Post by LΞCAVALIΞR on Jan 1, 2018 17:28:52 GMT
The soles of her Steve Madden Troopa boots made a faint click clack sound as she made her way towards the edge of the forest. A few mighty and courageous steps allowed her to cross the woodland’s threshold; as she did, the woman stepped into a small clearing. Said clearing consisted medium sized grass and a few shrubs.
She swiftly took an inventory of her person. Her once pristine white cloak was stained with splotches of blood, dirt, and mud. Her dark brown pants fit her form perfectly, or at least they did at one time. Rips and slash marks pastored the pants—distressed as the kids would say. A matching color rucksack dangled off her right shoulder, held up by a single strap.
“Geez...” Her breathing was heavy, slightly irregular. She wasn’t too worried, however. It had been an arduous hike. Bit of rest and relaxation would have done wonders; but those were luxuries that she could not afford. Instead, the woman settled for a quick three-minute breather as she took a knee a retrieved a piece of bread and a chunk of cheese from her rucksack.
Her eyes peered up at the sky as she stood back to a vertical base. It was overcast and darkening at a most rapid pace.
“I better get cracking,” the woman said as she began to cross the clearing. A paved road ran the alongside the left side of the clearing. “Hmm.” There were no signs. No road markers to tell her which direction was the best. There was merely the road. What the hell do I do?”
A breeze breeze rolled in. It caused the forrest’s branches and limbs to sway to the East. “Shit. That’s as good a sign as any,” the woman said as she stepped onto the road. Another breeze came in as she began to walk.
For the first time, she was able to gaze upon the forest's beauty. The trees that lined the edge of the forest had vibrant crimson leafs. Their full branches coupled along with the darkened sky created a bloody canopy.
She took a bite of her vittles. The bread happened to be a few days old. The local baker had given it to her free of charge; she gladly accepted. It crunched inside her mouth. Fortunately, it had not grown stale yet. The cheese was aged white cheddar. It was succulent to her taste buds.
Her meal vanished quite quickly. After that, it was merely here and the road. The click clack of her soles and heels was intensified by the pavement. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her pants and pressed forward.
It was relatively quiet. Every now and and again the wind made the forest dance. But for the most part, things her still. Although, she could have sworn she heard the faint sound of music of in the distance.
Trust in the powerless.
The ever knowing inside.
An object laid in the middle of the road. “What is that?” she said lightly to herself. Upon approaching, the object revealed itself to be a boot. A black ASICS wrestling boot to be exact. “Well, would you look at that shit.” It had certainly seen better days, based on its dusty and mangled appearance. Even still, the sight of the boot brought a smile to her face.
See no deliverance.
Leave all conviction behind.
She left the boot where it lay and advanced forward. As some time passed, she spotted another item in the road. It happened to be a pair of kickpads, or, they used to be in a past life. They were more akin to hollow shells, as the protective padding had been removed. The rest of the casing was caked with mud and grime.
The darkest of hearts,
They cease to bleed.
The kickpads remained where they were as she started to walk once more. It wasn’t long before she ran across something else. A sleeve. She assumed it went over one’s arm or leg. A couple of hash marks ran the length of it.
While she didn’t want to admit it, each object that she crossed paths with meant something to her. At times, they felt like remnants of a past life. Other times, they felt uncomfortable and unfamiliar.
But in truth, they were neither remnants, uncomfortable, or unfamiliar to her. They were vital to her. They were apart of her core.
This was who she was.
She cracked a smile as she shook her head. “It’s been a long time,” she said as her pace slowed a bit. “It’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed myself while I was away. But, it’s time to start getting back down to business.” Her own words caused her to nod her head. “Yeah, time to get back at it.”
And never deny for the self to lead.
You'll find in this a lonely home.
Her adventure continued on as she trekked along inside for a long while. Her journey was starting to take its toll on her body, just a bit. Her feet became cinder blocks. Her legs screamed out for help.
She desired to have a tender love affair with sleep, but she could not. Camping out on that road wouldn’t have been safe, not one bit. No matter how exhausted she was, she need to keep pressing on.
That was who she was.
The woman happened upon one last item in the street. This time it was a black leather jacket. There were a few wrinkles in it, a couple of creases. The studs on the shoulders could have used a good polish. Nevertheless, it was in far better condition that the rest of the mementos she’d found.
She stared down at the jacket for a good long time before she got it in her mind to bend down and retrieved it. She slung it over her left shoulder after a good dusting off.
No tear consoled.
To wander on
a nameless road
Beyond me.
Nina Stokes walked along that road in silence; she was the only one that could. She knew what she had to do, the preparations she needed to make.
She’d been dormant for far too long—it was time to rise.
Fin.
