ripshark

The Longest Mile

I took another step. Perception changed once again. In a single moment I was atop a windswept crag, the surf battering against the jagged rocks far below, the next I was snug home buried deep within a velvet duvet. The weight upon me was gone; it was as if freedom reigned again, again. Again I stepped. I saw with jaundiced vision the fall of nations, the demise of man, the crack in the ground from which came a single ant with a small twig clenched tightly in its maw. Their was no hope, none left for me after they shared it out, democratically they say, I say otherwise, but that is the way of those left out, the ones forlorn, forgotten forever to be looking on. The path stretched before me, endless. I placed one brogue firmly in front of the other, changing the world. There was no breeze in this place, the sun, a bloody stain above illuminated all below and allowed me to behold the horrors. Light was no blessing here. I came to a town, but it was deserted. They must have heard of my coming. In the middle of the street there was a thing, it smiled at me, so I smiled on. The road beckoned as ever. I came to a fork in the road. My destiny split in twain, one way was certain death, the other uncertain death. I mused over this for a time, I thought of which way to take, the best route for me. I waited for a decision, but soon there was no road, it had been blown away in the sands of time, so I moved on. I came to the edge of the world, below me and above there was darkness, behind me there was everything else. Light was nowhere to be seen. I jumped off. As I fell deeper into the darkness, engulfing, enveloping I looked back. There was a tunnel. I stood upon the apex of a cage, peering into the murky depths of a stagnant pond as a storm raged below. At the end of the tunnel stood a man, enveloped in light. As he spoke he held up his hands and gestured for me to come to him, but no sounds issued forth from his lips, and all at once I realized it was all an illusion. I decided to go left, as it seemed the path right had been trodden. It was a choice, neither good nor bad, and so I found myself before a mighty swamp and a man in a boat who offered to take me for ten silver pieces. I digress. This man killed me, put my body in a cage for the maggots to feed upon my flesh and then weighted me down and through me into a swamp. Then I awoke, and realized I had seen all this before. I place my other foot in front once again, and noticed for the first time that I did not own brogues at all, but a rather fetching pair of high heels. Was I a woman? Or did my tastes just lie that way? How was I to know? It was only then when I opened my eyes that I noticed that in truth, I did not own shoes at all. I then awoke from a dream I had, and realized that I was still upon the road. The sun was still in the sky, and a vulture upon a distant tree yearned for my eyes. My foot now moved by its own accord to take its position in front of the other, which had previously been in front. My other foot was now jealous that it no longer was the first, so it took to placing itself ahead. The other, affronted by such callous petulance immediately took to the fore. I was soon jogging along at an unhealthy speed, each foot desperately trying to outdo the other. I was exhausted, but my feet did not seem to care, I fell, yet still they tried desperately to be the ones that fell ahead. I closed my eyes and thought of home. I thought of all the time I’d been . . .. I opened my eyes again. It was better not to remember. I then noticed I was no longer lying down, I was once again here, where I was last I remember, and there was the same sun, hung in the sky like a bad Christmas decoration. I raised a hand to my brow and pretended to wipe the sweat from it. In the distance I could make out the silhouette of a woman, she was waving to me . . .. goodbye, goodbye. I waved back, then realized I had no hands. I stopped waving. I placed one foot in front of the other. Perception changed once again.

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21.
Riddle me that, riddle me this;
What is it that I cannot miss?
Is it a mark, a place or a time?
Nay, a child of the now speaks not in rhyme.

BlackHoleEnvy

Hey there. I enjoyed this. Like an opium daymare. Though it also sums up the tedium of Real Life rather nicely. In a jaded, existential kind of way. Some minor suggestions:

The "freedom" part is a tad cliched. The thought stands firmly on its own without this.

What kind of thing? This is too vague. Was it a creature? A shoe? What?

I love this line. Though, in the first half, the use of the word "twain" seems like a stretch. Does anyone speak this way anymore?

The transition between falling and the cage is too abrupt. Something is missing.

Vague, again. How did he kill you?

That's about all.

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...ARE BELONG TO US!