literature

At The Park

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It was a perfect day. The sky was blue. The trees were green. The sun was bright. My dress was pink. There was not a cloud in the sky... well, except for the one way over there, out in the distance… behind you. To your left. No your other left. Oh never mind! Anyway, it was a perfect day. A day for sailing out on the lake and fishing. A day to ride your bicycle through town. A day to sit out on the lawn and read a good book while drinking tea. A day to walk on the pier at the beach (whatever that is). A perfect day. Too bad we didn’t have a boat, or fishing rods, or bicycles, or a lawn, or a book, or tea, or a beach. No, we were going to go the park. The park! Who goes out to the park on a day like this?! It’s disgusting!

“Sarah! We’re leaving!” Mother Resmontoiya yelled at me. I looked up at her as she was standing, staring down at me. I had just finished putting on my shoes. That’s the 38th time she’s said that to me this morning. Mother Resmontoiya grabbed her keys from off the counter and briskly walked out the front door and slammed it shut. I had to climb out the window since she had locked it before I could get out.

We walked along the narrow streets of Cascade where the flowers and the bees and the bubblegum trees mingled along the sidewalk. Sometimes they got into arguments. When we reached the corner of 38th street I stopped to say hello to Grizelda, the Pear Tree who lived on the empty lot there.

“Hello Grizelda. You’re looking good today.” I said as I walked toward her. She didn’t reply. She never does. She just looks at me with this horrified look on her face. I never understood why she always does that. I picked a large, juicy, ripe pear from a low hanging branch. Grizelda screamed and started to cry. I shrugged; she always seems to do that too. I turned back to catch up with Mother Resmontoiya, who was already 38 blocks away. She walks really fast.

After what seemed like forever, but was only 38 hours, we finally reached the park. A large brick wall surrounded the park. It was covered with dried up vines that creeped and crawled up and over the wall. They looked like hands reaching or searching for something. One grabbed my ankle and I screamed. I pulled out my candle from my shoe and turned it upside down so it could turn into a broom. Now with my broom I started hacking away at the vine as it tried to crawl up my leg. It lurched back and away toward the wall. I gripped tightly onto my broom and held it close as I walked with Mother Resmontoiya to the entrance of the park. I always keep my trusty candle… broom… thing… with me wherever I go. You never know when it’ll come in handy. Or when you need to fight some bread again.

We reached the entrance of the park after turning the 38th corner. Mother Resmontoiya and I stood before a large, looming gate that literally tilted as you looked up.  I screamed. There was a picture of a duck on the sign at the top of the gate. It had the words: Caveo Cavi Cautum1 written under the image. I wonder what that means. I really hope there are no ducks in here. I’ve never gotten over my fear of ducks since the day we visited Mrs. Prezinsky’s house. The gate, then, creaked and cranked open. I swear I faintly heard a low, deep, moaning laugh in the distance coming from inside the park. I looked at Mother Resmontoiya and found it was her. With a horrid smile and her eyes wide open and staring, she looked at me and continued to laugh. She was holding my candle-broom thing by her chest which cast an eerie golden glow and exaggerated the shadows on her face. I think I died inside. She stopped laughing, cleared her throat, handed me back the candle-broom, and briskly walked inside...

-------


Through the gate there was a narrow path that seemed to snake and wind its way through the trees. The dead trees. Everything smelled of rotting wood. Even I smelled like rotting wood. The trees were so dense you couldn’t see the sky above. That’s why it’s always dark and gloomy at the park.
As we walked along the snaking path we came across a resting bench made of dead, rotting wood. It smelled like strawberries... go figure. I was surprised to find Lily, the talking cow, sitting on the bench reading a mystery novella, while knitting a sweater, and her back hooves in one of those feet cleansing bath tubs.
“Hi Lily, what are you doing here?” I inquired.
“Oh I’m waiting for my children to come home.” She replied.
“Oh, have you been waiting long?”
“Let’s see now…” she pulled out a calculator from her purse. “Carry the one, minus the two, add the cherry – Ah! It’s been 38 years,” My eyes widened in surprise. I looked at Mother Resmontoya. She had a shocking sneer on her face and started to hiss.
I looked back at Lily, "So you've been waiting all this time?" I asked nervously.

"Why yes, of course! " Lily replied enthusiastically. "But don't worry, dear child, I have my book and my knitting to keep me occupied in the meantime. In fact, this reminds me of the time I saw little Kenny up in the old gnarled oak tree. The town was in an uproar! Judy came to get the scissors for Mrs. Woodrow's clay class, and Steven dried the cat in the pool. Of course, it wasn't time to take the trash out, but we did it anyway! And you know what? I distinctly remember Courdon saying it wasn't Tuesday yet! Then the old cook from the hair parlor went and..." Lily began to ramble on about that one time...

Mother Resmontoya looked at me with contempt. She had the most horrid, piercing glare I've ever seen. It was the kind of glare that said, 'You fool! Now look what you've done. She's gone off on one of her tangents again. How many times have I told you not to speak when people are talking to you?! Oh why did I ever have children? They ruin everything! Now it's up to me to fix it.' Mother Resmontoya turned back toward Lily.

