So Many Times

The Road Around Whaytyn

“Isn’t it a gorgeous day for a drive?” Ann stretched her arms up to the clouds.

The convertible top was down and the autumn sun was warm.

“It will be even more gorgeous after we get gas,” Sarah muttered. “Ann, put your hat on. Otherwise, you’ll get skin cancer.”

“Stop being so darn practical,” Ann said.

“Hmph.” Sarah pointed to a sign. “Just in time.”

“What a funny name for a town. Whaytyn.” Ann laughed. “With a population of ‘depends.’” She grabbed Sarah’s shoulders. “Stop a minute!”

Sarah slammed on the brakes. “What’s wrong?”

“Look!” Ann pointed to a dirt road on the right, shaded by huge trees, and covered with red and yellow leaves. “Let’s see where it goes.”

“Gas first.” Sarah started the car.

“You’re such a poop.”

“Thank you.”

They drove past several houses, all weathered and deserted as far as Sarah could tell. “Thank heavens!” She pulled into a gas station and drove up to a pump.

The women got out of the car and approached two men sitting on rockers on a porch in front of the cashier’s window.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Ann asked.

“Yup,” The man with suspenders said.

The man with the faded blue fishing hat nodded. “But we’re expecting a bad storm in a couple of hours, so you ladies might want to get your gas and get moving. You can make it to the next town and a fine hotel in time.”

“But I want to see where that dirt road goes!” Ann said.

“Oh, that road?” the man with suspenders rolled his eyes. “It just loops around the back of town. Dusty, ugly, full of ruts and briars. Has snakes and all sorts of other nasty critters.”

“Oh.” The corners of Ann’s mouth turned down.

“I’m hungry,” Sarah said. “Is there anywhere to eat in town?”

“Nope,” the man with the fishing hat said. “The closest place to eat is the next town.”

Ann looked around. “Where is everybody?”

“We’re it, more or less,” said the man with suspenders. “For now.”

The men stared at Sarah and Ann.

“Well, I’m going to fill up the tank,” Sarah said, “And we’ll go.”

The men nodded.

“You do that,” the man with suspenders said.

Ann leaned against the car while Sarah pumped the gas.

“They really don’t want us here,” Sarah said.

“I wonder why?” Ann waved at the men on the porch.

The men waved back.

Sarah finished pumping the gas. “We’ll go as soon as I pay.”

“I don’t believe them,” Ann said. She sprinted away from the gas station.

“Ann, where are you going?” Sarah turned to follow Ann.

“Don’t bother following her.” The man with the fishing hat blocked Sarah’s path.

“But I have to!” She pushed past him and ran after Ann.

Ann ran down the dirt road, just past the first tree.

“Ann! Stop!” Sarah shouted.

 Ann turned around and waved. She took a step. And vanished.

=

Ann continued down the dirt road. Butterflies danced in front of her. Red and yellow leaves fluttered down to the ground at her feet. “Those men are crazy. This road is beautiful!”

More trees crowded against the road and blocked the sun. A cold wind chilled her bare arms. The road slanted down, steeper and steeper, forcing her into a run. But it wasn’t just the slope of the road. Something, not just the wind, pushed her forward.

The road narrowed and the sky darkened. Rain fell softly, then pelted her body. She ran faster.

The road continued onto a bridge. Ann could hear the rush of water below. Through the rain, she could see the bridge was for a train.

But something was wrong with this bridge. The rails were rusted. The wooden sleepers were rotted, and some were missing.

The sky was completely dark. The wind almost knocked her into the water below. She was drenched and shivering as she crouched down and felt for the rails with her hands so that she could crawl forward.

The rails rumbled under her hands. In the distance, Ann heard a forlorn whistle. A train was coming her way. But which way? She stood up and took a step. Into nothingness.

=

Ann landed on the road. On her rump. “I don’t like this place.” She looked around. The road was exactly the way it was when she waved goodbye to Sarah. Butterflies danced in front of her. Red and yellow leaves fluttered down to the ground around her.

 “I wonder where Sarah is? I sure wish she was here.” Ann called out, “Sarah! Sarah! Can you hear me?” She waited for a few minutes. All she heard was silence.

“Well, this is no good.” Ann stood up and brushed the dust off her body. She turned around to follow the road to the gas station and Sarah. Instead of returning to the main road, the dirt road ended at a little house.

Ann tried to go around the house, but the house was surrounded by thick bushes that pressed against the walls. “Well, guess I have to go in.”

