...she stands smiling in plain grey sweats. A California girl, sun streaks of
blonde in her tousled hair. Perfect skin as only the coastal fog can make it. Spray of
freckles. Pale eyes like searchlights. He is in awe. ("A
female!") ("Speaking to me!") He hardly
understands what she is saying.
"It's beautiful but there is so much more."
"Whaaa...huh?"
"All this." She gestures, "It's beautiful but there is so much more."
"More....yeah...OK."
"There is a storm coming."
"A storm?......Where?"
"Here." Pointing south. "There" Pointing north. Laughing, "Everywhere."
He's feeling stupid. ("Maybe I'm missing
something.")
"You have no family."
He looks down, "Yeah, sort of."
"You have no family and you are very much
alone."
"True." ("When
does the kissing start?")
Her face bursts forth a flood of joy, "I have a
wonderful family!"
("Damn! Parents!")
She catches his look, "I have a wonderful family of
friends and associates."
"Oh...OK."
She stares in his eyes, "I live close by,"
beckoning, "would you like to go there?"
"Sure..." ("Oh
boy oh boy oh boy!")
Taking his hand she leads him to a grassy path and a deep corrugated pipe under
the 101. Past a quiet wetland and through a bosk of Eucalyptus to a field of flowers and a
large square house built in the Arts and Crafts style. Dark wood and a wide cool porch. It
is nearly night. A group of young people, men and women, nearly a dozen, are lounging
about. Dressed alike, in identical grey sweats, they seem to have anticipated his arrival
for they jump up as one and rush to greet him.
"Hi!" "How ya doin!"
"Welcome!" "Welcome Home!"
("Home?") He doesn't like so many people
around him all around him as they have him surrounded, cutting off his escape. He looks in
dismay at all the happy smiling faces ... All smiles, smiling ... searching in vain for
the girl. A mental fog is beginning to lift. He is starting to see ... a certain rigidity
of the musculature. Smiles seared on w/ a blowtorch.
"WELCOME HOME!" they roar. "WELCOME HOME!" "WELCOME HOME!"
In a cold fear, "LEMME ALONE!" "I DON'T
WANT THIS!"
He stumbles back, panicked. A pin prick. Suddenly, only his subconscious
screaming,
("I DON'T WANT THIS! NOOOO! I ONLY WANTED TO GET
LAI................")
and falls into howling blackness...
|
