Walk This Way

It was odd, Charlie thought, looking at the path winding ahead of him deeper and deeper into the woods, bending up ahead and disappearing behind a thick wall of forest that no eye could penetrate, man or beast. In the spring, everything was green and in bloom, with the sun shining through the trees, casting long angular shadows over Charlie and the forest floor; some of them he fancied looked like long bony fingers with strange growths attached to them. None of this is what Charlie found odd, though, and as he stood there scratching his blonde head trying to think of a reason for the feeling, he just kept staring at it.

Laying in front of him, going along the path and disappearing with it up at the bend, was what seemed to be another path laid out with two rows of small stones. There was nothing odd about the stones that he could see, even picking one up and studying it before throwing it back into the woods. Whatever this was, it sure wasn't what he was expecting today. Nothing else at all seemed odd or out of place. Charlie even had a feeling of déjà vu, looking over this parallel line of rocks leading through the middle of the path as if they had always been there. It was an odd feeling for an odd day, and he was liking these feelings and oddities less and less. Wanting to prove a point to himself, he boldly started walking in the middle of the rock path.

Charlie's first oddity was not only an earlier sense of déjà vu he had, but his meeting of the owner of the establishment that had given him the first sense of premonition today. He had stopped by a pawn store, looking to get his watch fixed, but the owner insisted on replacing his old watch. For free. This was a bit odd, especially at a pawn store, but the man insisted on it. Nothing about this store owner seemed out of place to Charlie. However, for some unbeknownst reason Charlie could not fathom, the owner's eyes gave him a creepy sensation, like something was just off about them but you just couldn't tell what, even though the owner dressed in a very nice pinstripe suit that looked like it cost serious money. Maybe he was one of the famous pawn store people you see on television, Charlie thought, looking over the watch the owner was offering him. All in all, the watch, store, and well-dressed man seemed safe, but why did he have this feeling of being here before? Not able to make any sense of it, he thanks the man for the generous offer but says he must refuse, and once again the well-dressed man pushes the watch at him. Finally giving in, Charlie asks, "Why?"

The man just smiled and replied, "Having no sense of time can drive one mad, don't you think?" It was a very odd statement, but he was being so nice that Charlie just chuckled, thanked him, and went on his merry way. As he was leaving the store, he fancied he saw the man's pupils multiplying but upon looking back he must have been mistaken. Just a fancily-garbed pawn store owner, being overly friendly and generous. " I must be losing it," he mutters under his breath as he walks to his car.

For about five minutes he walked the path up past the bend that had nothing odd on the other side of it except the lines of stones that seemed to stretch on for as long as the eye can see. Feeling satisfied that he has made his point he proceeds to move out from in between the lines of rocks, only to find himself taking a step back in between the stone path. He stands for a moment, just staring at his feet, wondering what just happened. Unsure what to make of it, he tries it again on the other side, only to bring about the same effect. Again, he stands there for a moment then suddenly leaps into the air, trying to jump over the rock line. He lands, feet planted firmly right back where he was just standing. For a split second, wild panic takes ahold of him and he starts running, trying as hard as he can to break the line of stones but he cannot, and if someone were to pass by and witness his attempt they would wonder why a man was jogging in place when he has a perfectly good path to walk on. Finally, stopping because he was running out of breath and not getting anywhere, he suddenly hit upon the idea of walking back the way he had come. Maybe he can leave the same way he had come in. Very pleased with himself, he starts making his way back, calming down quite a bit in the process, assured of his escape from this stupefyingly mind-bending prison.