04-01-05 "And darkness and decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." -The Masque of the Red Death
04-20-05 "Advisor: "So Mr. President…do you feel bad you dropped it…I mean." Truman: "Just shut up and give me my drink."" -The Tommyknockers
04-30-05 "The highways are alive tonight. No one's fooling no one as to where it goes." - RATM: The Ghost of Tom Joad
Chapter XII
Lost Highways
Damned
The vehicle sped through the blanketed street, neglecting any order of speed or persistence. Taking the path to whatever destination was hence forth.
Alex continued to stare out at the mist and shroud, hiding the wonders of monstrosity and grotesque summons. What diabolic wonders wrapped in such a moist present, what scenery, what creations.
Yet in the midst of all this, Alex couldn't help wonder of the possibility that this shroud holds something of very dear. Comprehending it or not, can Jessica possibly be in that mysterious beyond of dismay? Could she?
Jessica…are you really in this town?
The car was set upon an isolated road. The fog was thick and dense. Nothing could be seen through the eyes of our bewildered passengers. No sight of buildings anywhere. No trees to supply the thought of open wilderness. Not even the ground could be seen with such a thickness. As if the narrow street was floating in mid-emptiness. Quite the setting for travel, but that's what it looked like. A floating road endless in the length of stretch. Alex knew it was ridiculous, but he felt as if he and Clive Spencer were in a narrow thread of danger. If the vehicle were to go off to the side, it will lose contact with the cement and fall into the eternal abyss of hell's damnation. That's why it is with every need and obligation, for Clive to keep hold to the wheel and see to it that they don't fall in obsolete.
Alex shook his head. No doubt, his encounter with the blood thirsty hounds gave him a sense of insanity. He needed to resist the chaotic urge. He needed to. For her. For that girl hidden under that shroud and blinding partition.
Alex took his eyes off the fog, and glanced over to the Clive. Yep, still focused as ever.
"Where are we going?" Alex asked in a peculiar way. He needed to know where the point of their destination was.
Clive kept his focused attention. There was a brief pause, then Clive eyed towards Alex, responding to his desired question.
"I need to check out something, on the outskirts of town."
"Like what?"
Clive eyed back towards the road. A look of eagerness suddenly came upon him.
"A prison."
Alex then received an awkward look.
"A prison?"
"Yeah, that's right kid."
Alex was confused, it was apparent that he didn't know the man's intentions. But a prison?
"Why do you need to go to a prison?"
An eyebrow rose on Clive, he glanced towards Alex, as if he just asked the stupidest question.
"Look kid. I don't know if you heard me before, but a lot of people are looking for something."
Clive then leaned over to Alex, making an eye for an eye, causing Alex to back towards the window.
"And you and I, are two of those people."
Clive leaned back into the upright position, eyeing back on to the road.
"Who knows. Maybe this "prison," may lead you to whatever you're looking for."
A little touchy this Clive Spencer is, Alex thought. Quite the interesting fellow. "Why are you here?" And no response comes from the man. This is a town where people are searching for something huh?
If that's the circumstance, then what is it that makes everyone (assuming there's more than just him and Alex), so different in need and potential. Just what?
If this man asked him the question of being, then shouldn't Alex have just as much right to ask the very same?
The car then started to slow down. Clive pressured the break pedal ever so slightly. Until finally the car came to a complete stop, right in the middle of a three-way intersection.
"What are you doing?" Alex asked, unable to understand the intentions of the focused driver.
Clive stared out the left window, eyeing towards the third street which extended and disappeared into the fog. He stared, stared, stared, with silence, but with anticipation. The awkward presence of silence overtook both passengers, staring out into that thickness of gray. Alex too was overwhelmed with anticipation. His knowledge of that street ahead made the feeling ever so strong.
Clive continued to stare and stare, until finally his eyes squinted, and his hands tightened. The wheel then rotated left, acceleration pedal slightly pushed, and the vehicle steered towards the opening of the third street.
Alex just sat in silence, his eyes focused on the road and the blinding fog. His hands closed and sweat began to emerge from his palms. Reason wasn't quite clear for him, but he knew exactly what lied at the "end" of the road.
The vehicle maintained its speed, going along with steadiness and smoothness. The street was straight, no curves or turns whatsoever. Line after line, the road rushed by shooting out the yellow imprints. The mist and fog rushed by too, passing the vehicle and its passengers. Rushing by with steadiness and smoothness, the vehicle continued to speed down the straight and narrow path.
The two occupants just simply starred at the rushing scenery, waiting for whatever was expected along this road. Alex's eyes were straight and focused. His hands still closed into tight fists, along with a slight grasp onto his pants.
It was sure apparent of what Alex found at nearly every street exiting the town. Oh…it was apparent aright. Very hard to miss the absoluteness.
What he found would sure be in his mind during his so called "stay" in this area. Even if he does find Jessica, it would sure be in his mind. But just how? Alex does not know. He just can't understand the meaning of this phenomenon. Just how? But it was sure certain and absolute alright. It was there.
Suddenly, Clive slammed on the breaks, causing the two of them to lean forward in reaction to the car's immediate halt. Until at last the vehicle came to a complete stop. The gears were shifted to park, and Clive immediately exited the car. He stepped out clutching the door in one hand, staring ahead with trepidation. Alex too had stepped out and stood in the same position as Clive, staring with the same stare.
The two of them just couldn't comprehend of what they were seeing.
The two of them slowly paced forward. Their shadows were imprinted on to the pavement by the illumination of the car's headlights. They paced ever so slow, staring at the likes of a road block sign right in front of them.
NO ENTRY WAY. Read the large and striking text. The sign was indeed old, or at least it looked that way. Parts of the wood have been decayed away, but was still enough to be used.
The two personages continued to pace forward up to the likes of the sign. Until finally they reached up to the edge of it, in which they could see beyond the block.
Unease came upon them as they both saw the phenomenon set before them. Indeed, they have seen this before, but the very sight strikes them every time they set eye upon it. And yes, it should put a strike on the human being. No one in the right mind should accept such a being.
At this point, the fog was dissipated at the point of the sign, oddly enough. Alex didn't know what irony was at foot, but he could definitely see what lied beyond the sign. But that's the tricky thing though…
A cliff sat two feet behind the sign. It descended down to an estimate of about 500 feet, according to what Alex and Clive could see. It was rocky and sharp alright. No one could possibly climb up or down the surface.
And at the very bottom of the cliff, was the fluid liquid of crimson. A lake of blood!
No watery substances whatsoever. Just blood. Pure blood. Doesn't really matter who or what it belongs to. It was just blood.
The sky was covered in dusk red as well. Adding such a texture to the sky and the sea.
It was a sea…an endless, eternal, deep, sea. The two personages could see nothing past the horizon. No, the sea of crimson extended into infinity. It was endless alright.
No opening to an exit what so ever. They were trapped here. In the area of Silent Hill.
Silent Hill, now surrounded by an eternal sea of blood!
