.
Alex took one last look at his pants. He then faced up towards the man, shifting to a curious and innocent face.
"What about you? What's yours?" Alex said in soft toned voice.
The man looked bewildered for a sec. His eyes shot open in reaction to the question.
"Me?"
Alex kept the same look of curiosity and innocence in his eyes. Waiting for a response to his desired question.
The old man shifted back to the road, making the exact same look of focus and attention. Yet his eyes stumbled and scanned a bit though, left and right his eyes shifted speedily.
"My name…My name is Clive Spencer."
Alex stared for a bit, now having a look of comprehension. The both of them fell silent for a few seconds, Clive keeping focus on the driving, and Alex keeping the stare.
Finally a small grin broke on Alex, as if a look of appreciation and understanding aroused.
"Clive…that's a nice name."
The grin slowly lowered down, Alex sitting back on to his seat and continued again to watch the view of shroud.
Clive's hands loosened its grasp on the wheel a bit, still keeping the look of focus.
"So, tell me Alex. Why are you here?"
Alex just kept staring out the window, watching faded objects pass by as if the masked scratches of a film were to display its flaw upon a remorseful screen.
He swore something though; it was peculiar that some of the passerby's seemed like they appeared again and again and again as the car moved along. Odd, like the repeating background of a cartoon. Repeating layer upon layer as the raging cat chases the speedy mouse.
Alex finally took his eyes off the sight; it was way too tedious to look at.
"I guess you can say I'm looking for something." Alex realizing what he said; let out a small snigger of silly opinion.
"Heh…No. More like someone. Someone very special."
Clive continued to grasp the wheel with seriousness, keeping eye on anything that might pop out on the road.
"Looking huh…" He too, let out a small snigger to Alex's fact of presence.
"…It seems that everyone is looking for at least something these days."
Alex then caught the sight of a small road sign out the window. According to the text, they were driving along a road called Nathan Avenue. The sight of buildings immediately left them. Now along a presence of road bordered by numerous forest trees.
Clive continued the vehicles way of travel, down the long stretch known as Nathan Avenue.
"Everyone who comes to this town seems like they're searching for a thing they long for. That's the purpose of the town's tourists I guess. Not anything enjoyable, but hey, it's what they do. You can't come to this town and ask: where's Toluca Lake, I sure want to fish? But you sure do come to this town asking a lot of questions though."
Alex pondered on the last sentence Clive said.
"Questions?"
Clive didn't seem like the confused individual you would normally find in a deserted place, instead he seemed experienced in the town's form of a system.
"Questions some people can't think of off the bat. And questions some people ask every second their alive. It's what this town brings them, is the guide to those answers. Nothing more, and nothing less."
The car seemed to drive by what seemed a tall observation tower. The structure was huge in perspective of Alex. Something about it made him put forth a lot of attention. As if the building had a form of significance or something. But he took his eyes off the building, and slumped back into his seat.
"Everyone has something their looking for huh? So tell me, what are you searching for?"
Clive eyed towards Alex, whether or not to answer his question. Alex eyed towards the old man too, hoping to get a word out of him.
"Why are you here?"
Clive stared into those blue eyes for a sec. Those blue, emerald eyes, seeking for answers of enlighten.
He then turned back to attention of driving, making no response to Alex's question.
"Don't want to tell me, huh?
Clive Spencer…keeping the same forwarded look of focus.
"That's okay. I understand."
The vehicle then slowed down to make a turn into the path of a new road. The sign at the corner read in small white text: Old Pleasant Road.
"I understand."
