In reverse I seem to go, Aging against the common flow. While time moves forward, My age is lowered, As to why I do not know.
The hair of those around me is gray, And on their faces creases run. Yet the gray in mine goes the other way, And the creases become undone.
Life’s journey takes others, To a single destination. But it takes me, In the opposite direction.
What can I do, When it is the womb I move to? I watch others grow old, While I become young and bold, As to why I do not know.
To every horizon wildflowers spread, Covering the ground with gold and red. A cool breeze carried their scent, Sweet and cool the wind went. The simple blue sky above, With small clouds shaped like doves, Brightened the colors down below, Of the flowers in the meadow. To know this place, So full of grace, Was to know peace, A feeling of great relief.
The wind roared in my ears. River water rushed up to meet us. I turn and look at my sister. Her eyes are shut tight, her arms held around her ready for impact. I swallow and do the same.
A splash then a cold shock. I swim to the surface and look for my sister. Beside me her head pops up out of the water. We look at each other then swim to the rocky beach below the cliff.
“Is it still up there?” My sister asks.
“I don’t know, but we shouldn’t stay here long.” I say staring at the jungle rising above the cliff. Above the trees the midday sun shown crisply.
We follow the cliff to our left after a brief respite and hope that we make it back to the coastal village. Our eyes constantly survey the cliff top. Wet clothes rub us raw but the fear we feel pushes us on.
A rumbling roar turns our souls to ice. Our pace quickens to a run. The roar comes again. The cliff to our right becomes lower and lower until its gone and river bank meets jungle. The we see it.
Me and my sister stop as the beast jumps out of the brush in front of us. Its great paws dig into the sandy beach, ready to pounce. White teeth shine in the sun. It’s eyes wide with hunger.
“Tiger.” My sister mutters, tears creep down her face.
Suddenly the cat lunges at us. I grab my sister and throw both of us out of its way. Something slides across my back and feel a warm wetness grow there. I look up and see the tiger coming back. Pulling eyes sister up I tell her to run. Understanding pulls across her face and she shakes her head but I push her and she starts to run.
I grab a large rock and jump towards the tiger screaming. We meet and a massive paw meets my side and ribs shatter. A heavy weight presses down on me and then silence.
After a couple of seconds I realize I’m still alive. I open my eyes to see what’s on top of me. A massive shape of brown fur and black stripes blankets me. The tiger. A long wooden arrow stuck out of its neck. Relief washed over me and adrenaline faded. Sharp pain in my side and on my back replace it. My eyes close and I fade away.
A bright overhead light pulls me out of slumber. I hear excited voices nearby. Turning my head I see through blurry vision that I’m in a hospital room. My sister and parents are leaning over my bed wearing smiles. A calmness spread over and I fall back to sleep.
Every passing day, hour, minute,second I feel it. My muscles writhe like worms under my skin which has started to become hard and crusty. Memories of the past fade into nothingness. I’ve even lost my name. Today, I think, is my last day. I lay on a carpet of autumn colored leaves staring at white things above in the blue. The name of them I cannot recall. Behind me is the source of my agony. A short sprawling tree older than mankind with sickly green bark and purple leaves that danced in the wind. I don’t remember when I touched it. A couple days at least. I’ve seen the bright yellow ball and the pale white one swim across the blue above several times already. Their names too have I forgotten. A shudder racked my stiff body. The tree calls for me. It is time. I feel my humanity shatter. Roots dig out of the ground into my skin. A great sadness fills me. Sadness caused by memories I cannot recall. My vision fades into a tunnel and gets further away until the last light blinks away. The tree is me and I am the tree.
