Crossing the threshold, I followed the path away from Addison Apartments and down to the road. The sky was dark with heavy clouds filling every corner. However, the sun was visible and bright behind the curtain covering the sky. A torrid glow emanated from it highlighting the dense, gray clouds with warm yellows and browns. As it hung strung low to the horizon, it glared apathetically at the ground below leaving the earth to surrender into bleak darkness.
The air outside was cold. A breeze carried Brown leaves and dust around in crooked swirls along the ground. A hollow chill passed through me as if my body were an empty seacave. I felt my bones ache under my skin. I kept walking forward, my eyes on the path in front of me. The hills and trees that made up my surroundings were dull and shallow, lacking visible depth in the darkness. The path before me, however, was just bright enough for me to see about thirty feet ahead. As I walked down the sidewalk along the left side of the road, I passed a long chain link fence. I couldn't recall anything particular that might have been behind the fence, but I knew there must have been a reason it was there. I passed some cars parked along the curb. A red sports car with a gray sudan parked several feet behind it. The windows of the cars were dark and the engines cold. I thought for a moment that I had seen these cars here before, but I wasn't sure who owned them. There weren't any buildings around except the apartments I had come from. I couldn't help but wonder why there would be cars parked here. I continued on.
As I journeyed on I passed more familiar landmarks. The stop sign at the end of the road, the bus stop bench when I crossed the street, street side mailboxes and a trash can. With every step I took I could feel a lurking presence growing just beyond my periphery. I turned my head to look behind me, but there was no one there. Not even a breeze. A certain unease welled up inside my chest. I swallowed, forcing the feeling down into the pit of my stomach. My breath was shaky and uneven. I tried to ignore the prickly feeling on the back of my neck telling me to be vigilant and discreet. The road ahead was dim and empty. There couldn't really be anything dangerous out there this time of day. Not even a dog.
I walked for quite a while longer. The ground beneath my feet gradually became uneven and slightly overgrown. As I continued, the cracks in the concrete grew wider. Small patches of dirt quickly became large empty spaces in the broken sidewalk. Eventually the concrete and paved road became a dirt path up into grassy hills. Where I was heading, I did not know. Ultimately, I came to realize that I could not recall what it was that I had originally been searching for. Whatever had brought me to this place was now a mystery to me. What had I been doing out here all this time? Where am I?
I looked at my surroundings, an anxious feeling itching at my bones, but I didn't stop walking. Finally, I came upon an old oak tree. It towered high above me demonstrating its exceptional age. It was familiar to me in a way that troubled me deeply. Words couldn't describe the feeling I had when looking at the tree. It's trunk was solid and tall. The branches started so high I couldn't reach them even if I stood on a ladder. There were noticeable holes in the trunk in two uneven lines all the way up the spine of the old tree lleading to nothing. Under the tree was a figure. His back was turned to me, but I recognized the shape of his silhouette. The long brown hair flowing down his back moved along with the chilling breeze.
"Larry," I called out, my tone relaxed and calm. I hadn't yet reached the tree, so I spend up a little."Sorry I'm late. I thought you'd gone on without me."
"But I have...," Larry said with a somber inflection. He didn't turn to look at me, only standing there with his face toward the tree. His voice didn't sound quite like I thought it should. It was his own voice with peculiar, sullen emptiness to it. Not just in the way he spoke. The essence of his tone disturbed me.
"What do you mean?" I asked warily. I slowed down as I came closer to the tree Larry resided near.
"Sally," He said.
"What is it Larry?"
"I went ahead without you," He stated darkly."I saw something I shouldn't have seen." There was fear in his voice buried underneath a notable dismal pessimism. I was beginning to feel deeply concerned for him, leaving a cloud of suspicion forming in my mind.
"What is it, Larry? You're starting to freak me out, man," I reached out to touch his shoulder. There wasn't any warmth coming off his body when I touched him. I had to pull on him to get him to move. I gently tugged at his shoulder and got him to turn around slowly and rigid like a scarecrow made of sticks and stones."Larry, come on."
"I can't unsee it now, Sally." Suddenly, Larry jolted to face me causing me to take a couple steps back. I unconsciously raised my hands to protect my face, but Larry only stood there staring at me. The skin of his face was pale and cracked. Purple veins reached up from his blue, ashy neck and faded to white into his hollow cheeks. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, his pupils milky and vacant. The skin around his eyes had the same purple veins reaching out of them, and his eyelids were gray like heavy clouds. He stared right at me without seeing anything at all."I went too far ahead, Sally. It was calling me and I couldn't stop myself. But it's gonna be ok now." Larry said with a hush, his voice raspy and cold with nearly no emotion at all.
"Larry, what are you talking about? Whatever happened, I'm here now. Tell me, what did you see?" I replied, concern guiding my thoughts and words. I didn't have any idea what he was talking about, but I had to hear my friend out.
"That's right," Larry said hoarsely ."You're here. You're here now, so you can- " His voice strained as he struggled to breathe,"come with me. "Larry reached a bony hand out to touch me. I backed further away before his fingertips could graze the surface of my prosthetic."It's time, Sally, for you to join us." He reached further towards me, and in response I kept my distance, wary of his intentions.
"Join me on the other side," he said."There's nothing left for you here now." All of a sudden, Larry lunged, reaching with both arms, fingers splayed out to claw my skin with dirty, split fingernails. I retreated further, my heart pounding in my chest.
"No, Larry!" I cried, unable to keep quiet the sound of tears welling up in my throat."You shouldn't have left without me. Why couldn't you wait for me?"I was overcome with a gravely painful feelings in my chest. The beat of my heart shook my bones beneath my skin causing the muscles in my shoulders to tense and my arms to shake."You- you can't take me with you! N-not yet."
"Yes yet," he said."Join us, Sally. It's time for you to join us on the other side." Larry's voice raised, his words quickly devolving into a repetitive chant. His face went from emotionless and apathetic to fearsome and angry. In a terrified panic, I turned around and ran in the opposite direction. With tears in my eyes, I followed the path down the hill toward the road.
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