The Long Road

“Alright, I finished upgrading your motorcycle with the filter I’ve made and I thought the spark plug seemed a little dated so I replaced it with a newer one.” Jonathan says.

Walking out of the open mouth of his auto shop's garage with Lewis's motorcycle, he tosses Lewis his keys. Sitting on the bench in front of the house, Lewis stands up as he catches the key and finishes smoking the cigarette on his lips before tossing aside and stomping it out on the concrete ground.

“Thanks. That’s one thing off of my ‘Things to do when I meet Jonathan again’ bucket list.” he says as he takes the bike from Jonathan.

“Long title,”

Clapping his hands free of dust and dirt, Jonathan reaches to the lip of the garage door and drags it down from its roll, rattling as he pulls it down to a close.

“I think that should be everything. Luckily I had some gas left to refuel, so we can get going now. You’re all packed right?” Jonathan says as he approaches Lewis.

“Yep. And you?”

Walking to his motorcycle, Jonathan opens its storage compartment containing all the supplies he would need on the road.

“Dream, check. Clothes, check. Food and water, check and check. Things shouldn’t be an issue for about four days I think. Plenty of time to reach the city from here.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask this, but why do you pack Dream? Can’t you just make do with the stuff in the air?”

“Ah, I need it in case we need repairs on the road. As for why I don’t use the clouds, they just don’t work well. Most of it is just mass produced particles gone haywire so their quality and performance are a lackluster to say the least.”

“Huh, I didn’t know about that.”

“Well, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the Dream clouds, for starters we don’t really know where it came from. Initially we thought that there simply was just an overproduction of Dream, but with how quickly its grown and how much limits we’ve placed on its production there must be another reason. The last theory I’ve heard was that someone must have figured out how to run a self replicating program which went haywire.”

“Really? What do you think?”

“I agree with the latter, but still it doesn’t explain how or where the particles are coming from. I mean think about it, these are extremely complicated machines, they need some specific conditions for manufacture.” Jonathan says as he finishes packing his things in the storage compartment.

“What is this?” Jonathan says as he notices a long piece of fabric on his motorcycle’s seat.

“It's one of my extra cloaks, you’d be surprised how comfortable they are to sleep in.” Lewis says.

“Thanks,” Jonathan says as he puts the cloak on, securing it on his shoulder with a button below his neck.

“Looks good on you. Like a real traveler.” Lewis says, chuckling.

Mounting his motorcycle, Lewis turns its ignition key and rolls towards the open, long road. Checking the cloak’s fit and noting how it almost reaches the back of his knee, Jonathan turns around to take one final look at his house, shop and surrounding plains and farmland before getting on his motorcycle. Together they both set out on the road towards the massive purple cloud in the far off distance.

“Ideal conditions to be riding in. It's definitely a lot different than the island.” Lewis says as they rode.

“Definitely a lot more different. All the winding, mountainous roads and thick forest lines really was a challenge to learn in.” Jonathan says as they pass a lone shrub; Lewis chuckles.

“I just remembered how much you used to struggle with your motorcycle when you were beginning to repair it. You'd used to ride it for a while before it failed on you in the middle of the road. I was so scared for you every time that happened, but you just didn't seemed to care since you always pulled it to the side of the road and went straight back to work on it.”

“I remember those days. Looking back at it now I guess being a mechanic all started there. That reminds me, how did getting started on being a traveler go for you?”

“That's a good story. I started on being a traveler about a week after Sumi became the national women’s kickboxing champion.”

“I remember that, I was so shocked to see her match on the news when I was studying in the city. I can’t believe that she did it and still decided to live a humble life working in her family’s restaurant even after all the sponsorships.”

“Well, shortly after I left the island to go on my first fishing trip with my father.”

“Really? I thought you told him about seriously becoming a traveler.”

“He said that I had to prove to him that I could be a traveler, so I did. At the first town we stopped by for a resupply, I said that I was going to start my journey here and to leave me.”

“You did what?!”

“It's a little embarrassing looking back at it, but I ultimately ended up convincing him to let me start. I told him that if I become too much for me he’ll find me one day sleeping back home at the front of the house.”

In disbelief, Jonathan scoffs and chuckles.

“And so, did you ever?”

“Nope, I haven’t seen my family since. Of course, I’ve kept in touch with them through letters and calls since, though the Dream clouds over the city now I haven’t heard from them in a year.”

“Yeah, sounds about the same for me as well with my folks. I can’t believe that even the landlines don’t work.”

Over the road ahead, the edges of the massive purple Dream clouds began to engulf the entire horizon. All that Jonathan and Lewis could see now was just the Dream that stood in the way between them and their destination.

“It should take us about a day to reach Myrtle City if we take a route through Overridge into the Easterndam road down the mountain. By the time we get there it should be morning again.” Jonathan says as he looks into the map display in the corner of the goggles.

“An overnight trip. It seems like a plan.”

With renewed vigor, Jonathan’s motorcycle roared past the abandoned fields of corn which had given his mind solace as he exerted himself yesterday. Now alongside Lewis, the usual trip into town had seemed to pass by more quickly as they approached the first falling particles of Dream past the fields as they entered the edge of the forest.

Raising his filtered face covering, Lewis soon followed in suit as with one of his own, a spare that Jonathan had made for him. As the Dream increased in the forest around them, a cold voice suddenly emitted from his goggles.

“Error. Weak signal.”

“My GPS is starting to stop working, so we’re going to have to take stops every once in a while to check the map.”

