| 10 ft. to go. The memory of Cindy’s fall rang endlessly in his memory palace. Her distorted face, her terrified scream, her limp form, her beauty still there in spite of it all. Michael felt his lungs seizing up. The pain flowed deep within, running like a river, a dark river of his heart. Melissa hung from his back, and he once again felt the remorseless pressure of time. His lips were frozen and blue, and the welts on his face had turned black. Life was not fair. How could this be his destiny, to lose his greatest treasures on this cursed mountain. Dear God. 5 ft. to go. And, in spite of all that had happened, Michael laughed. It was not a laugh of happiness, nor one hope, but a laugh of insanity. A laugh at how the madness of the world is what makes the earth turn. The mindless web spun on different levels, connecting our busy lives into one common struggle leading to-what? He laughed at how senseless humans really are. He laughed. It felt good. The treeline. In his bought with insanity, Michael never even realized he past the trees and had some shelter from the storm. He just kept walking. And laughing. Laughing at his sister as she had chased him around his house with a baseball bat when he was young. Laughing at his father wearing polka dot boxers. Laughing at the kid in the cafeteria shooting milk out of his nose. Laughing at the first time he caught a fish. Laughing at his first trophy playing basketball. Laughing at his high school graduation. Laughing. The memories. His destiny. He glanced up, and noticed the forest. He stopped, and stared up through the tree tops and saw the swirling storm. Off in the distance, he heard its roar. He saw the trail flattening before him. He cried. The trees provided safety, but Michael had no interest in safety. His legs barley had anything left in them. But his heart had all the energy he would ever need. His thoughts raced at possible outcomes. She could have hypothermia, or she could bleed to death and die. O, how much more lonely life would be. He walked, fast. Forever. At the end of forever, he looked up, and saw the trail end, and the trees clear. He saw people. Not hallucinations, but real people. Running. Running toward him. No wave of relief washed over him though. He watched as they took the unresponsive Cindy from his cramped arms. He watched as they applied a make-ship gauze to her head out of a bandana. He watched as they gently laid her in the van, and drove off. He couldn’t decide who was more lifeless: her or him. When he reached the parking lot, he found the vans packed with people. Mike Bloom jumped up and ran to them “Michael, thank God your alive. What happened? Is she hurt!?” “Yes, she got struck by lightning. She needs medical care, immediately!” Mike Bloom lifted her out of his arms. Deja Vu. Fate. Destiny. He watched as he carried to a loaded van, put her in across some laps, jumped in, and drove off. Sarah came up behind him, weather beaten. She took his hand, then his arm, holding him awestruck and in a comforting embrace. Her silence was all that needed to be said. Michael couldn’t believe it. His nightmare had been relived. continue |