"...and then he tried to take the mouthwash! Can you believe it?! Arsher had the worst case of the ladies when he..."

Mother Resmontoya walked over and sat down next to Lily.

"...inside the tape dispenser before I could..."

She covered Lily's head with a pillow case

"...two times the amount...orange juice...in a toaster..." Lily's voice was starting to get muffled.

Mother Resmontoya leaned forward and rested her chin on her left first while rubbing Lily's back with her right hand. She stared out into the distance, "There there, it will all be over soon." She seethed. A single tear rolled down her her cheek.

I thought it was probably best for me to leave them alone for awhile. So, I slowly backed away and started to walk down the path, but there was a fork in the road. I stopped to pick it up and continued on my way.

-------


The winding path snaked through the trees. I decided to sit down and enjoy the ride. It went over hills and under rivers. Between mountains and through boulders. I kind of wanted to stop for awhile so I jumped up to grab onto a branch of a passing tree and started to climb it. When I reached the top I looked out over the park. Brown smog rose up from the forest. A thick haze lay over the whole park. I started to cough so I climbed back down the tree. It was a long slog down the tree. After inhaling the gunk at the top I couldn't think or see clearly. I needed to take a break, so I sat down on a sturdy branch, leaned back against the trunk, and closed my eyes...
A moment later I opened my eyes, and to my immense surprise I saw Mr. White Squirrel sitting before me on the other end of the branch. His red, beady little eyes just staring at me. I was beginning to feel a little unnerved.

“Umm… Hello Mr. White Squirrel. Nice weather we’re having.” I said as I looked up into the sky. I cringed at my stupidity for forgetting that the sky was brown and icky.

“Weather is all around us!” Mr. White Squirrel cried.

“You know what Mr. White Squirrel? You’re absolutely right!” I marveled at his wisdom.

“To ‘know,’ one must first ‘understand.’” I was getting weak in the knees. Knowledge was pouring into my mind like a broken sprinkler regurgitates water onto pavement.

“H-how does one u-understand?” I stuttered.

“Well, one has to ‘learn.’” Pain gripped at my chest as my breathing became shallow and I started gasping for breath. I felt like an old man having a heart attack while skiing through one solid brick wall right after another. The outpouring of knowledge from the small squirrel was too much for me.

“L-learn w-what?” I sputtered as I struggled to keep consciousness.

“Whatever you desire.” He said as he looked out over the park into the distance. It was as if he could see something past the trees, past the town, past the world! I swear I began to glimpse it myself. I could barely make out the beginnings of the universe and its vast spacial matter where nothing means everything and where time is rent in two. It was then that I realized I was only beginning to learn to understand what I thought I already knew! My eyes rolled back into my head as I started to convulse. Then I blacked out.

Only moments passed when I felt a slight bump that made me come back to my senses. I looked around, feeling a little dazed. Using my arm, I wiped the spittle that had dribbled down my chin and realized Mr. Wise Squirrel had disappeared. (I changed his name to Mr. Wise Squirrel for obvious reasons. He was the epitome of knowledge!). I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands and looked around. He was nowhere to be found. It was like he vanished into thin air!

I glanced up and noticed something flying in the sky, It looked like Mr. Eagle the eagle. But, then again, it could have been a bird. Or maybe it was a rat… Anyway, he looked like he was carrying something. It kind of looked like Mr. Wise Squirrel!

“Mr. Wise Squirrel! Is that you?” I called out.

“Yes, it is I.” was his faint reply.

“Where are you going?” I asked, “Don’t leave! What if I need help in making decisions?”

“I cannot stay for I am going wherever I am being taken. You will have to make your own choices when choices are put in front of you!”

“But How?!”

“Trust yourself~!” Mr. Wise Squirrel’s voice trailed off as he and Mr. Eagle flew into the distant unknown.

And then I knew…

-------


I spent a moment looking off after them into the unknown as I contemplated the meaning of everything. ‘Mother Resmontoiya would be missing me soon.’ I thought to myself. ‘Better head back.’ I started to climb down the tree.

When I reached the bottom I heard this strange sound. It was a high-pitched squeak. Like the sound a fire alarm makes when the battery is dying while it’s spinning on a merry-go-round on MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE™. It was very grating.

Something was coming toward me on the path. It was a woman pushing a baby carriage. The squeaking must be coming from one of the wheels of the carriage. She was blabbing away on her cell phone. She seemed totally oblivious of me. As she passed I took a quick glance into the stroller. I expected to see an adorable, cute baby. What I saw haunts me to this day.

It was Mister Moobo, Mrs. Prezinsky’s neighbor’s evil cat, in a full body cast. All I could see of him were his eyes. His penetrating gaze boring into my very soul.

I stood there, wide-eyed, trembling with fear. As they passed me by, I could only hear the earsplitting, mind-numbing, stomach clenching squeal of the wheel, growing ever so fainter, as the woman pushed the baby carriage down the path. I bolted the other direction.

Eventually I stopped running, not only because I was out of breath, but also because the path stopped at a gate. It was a large gate with an image of a duck on the top similar to the one on the entrance to the park. I screamed. It said: Cogita Ante Salis2. I started to shake uncontrollably.