She knocked on the front door, but nobody answered. The door was unlocked, so she walked inside. The house was one room, with no windows, but the left and right facing walls were lined with doors. The farther she walked, the longer the room extended. She could no longer see the other end of the house.

As she passed each door, left and right, she turned the knob. They were all locked. Finally, one door opened. She peered into an empty room, painted a dull brown. Directly in front of her was a window. She walked over to the window and looked out. There was Sarah, talking to the two men at the gas station. Sarah’s back was to Ann.

Ann pulled up on the lower window frame, but it wouldn’t budge. Maybe it was painted shut. She banged along the sides of the frame with her palms to break it free. No luck. The lower window frame was stuck when she tried to move it.

Ann banged on the window with her fists, hoping to get someone’s attention. The man with suspenders looked up.

“Please, please!” Ann whispered. She waved both arms at him.

He pointed at her.

Sarah turned around.

“Sarah, help me!” Ann yelled.

But it wasn’t Sarah’s face.

It was a skull with dull blue eyes.

Ann stepped back from the window and fell down.

Onto the road.

=

“What just happened?” Ann stood up and brushed the dust off her body.

The road was exactly the way it was when she waved goodbye to Sarah. Butterflies danced in front of her. Red and yellow leaves fluttered down to the ground at her feet.

“How do I get out of here?” She asked the butterflies.

“I don’t know.”

Ann turned around.

A blonde woman in a Victorian-era white lace wedding dress and headpiece stood on the road.

“Who are you?” Ann asked.

“Emily,” the woman said. Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I’ve tried and tried to get back to my Wallace, but –” She cried into a lace handkerchief.

Ann looked up and down the road. “Maybe we can find a way together.” She reached out for Emily’s hand.

Before their fingers touched, Emily burst into flames. All that was left of her was a pile of ashes.

Ann twirled around and ran down the road. She stopped when she ran out of breath. “Sarah, I promise I’ll do everything you say from now on. I promise. Just let me find you again.”

In the distance, she saw some tall buildings. “Maybe I can find someone who can help me get out of here.”

Ann walked towards the buildings. “Then I can get back to the real world, with normal people, away from … whatever this place is.”

The trees thinned out and the buildings came into view. Ann stopped. “Oh no.”

The entire city was made of concrete, the roads, the buildings, the sidewalks. None of the buildings had windows. The sidewalks were empty of people. The streets were empty of cars. The only thing alive was a mass of huge vines that wound around the buildings.

Ann didn’t notice that vines were silently winding around her feet. They crawled up her legs, up to her hips. “Ewww, get off me!” She pushed them down, but they resisted and crawled higher, up to her waist. They bound her arms to her body and wound around her neck, then around her head. “Mmmpphhhhh!”

She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe. Everything went black.

=

Ann opened her eyes. She was sprawled on the road, face down. She sat up. And screamed.

=

Sarah ran back to the gas station. She cried as she ran.

The two men stood next to her car. So did two women.

“She’s gone!” Sarah wailed.

The woman with the flowered dress opened her arms, and Sarah ran to her. The woman hugged her. “We know.”

Sarah looked at the woman. “How?”

“We saw, too.” The woman gave Sarah a Kleenex. “I’m Rose. That there –” she pointed to the man with the suspenders, “Is my husband, Virgil. We lost our son on the road.”

“I’m Sam.” He took his fishing hat off. “I watched my daughter and one of my grandkids walk down the road and vanish.”

“We don’t know how many people that road’s taken,” Rose said.

“Why don’t you call the police?” Sarah asked.

“Why?” Sam asked. “They’ll just up and disappear, too.”

“All we can do is wait for people to show up again,” Virgil said.

“How long have you waited?”

Sam played with the brim of his hat. “Well, some people spent the rest of their lives waiting, maybe 30, 40 years. They died waiting. Me and my missus, we’ve been waiting about 20 years.” The other woman, the one with a yellow apron, looped her arm through Sam’s.

Virgil put his arm around Rose’s shoulder. “We’ve been waiting about 12 years.”

“Sometimes I tell Virgil we should just leave,” Rose said. “But then I’d always wonder. So, we stay. And wait.”

“You’re welcome to stay here, too, if you want,” Sam said. “We can help you fix up one of these little houses. Won’t be anything grand, but it’ll be comfortable enough.”

Sarah turned and looked towards the road. She turned back and looked at the people looking at her. She nodded.