The Journey At Jet 's Pizza Parlor

Looking through the glass, a car zoomed past the fifteen miles per hour speed limit blasting obnoxiously loud music and laughter. The rusty blue mailbox with the dent in front was still there next to the barren oak tree. Repetitive banging started nearby and I almost fell back. Bright yellow lights were on at the attic window at the house next door. This would usually start about two to three in the morning, but by then, I would usually fall asleep. This was strange considering that the neighborhood considered that house to be vacant. It was assumed that the person who bought the house was using the house as a vacation rental house since every week, a family group or couple would move in with their suitcases and leave at the end of the week. A strange banana yellow car was parked at the front of the house next door. Maybe the owner had come to make repairs? But the question remained as to why they would make repairs in the middle of the

As I walked, the air of this haunted, dreadful and sorrowful land had sucked the life out of everything and roared as humanity began to disappear. As I carried on walking, I noticed that the small fraction of light was getting smaller and smaller, until it had been engulfed into a think black ash like smoke. Aggressively, the wind walked past the building with its cruddy feeling, blowing away all signs of life. Deeper and deeper into the land was a burning car door. The fire roared and crackled. The roaring and crackling of the burning car door merged with the aggressive air and created the loudest sounds ever heard on land. Growing darker, the skies made me feel nauseous. The fear of not waking up if a human fell asleep towered

I saw four letters on the paper: N, S, W, and E. For a better view, I situated myself under a lamppost, as the darkness of night failed to illuminate my paper. Looking up and down the strip of asphalt, I was desperate to find any road signs. Once I found a sign, concealed by a tree, I noticed it said, "NJ-40 towards Elmer".

I decided we would take it slow by car. It was a one lined road, mainly although two cars could pass by it was very rocky, dirty, and had no shoulder. This seemed to be leading us around somewhere. I didn’t find many signs to where this road would take us. However, the valley below was beautiful. I could see some effects of the rim fire, not up close and personal in the “hot zone” that I wanted to or ground zero that I had wanted to but enough that I could get an Idea what the area looked like from that view point. There were several areas along the way I could pull over as far as possible along the mountain and exit the car and walk to

As I drove downtown to visit Carol and Lee, I looked for a back way back in which would mean that I wouldn’t be seen. I wandered around for a while, eventually finding their house situated a few hundred yards from a McDonald on Bragg Boulevard and saw an alleyway behind the restaurant. I went to McDonald, where I waited a while before exiting into the back alley to see if I was followed. When I was convinced that it was all clear, I leaped over the fence into Carol’s backyard and up to the door.

Carole and I were fleeing with urgency down the steep driveway, arms and legs pumping with fear. Which way to go? Down the reedy river path with potential snakes and the risk of being seen or the creepy drainage ditch? Looking back toward the house with rapid fire beats in our hearts, fear drove us forward. We searched to see how far ahead we were. Not far. Not as far as we needed to be, but he hadn’t appeared yet. The only logical way was through the rusty damp and dark pipes so we wouldn’t be seen. Our noses wrinkled with the disgust upon entry, filling our nostrils with a strong smell of mold and crud collected from storms.

On a Friday evening, I expected the restaurant to be really crowded and we would have to wait for a table. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a wait and we got a table right away. Almost right as we sat down there was a waiter with our chips with salsa and to take our drink orders. The

I just ran. Before I knew it, I was out of the trailer and walking back down the trail. That’s when the real fear set in, it’s strange how you feel so open and exposed walking on a trail. The trailer was sitting there it looked almost evil. I turned a corner and it disappeared out of sight. But the feeling of being followed remained. The trail was almost a trench carved in along a steep hill one side it sloped down and you could see a small pond. I began to visualize what could've happened. The different ways it could’ve ended. I wanted to go back and see if someone was really there, but I knew that would be a waste of time. I summed it up in my head as the wind pushing the door open. I still constantly turned back, looking over my shoulder to see if there was some truth to what I thought, if something was actually following me. It was a windy day out and as the wind the blew the trees would creak and crack. Branches fell off and slammed on the ground crashing down and taking other branches with it. The sound was amplified through the quiet and almost sleeping woods. It was strange, there were no animals, no squirrels or chipmunks. The woods were dead. I was still looking over my shoulder every now and again, still startled by what I had experienced. The walk took way longer than it should’ve. It felt like the seconds were minutes and no matter how fast I walked I couldn't keep up with the pace in my mind.

