Vignette from The Highway
I pedaled along the path, my legs easily pushing me and my bike down the miles that stretched endlessly before me. I'd ridden along this same walk for thousands upon thousands of leagues, and each one presented views both new and unique. The land around it varied constantly, from stretches of sand dunes and tumbleweeds, to hills and mountains and valleys with amazing vistas, to lush forests filled with streams and rivers, to grasslands full of wheat and rye and wildflowers. My muscles may have occasionally succumbed to fatigue along the harder stretches, but I never got tired of it. It was my path to ride, and ride it I did.
The path meandered and the pavement was uneven and cracked in places, but it never strayed too close to or too far from The Highway. I'd seen traffic jams and times where it was near-empty, but there was always something flying past, if only once every half-minute, and usually without warning.
There were no on-ramps or off-ramps on this side, and the guard-rails were tall and difficult to climb over. You could see a long way in all directions, seemingly forever. All the way out to the horizon, usually, though for some reason trying to see what lay over The Highway was a fruitless endeavor; it lay shrouded in darkness, like smog. It gave you a headache if you stared at it for too long, so I never did.
It was rare to see animals along the sidewalk, though there were plenty of people, most of which were children. They never seemed to know where they'd come from, or how they got there. However, I enjoyed talking to them whenever I'd stop for a meal, for the night, or to pick up a passenger or two. Everyone but me seemed to be on foot; I'd never met anyone else with a bicycle or other form of transport. Not everyone wanted a ride, but those that did were grateful to get one.
Matthew hung onto me currently, one hand grasping the shoulder of my jacket on each side, straddling the back wheel, his feet balanced on the bike-frame to keep from falling off. The lanky young pup's mousey blond fur rippled in the breeze, his bright green eyes open wide in anticipation for what lay beyond the next rise. He'd been with me for several days so far, and he seemed just as fascinated with the landscape as me.
It was nice just to have someone to talk to, though I enjoyed the quiet stretches, too.
"So what do you think is on the other side of The Highway, Hugo?" That was Matt, alright. Always probing, always asking questions, always curious. Most of the time I didn't know the answer, but that was okay; I always learned something from the questions, even if it was a new way of looking at things.
My black-tipped silver ears flicked backward at the sound of his voice. "I dunno. I've never been, and I've never met anyone from the other side." My tail, long and bushy like the other foxes I'd met, brushed against him as it wagged.
"Maybe there's a city over there. A big shining city made of silver and glass. They blow out all the smoke and dirt to the outside, so everything stays clean and beautiful, and all the parks stay fresh and green. That could explain the cloud. Right?"
I agreed that it would indeed, and I felt the boy clutch at me. It was a good hug, warm and snug. I knew that wherever he made his home, the people there would find a fuzzy ball of sunshine waiting for them every day, far brighter than the so-called sun lighting my sky. I had to admit to myself that I felt just a little twinge of jealousy
I pedaled my way between The Highway and some steep granite cliffs. The strip of turf down here stretched a few hundred feet wide, and the lush green grass bobbed in the eternal late spring breeze. A number of trees grew here and there along a tiny stream, many of which looked to be fruit trees or various nuts. The day was bright and warm, though it was late enough in the afternoon that the rock face blocked the warmth of the light.
My stomach complained, and I heard a matching rumble from the pup behind me. I coasted to a stop and nudged the pup to hop off. "Come on, hop off. There's food and water here, and I think we'd both like a break." I also needed to refill my backpack; food wasn't especially difficult to come by if you knew where to look, though you never knew some days. It was best to be prepared.
He dismounted without complaint, and I dislodged the kick-stand, setting my mountain bike just off the path on a flat piece of ground. Nobody would steal it, I knew, and if someone did I'd get it back. Just one of those things that happened here.
I removed my jacket and stretched out my back, letting the breeze flow around me and ruffle my fur. It felt good to be off the bicycle for the moment, though I knew I'd start craving the trail again before too long. It was my calling, and my passion.
Matt ran to the nearest tree, what looked like pear, and plucked two of the yellowish fruits from low-lying branches, which he immediately began chewing his way through. The pears were ripe enough that several fell to the dirt as I watched. Good; fresh ripe pears were some of my favorites.
He tossed one of the fruits to me. "I want to go over to the other side of The Highway some day. D'you wanna come with me?"
I had to shake my head; it was a question I'd been asked many, many times before, and the answer was always the same. "Nah. I like it over on this side. I can't take my bike with me over the railings, and crossing is dangerous, what with the traffic. I'm content over here, really."
We gathered food from several different kinds of trees: two kinds of pears, three kinds of apples, peaches, and even some hazelnuts, which I rarely found. I cracked a bunch of the nuts with a rock, and we stuffed ourselves full as the air edged its way to the darkness of night.
I wondered, as I always did, if real food tasted like this.
"Hugo?" Matthew's voice drifted softly through the air, lonely and, I thought, more than a little sad.
My ears perked up. "Hmm?"
"I miss my parents. Most of the other kids I've met don't remember their parents, but I do. It's fuzzy and hard to remember, but I can see their faces, right there when I close my eyes." His eyes shined in the dusk, and he sniffled a little. "They died, when I was little. In a car crash. I don't even remember the funeral, but I remember how they smiled at me. They loved me so much, and I still love them."