Jack and Greg stare up at the house. Both have been looking at it for half an hour trying to figure out how the hell it got up there. “Do you think a tornado did it?” says Greg as he focuses on the house so intensely that Jack thought he could see steam coming off of his head in the cool early morning. “Greg, when was the last time you’ve seen a tornado here. Plus not a single shingle’s missing. It’s like it just appeared up there.” Greg ponders for quite a long time before speaking. “Maybe a helicopter dropped it here.” “Really? I’m not even gonna try to find a response to that.” “Well what do you think?” “Fuck if I know. Aliens maybe.” “I may not be the brightest, but at least my theories are possible. Aliens don’t even…” Before Greg could finish his sentence a white flash fills the sky and a massive egg shaped ship appears above the house. At the bottom of the ship a small hole opens up and a slender blue fish-like creature floats down to attack a white cable to the roof of the house. Then there’s another flash and the house and ship are gone. They both stare at each other with their eyes and mouth wide open. From that day forward Greg never questioned a thing that come out of Jack’s mouth.
The glassy water and orange sunset make the lake seem like it was pulled out of a painting. In the distance forest beyond the lake owls hoot, waiting for the night. Fireflies fly in the dim light creating temporary stars. I sit on the edge of the dock and watch the receding sun, taking it all in before my vacation ends. Behind me, my cabin fills the darkening world with light. I rented it for dirt cheap. Supposedly some who stay here disappear. No one knows why. Some of the towns folk say it’s haunted. Others say there’s something in the woods. I’ve never been a superstitious person and the owner of the cabin said not everyone disappears. After the sun finally sets I get up and walk back to the cabin. Before I make it off the dock a feeling pokes at the back of my neck. I turn around and it move to the front of my neck. Like a piece of wire, a thin wavering string of light rises out of the water at the end of the dock and reaches my neck. The light pulls me forward. A cold sweat covers my body. Dread fills my mind as I realize it’s not in the cabin or in the woods. It’s in the lake. Dread soon turns into regret. Why did I rent this damn cabin. I finally make it to the edge. My body freezes and my teeth start chattering from fear. Below a strange blue glow lights up the water. I follow the string of light and come eye to eye with a half decomposed corpse at the bottom of the lake. It’s eyes glow faintly. For the first time in my life I start praying. I shake my head to try and wake myself up. It doesn’t work. As if enjoying my torment, the corpse smiles and my body is pulled into the water. Darkness consumes me. I wake back up unable to breathe and move. I open my eyes and look up at the dock. As I drown, the corpse stands on the dock and just smile at me, it’s flesh barely hanging on to the bone. I struggle to move my body. My lungs ache for air. Darkness creeps into the corner of my eyes. It makes its way to the center of my vision and I become the corpse.
Today is the first day I’ve woken up to quietness. No sirens. No car horns. Just silence. I start my day with a cup of coffee. The early morning rush to get ready for work has now been replace with a calm early morning routine of chores. First I gather the eggs from the chicken coop. Next I feed all of my animals and make sure they have water. First the chickens, then my goats, and last my two cows, Rachel and Sally. For the past couple of years I’ve dreamed of this life. The crowded streets of the city and the mad rush at work were overwhelming. Finally I had enough. I’ve spent half of my savings to start this lifestyle. Not a penny wasted. I bought this piece of land at the beginning of the last year. When I wasn’t slaving away for a big corporation I would leave the city and come here. It took me seven months of what little free time I had to build this cabin. Another three months for the chicken coop and the pens for my goats and cows. I get electricity from the solar panels on the roof of my small cabin. I use the electricity for my freezer. For cooking I use the wood stove the keeps the cabin warm. For water I have a barrel that catches rain water and if it runs out theres a mountain stream that’s close by. At lunch I cook some rice and eggs from this morning. Before I would usually get fast food to eat on my lunch break. McDonald’s got old really fast. After I get done eating I grab my axe to go chop up some wood I cut up a few months back. Today I found out that the cubicle I’ve spent the last year in has not been kind to my body. The sun starts to sink and the day comes to an end. I spent most of the afternoon chopping wood. I’m exhausted. But I love it. Compared to being burned out in an office, exhaustion is sweet relief. After supper I sit outside and watch the stars. I would never see so many stars in the light drowned city. Today, my first day away from the hustle and bustle, has taught me that there’s freedom in simplicity.