The gate was slightly ajar. I tried to see what was inside but there was this dense fog that was impenetrable. I looked around for another route but there was nowhere else I could go. So, I went inside…

-------


As I slowly walked passed the gate the fog started to dissipate. Mortal dread filled within me as I realized what I had entered.

It was a graveyard. A duck graveyard.

Decrepit tombstones lay scattered everywhere. Stupendous statues and grand sculptures of ducks stood deteriorating from age throughout the gravesite. Reluctantly, I walked on, tears streaming down my face as I sobbed. It took all of my willpower to control my bowels.

I started to calm down slightly when I realized all the ducks were dead and they couldn’t hurt me. Curiosity began to stir in me as I passed the gravestones. I hesitantly walked up to one and read it’s epitaph. It said:

Here lies Anas Platyrhincos3

Roses are black,
Violets are red,
...Wait that’s not right.
Oh well, he’s dead.


‘Poor Mister Platyrhincos.’ I thought. I continued walking and read another epitaph:

Lord Bucephala Albeola,4
A great and mighty king,
Fought many battles and many wars
But died while he was choking.

“A fishstick here, a fishstick there”
Was what he used to say.
He really loved those fishsticks
Because he ate them everyday.

Once he threw a lavish party
For his favorite aunt Telulah.
He ate a fishstick here, a fishstick there
Until one got caught in his gula.
5

We tried to listen to his dying words,
But all we heard was this:
“Hrrgle grrrrrgle brchtnng blrrgle!”
And so he died, Finis.
6

“Oh Mr. Bucephala! Why?!” I wailed uncontrollably. “We have so much in common!” I realized that ducks are people too. I couldn’t stop crying as I walked past the gravestones.

I’m still afraid of ducks mind you, but I now have a mutual respect for them.

I walked on in despair. The ground began to rumble, slightly. With every step I took, the earth cracked beneath me. But I was too heartbroken to notice or care. Before I knew it I had reached the back exit of the cemetery.

Another gate loomed above me with another image of a duck and the words: Memento Mori Habetis Bona Deum7 beneath it. I screamed in sorrow as I walked through the gate as it fell apart. Behind me the entire gravesite crumbled and caved in on itself leaving a huge, gaping crater. Cracks in the ground continued to spread from around it. Some were following me as I walked along the path leading away from the cemetery...

-------


Eventually my tears dried and I could cry no longer. So I just sulked down the path, stumbling over the cracks that kept appearing. The ground started rumble more often causing me to lose my balance sometimes. I kept rubbing my eyes, they were so dry from all my tears. I was so delirious from all the crying I had know idea how long I had been walking. It seemed like days went by. Suddenly I got a whiff of strawberries. Somehow, I ended up back at the rotting bench where I had left Lily and Mother Resmontoiya sitting.

“...and there was pizza everywhere, for it was Thursday mind you! That reminds me of what my brother’s twin sister Mary would always tell me: ‘Never drink lemonade or you’ll get sour milk!’ ...How right she was.” Lily looked down at her soaking hooves with shame. She was still rambling on about that one time. “Anyway, before I knew it, it had been 38 days since the Mr. Houvenouf ran off with the town’s coffee. Ah, I remember it well. The party was lovely!”

I noticed Mother Resmontoiya was no longer sitting next to Lily, but standing behind the bench she was sitting on, slamming her head over and over against the tree that was overhanging it.

“Mrs. Stroussen and her husband, George, were reading the book I lent them for the 38th time, And it was supposed to be blue!”

“H-how are things-s g-going hhhere?” I tried to ask. My voice was so raw from all the crying and screaming, it sounded like whispering sandpaper.

“Sarah!” Mother Resmontoiya exclaimed, whipping her head toward me. Her eyes were bloodshot and, for some reason, blood was dripping down her forehead. “It’s time to go home now!” An umbrella just appeared in her hand which she opened, lifted it above her head, and started to float away. “Come come now! Hurry up!” she called.

Before I could start running after her the ground beneath me gave way and everything around me caved in. I began to fall, slowly into nothingness. It was like falling into a black hole… AGAIN!
I began to panic, flailing towards the light above me trying to reach for Mother Resmontoiya.

“Oh why won’t my children come home?!” Lily cried. She was still sitting rotting bench, soaking her hooves, while she was slowly spiraling down around me toward the nothingness.

I was getting frantic. I tried to scream but my voice was gone. Suddenly a chunk of rotting earth came hurtling towards me. Then it--

-------


GAAHHHmmpff…” For a second I had know idea where I was. It was dark soft lumps surrounded me. Then I realized I must have fallen off my bed. I was a big tangle of sheets and limbs.

“Sarah! Are you out of bed yet? You don’t want to be late for school do you?”

“Yes, mom, I’m up.” I mumbled as I untangled myself and fixed my bed.

I hate Mondays.

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<First story | Third story>

1Beware; avoid; look out for
2Think before you leap; Look before you leap
3Mallard duck
4Bufflehead duck
5Throat; gullet
6End; death
7Remeber that you must die. Have a nice day!
© 2015 - 2024 CaKoRaFi
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