Marin's Dale

6

The green Toyota pick-up came out of nowhere.

Its headlights were burning and it was flying, practically hovering above the road. It came to a skid as Audrey held up her hands, and then it swerved, once and twice before stopping. As the window rolled down, a head jutted out. A freckled man with clumps of hair like cotton balls, tobacco in his cheeks, and a shine in his grey eyes.

"Weel I'be damned!"

He stepped out from the truck, a little uneasy on his feet. He took one quick glance of Audrey, up and down, and shook his head with a thick, grimy spit. Aside from his disheveled corduroy shirt rolled up at the elbows, he seemed unaffected. Untouched by everything that had struck Marin's Dale.

"Why'da heel ya damn near nakid, gurl?"

Audrey turned away, looking down the endless road, at the end of which she knew was Moonshire Lake. The place where Father was waiting. She needed to go to Father. This man would come to find everything that she already knew. The change was coming—she couldn't wait. But she could feel the man's eyes on her.

"Wha'd in God's name 'appened ta you?"

Audrey gave him one vacant stare before slurring, "I'm fine." The man was unappeased. He grabbed his bald head and gave it a quick rub. He spat some more tobacco and frowned.

"Ya in't fine. I been drivin outta da woods back 'ere bout 10, 12 mile, been campin' since yedderday. You da first person I seen. Wha'd in hells goin on round 'ere? Ya got cars all ova da goddamn place, shits burnin—wha'd in hells goin on?"

Audrey could barely understand his mumbled utterance. Walking forward, she continued on, continued shuffling, down that endless road now littered with discarded clothes. Father was growing nearer, she could feel it. Despite the lack of change in scenery, she knew that she would soon be there.

And then a rugged hand seized her by the arm. "Whe'ya goin? Git ova 'ere, you need a 'ospital gurl!"

Audrey slinked away. The man came again to her side. His stinky breath hit her face like a noxious cloud. "Wait juz a minute 'ere, 'least tell me whats goin on!"

Audrey finally addressed the man. She stared at his rancid teeth, like mossy rocks. His calloused hands. The streaks of bark and water and black on his shirt. The streaks of bark and water and black on his jeans. And then she stared at his green Toyota pick-up facing in the direction of Wellington Tunnel; toward Marin's Dale.

A smile finally came to her withering face.

"You know you're heading the wrong way.”

                                       ###

The three of them moved as one.

You struggle for meaning

The Man with the boots and the trench coat stood between Tyler and the girl with the eggshell eyes. His mouth did not move, and the words were pulsating from within Tyler's skull. Somehow, strangely, this telepathy thing was becoming normal.

Or maybe Tyler was turning abnormal.

"Why?" Tyler asked. His voice was so hollow, he wondered if it was even his. He wondered a lot of things, but he tried to keep them away. He had to watch himself now, for he knew they were inside his head. This... "Father" was inside his head. Was there anything he could do to stop it? Was there even a point in trying?

Tyler shook his head. This whole thing was just ridiculous. Unbelievable. Inconceivable.  What the hell was he supposed to do? What kind of rollercoaster of emotions was he to be on now? Tyler rubbed his eyes. The searing in his head had stopped, but there was another feeling now. There were always other feelings.