The Path

The path out is easy.  Effortless really.  It's all downhill.  Everyone seems to be going that way, and no one stops to tell you that you're going the wrong way.  It's kinda mindless...just walk and fumble forward.  Forward.  Keep moving forward.

 

Somewhere, someday, you see where everyone is going, and it's to a place called Nowhere.  You decide to see if there is a better place, and off you your side, on top of another hill, there is a small sign that says Better Place.  You can't see what's in better place, because the view past the sign is blocked. But the small handful of people going past the sign are all smiling, they are singing, and some of them are running.

 

You stop to face that direction, but instantly the flow of people push you downhill, you turned to face downhill so you don't fall, and start walking that direction again.

 

But a while later, a little further down, a little colder, a little more lonely, a little more sad, you turn, and can barely see a sign, the first word looks like Better. 

 

Almost in a panic you stop...you are about to lose sight of how to get to Better Place.  Again, the flow of people pushes you.   You stand, and for the first time they talk to you. "Keep going".  Move on, let's go.  So supportive...  But they are also pulling at you now, and pushing you.   You start to accommodate their requests, but something magical happens, a person almost at the Sign turns, they are smiling and singing, and they catch your eye.  You could swear you know that person.  There is an instant connection, a fire, a doubt, a belief.  Then they are gone...

 

The doubt is the strongest....was it real, is there a better place, am I really going Nowhere?

 

You turn to go uphill, and suddenly no one is encouraging or supportive, they start pushing, shoving, cursing.  You are knocked down, a lot, and when you finally get up, you can't see the sign.  There is no Better place.  No way to get there. Over and over this happens, you are panicking, you're going down to nowhere and no one can help you....no one from better place can even see you anymore.  But that doubt has changed to a certainty for you.  The belief has changed into a drive,. The connection has turned into hope.  But it doesn't matter, nowhere pulls on you.   Desperate you hit back, and they hit back twice as hard....the people with you have devolved into zombies that only notice you when you fight. 

 

Exhausted, you turn to the side and put your head down and start walking. Something funny happens, when your not fighting, they are not noticing, you're edging out of the pack.  You're good at walking, so you just keep walking, not up, not down, not fighting, just in a new direction...but you soon notice that you are walking a path.  Invisible to the zombies around you, you are waking up, walking up, and the more you go, the less they are.  No encouraging voices, no doubts, no beliefs.  But you can't shake that hope that connection you know it's there, and you start to smile, you start to sing, and you turn to see behind you, way down below you, is a herd of crawling zombies.  One of them catches your eye, and you realize it is You!!  You instantly know where you are; you're next to a sign that says Better Place, and you just found your connection. You turn and in a few more steps, you realize you are in better place.

Reviews

[roarke]

Great concept, well written. I live in an area of the country called: The Last Best Place. I can relate to this, an corroborate the journey here is exactly like you describe. Well done.

[DidIWriteThat]

wait! you live near the Rockies??

[roarke]

Just west in the cabinets and persells.