He scooted a little closer to me, I think, for the comfort of another person. I knew what to expect, how the conversation was going to go. "Do you know what I think, Hugo?"
"What do you think, Matthew?"
"I think they're over on the other side of The Highway. I think that if I go over there, and look long enough, I'll find them and we can be together again. It's been...a very long time. I don't even know how long. It feels like forever. But here soon, I'm going over there, and I'm going to find them. I think... I think they'll have my baby sister there, too."
I put my arm around him, and he just sat there for a moment, until the tears started flowing. I've done this, too. Far, far too many times to recall.
"I miss them so much. And they miss me too. I just know. It's almost like I can feel them, right over on the other side. I... I think this is where I'm supposed to cross."
"In the morning, then?"
He nodded. "Yeah. In the morning. But...I'm scared."
"I know. It's a big step, and like I said, crossing The Highway is dangerous. I can help you over the guard-rails and give you advice, but the rest is up to you."
He hugged me tight, and I felt him crying quietly for a time as I held him.
I nuzzled him with the black nose on the end of my narrow muzzle. "You can stay over here, you know. There's nothing forcing you to go over there. Do you still want to do it?"
"Yeah."
"Then let's bed down, and in the morning you can go."
I started a small campfire on some open ground with my lighter, some dry leaves, and some sticks that I collected under the trees. He needed the comfort, so I kept my arm around him, and we sat there in companionable silence until it got too dark to see the guard-rails from where we were. The night was cold, so I wrapped my jacket around us both, and we curled up near the fire to sleep.
I loved Matt, I really did. He was something special. But then I loved all of the children that accompanied me along the trail, and it hurt to watch them leave. I knew they would be far happier following what their hearts told them to do than they would be staying with me, though. I always let them go, no matter how much it hurt.
I watched my tears dry in his fur long after his breathing turned deep and even, and I finally fell asleep to the sounds of a crackling fire and the passing of cars up on The Highway.
Matthew didn't want to wake up this early, but I told him it would be safer for him if he could see the headlights of the cars as he ran across. Traffic wasn't nearly as heavy before sunrise, and he agreed (reluctantly) that it was a good idea.
"Now, when you hit the curb, and again when you hit the median, stop and look closely to see when the cars approach. Try to time it so that you can get through the lanes just after a car has passed, but before the next one can reach you, okay? Then run, fast as you can, and be careful not to trip. I'll help you over the guard-rail here, but I don't know what's over on the other side, so I can't help you climb if there's one there, too. You'll have to do it on your own, but be quick; you don't want to get in an accident by taking too long. The cars won't slow down or stop for you. Got it?"
He nodded vigorously. He looked between the guard-railings at the whirring traffic with wide eyes, obviously nervous and scared, imagining what would happen if he was hit.
"You still want to do this?"
"Yeah," he said, his voice breathy but definite. "I want to see my family again, and if this is what I need to do, then I'll do it."
"You're a brave young man, Matthew."
"I'm not brave. I'm scared."
"That's what being brave is, Matt. It's doing things that need done, even though it makes us frightened."
I knelt down and the boy hugged me fiercely. I could feel the tears landing in my fur.
He cried, and it took all the willpower I had not to do the same. "I'm gonna miss you, Hugo. You've helped me, and you've been a good friend. You sure you don't wanna come with me?"
"I'll miss you too, but I can't, Matthew. As much as I'd like to, I have a job to do over here, just like you have to cross The Highway to get to your parents. Now, you need to climb over that railing before it gets too light out. Remember everything I told you, and do your best, okay?"
He nodded against my chest and let go. We walked to the guard-rail, and he took a deep breath. "Here goes."
I gave him a boost, and he grabbed hold of the top rail and climbed over. He stopped just above eye-level with me, and gave a watery smile. "I love you, Hugo. I know I won't see you again, so I just wanted you to know."
I reached through the bars and patted his shoulder, a single tear soaking into my cheek-ruff. "I know, Matt. I love you, too, and I'm so proud of you. Now remember, watch for the traffic, and once you start running, don't look back. Promise?"
"Promise."
"Now go."
I watched with my heart in my throat as he dropped to the shoulder and followed my instructions to the letter. I swallowed nervously as he waited for a couple of cars to pass, then sprinted as fast as he could go over lane after lane. He was nearly clipped a couple of times, but it was always that way.
He finally made it to the center, and I hoped, just for a moment, that he would look back, catch my eye, wave, do something. But he took my advice to heart and just watched for the next set of cars, and took off running again, into that wall of darkness.
I watched awhile after he crossed over, hoping fervently that the boy made it across. I hoped he could find his family, that he would be happy.
As I shuffled back to the trail, a part of me wanted to forget that I'd ever met him, with how much it hurt to leave him behind. The rest of me knew that our time together would be yet another fond memory, and that helped numb the pain a little.
I gathered up my things, stuffed my backpack as full as I could with nuts and ripe fruit, refilled my canteen and hopped on my mountain bike.
The familiar feel of the sidewalk beneath the tires as I started pedaling comforted me, and I felt the pain of loss fade into joy. I knew Matthew would find his own happiness in his city of silver and glass as the sky exploded into the brilliant colors of a new dawn.
-©Lycanthromancer
10/21/2010