Meanwhile I was finishing my area and doing the nightly check-list that the managers were supposed to do every night. As people were finishing their assigned tasks I sent them home. Around eleven o’clock it was just me and one of the front counter managers helping me finish the check-list and double checking my work; clocking out shortly after we finished. I had managed to keep the kitchen running smoothly even though I had no experience as a manager or any leadership roles in that store. I had also managed to get everyone, including myself, off the clock at an exceptional

I paid for my food and left. Taking a short walk I stopped outside a building of flats. Chrome identifies the building to be my final destination. Rounding the back of the building to the service road I search profusely for my entrance point. Pulling my dark hooded jumper that matches my black combat pants and boots. The second floor window was open, allowing the cool night breeze waffle through the apartment. I climbed on to the commercial bin and hoisted myself into the room. Landing gracefully on the floor I searched my surroundings, orientating

We turn down a road that quickly turns into a dirt one. The road was very rough and rugged. There were pot holes everywhere and when you think there was no more it would start up again. The car jerked and jumped and swayed every which way. At one point my head nearly touched the roof, thats how bad the holes and bumps are. The trees curve inward, giving it an arch appearance. It blanketed the road with ominous shadows. The shadows start moving again, not from the wind, but from whatever was hiding among them. Up a little ways I could see a small cabin.

I regretted not stopping at that gas station at the last turn I was hungry,lost,and almost out of gas. My car was old and the radio and A.C. stopped working decades ago. I tried to take it to a repair man but he said that not only was my A.C. and radio broken but my engine was broken well this car was literally unfixable but I didn’t have enough money for a new car or to repair this piece of junk. The moon was full and the road was clear. I looked at the gas tank it was inching at zero “O god I”cried. Then in my rear view mirror I saw a giant house. So big it almost covered the moon. It gave me a chill up my spine like the house was calling to me wait for me. As I glanced in a daze at the house. My car made a sputtering noise and then abruptly stopped. My car was out of gas.

Having realized he dropped his smart phone somewhere in the vast flora of Lakeview park, Julian was berating himself. Not only did he face the daunting terrain, it was getting dark very fast. Not willing to give up his smart phone to the wild or the darkness Julian prepared for the worst. He grabbed a flashlight, knife, a small bottle of oleoresin capsaicin spray and asked his mother to drive him, two accidents left Julian unable to drive, his mind is left unable to focus under the effects of the drugs prescribed to help him with his symptoms. The drive to Lakeview park was surreal, what was once a veritable paradise during the day became a place of nightmares at night. Beautiful oak trees twisted into dark phantasms. Julian left his Mother Julie behind in case he didn 't come back in half an hour. Julian knew the terrain well even at night he was able to retrace his steps. The first place where the phone might be was a small bog by the freeway. During his long walk he heard men in the darkness, Julian knew there were many homeless who stayed at the park at night unwilling to be noticed he turned off the small L.E.D. flashlight and blended in with the darkness silently yet quickly moving through Lakeview park. Once he got to the swampy bog he started calling his missing phone from another cell hoping to hear it ring through the darkness. Getting nowhere he began to make his way south, but then Julian lost his balance on the mire and fell right on his tailbone then his back

Domiciled a crossroad away, stood a Seven Eleven, it was a zephyr summer afternoon. The clouds were reluctant to clear away from the sun as a gentle breeze distorted the leaves on the trees. Patiently waiting for the hand to turn into the walking man. Wavering on the sidewalk as I ponder about the imaginary hoodie upon me, giving me warmth. The construction workers had just passed me. The vibrant aroma of the freshly paved road created a soothing environment in the vicinity. Operating machines filled my ears as it passed by. The intoxicated gases out of the road-roller polluted my surroundings with egregiously perilous chemicals. It created a cloud of smoke, innately making me inhale the smoke resulting into vigorous coughs. Before I realized, the hand turned into the white walking man sign; even though my gut feeling was the walking sign will change, I still carried on. I thought I could scurry across, but as I put my first step on the sidewalk, my stomach had mice running in it. Gggrr! My mutilated stomach, suddenly debilitated my body, forcing me to walk tediously. The plight of my stomach, utterly lacking in energy and the sense

As the light turned green, I sat for a moment, not moving, and asked myself what I was going to do. Then I accelerated slowly, waiting for the car on my left to pass as I changed over to the left lane. I made four left turns at four consecutive stoplights until I approached the library again. Pulling into the library's parking lot, I turned off my lights, radio, and heat. As I opened the car door, the cold air stung me like a quick slap to my face. Slowly and uncertainly, I walked toward Mike.