“My favorite, I always preferred following the traditional ways of traveling anyways. So, when should we stop?”

“When we get into town. I’ll tell you.”

As they rode along, the forest grew in stature proportional to the flurry of Dream hazing up the air before them. Despite a lack of wind that afternoon, the Dream still managed to follow a general direction as it ebbed and flowed in the air.

“I’ve always found it weird to see Dream move so erratically even when there is no wind blowing.” Lewis suddenly says.

“Same. Even though I know that they float primarily because of their collective magnetic fields, it's still eerie to see it move. It seems almost alive because of it.” Jonathan says,

As they watch the Dream stream by the trees growing on each side of the road, they pass the first house they have seen since leaving.

“Hey, we must be getting close." Lewis says.

Without needing a response, they pass a large sign by the road which welcomed them to Overridge.

Through the town once again, Jonathan thought that the silence which permeated through the moderate fall of the Dream had only increased in the one day that he had not been. This was apparent to him when he and Lewis rode their way through the main commercial district that welcomed them when they first entered from the fading forest. Rows of stores, businesses and public amenities stood in dormant solitude in its hope for the pressing level one storm to come and pass. Apart from the sounds of the motorcycles, everything was silent.

“There is something eerie about seeing places become… abandoned.” Jonathan says, riding besides Lewis.

“It's natural to feel that way. After all, these places house the hopes, lives and dreams of its residents. Get ready to see this for much of the trip, it only gets worse from here.”

“Say, while you were traveling, was it common to see places like this? You know, abandoned because of Dream.”

“Luckily, no. For the few unfortunate places that I’ve stumbled upon their contest with Dream, it was much the same as this, lifeless. But the interesting thing was seeing the will of the people recovering in the aftermath. It was like watching a plant bloom after winter as people worked to continue on with their lives.”

Turning the corner, they are met with another row of stores, also completely devoid of any life. Passing through however, they came to pass a store which had its storefront glass shattered. Nearing, they see that most of the merchandise that was still left on display had been stolen.

“Looters.” Lewis says.

“I can’t believe people would take this disaster as an opportunity to get whatever they pleased.”

“You shouldn’t be surprised, people are capable of doing a lot more for a lot less. Sadly though it seems like we were too late to do anything about it.” Lewis says as his motorcycle tires crunch over the stray pieces of glass that had managed to find its way onto the road.

Moving ahead, they came upon a humble bridge that spanned a creek. Crossing over the bridge and moving past the low thicket which grew on the banks alongside the water, the brick and mortar buildings which constituted much of the stores they had passed were replaced by homes sided with vinyl, roofed with shingles. Much like the Costa neighborhood, the homes which lined the street were hastily prepared to handle the short term threat of Dream as windows, doorways and vents were made air sealed with whatever supplies they had. Unlike the commercial area, there were at least signs of life lying dormant through the various lights which shone through the covered windows which gave Jonathan a sense of hope in him.

“Maybe things will be alright after this all passes.”

“Hopefully so.”

As they traveled deeper into the town, the monotonous view of the rows of homes housing their hunkered residents began to change. First noticing the increasing amount of sprawling wires that had begun to bridge the gap in the sky over the enclosing distance between each house, Jonathan could tell that they had reached the other side of Overridge. The luster of the many well kept houses with their pleasing fronts shifted into the gray concrete walls of strewn together homes which served as blocks of living spaces for the multitude of hemmed in residents also waiting for the end of the oncoming Dream clouds. Despite their desperation for relief, the area had been classified as a level two zone which Jonathan and Lewis noted from the apparent increase of Dream particles polluting their way.

A sense of nervousness overcame Jonathan as he felt as though he was peered by the grand multitude of the neighborhood's residents through their lit windows for passing through the terrible conditions that had besieged them. This feeling only grew as the automatic street lamps buzzed to life overhead once sunset approached, leaving Jonathan to realize that they were the only living things that traveled through the lifeless and gaunt streets.

“I think we should stop soon to look at the map. With all these thinning streets and intersections we could get derailed from the path very easily.” Lewis says.

“Can we do it a bit later?” Jonathan says as he witnesses a street light flicker.

“Why, what's the problem stopping here.”

“I don’t know, I just feel uneasy about this place, don’t you?”

For a moment Lewis ponders on his current temperament.

“No. I don’t see why this place would make you feel nervous, there's nothing out here except for us.”

“That's exactly the reason. I feel as though we have hundreds of eyes on us as we pass by.”

“Nervous for that? Try your best to not be put off by that, things will get harder because of it.”

“So what, just face it?”

“If you can, or just get really good at ignoring, that's what I had to learn when I first started traveling.”

“Ignoring? So you had fears when you first started traveling?”

“Of course. When I first realized that home might have been on the other side of a sea I was shaking, but I knew that if I was starting to feel nerves I wouldn’t have lasted. That's why I put it off my mind until I was calm enough to think about it properly. Though it's worth mentioning that you shouldn’t ignore your problems for any longer than you have you, they always come back to bite you in the end.”

As the streets thinned to the point where Lewis had to drive in front of Jonathan, the wires providing the utilities above also grew more numerous as the houses transformed into complexes and the spaces inbetween became alleyways. Trying to take his mind off of his worries, Jonathan looks at the narrow space overhead where a sea of wires met his gaze. For a while he looked at how the harsh white lights of street lamps reflected off of the pitch black rubber that coated the wires. It gave him the impression that there were clear streaks in the Dream-polluted purple sky that were immune to its spread. Immersed in the wires, Jonathan soon noticed that around a few of these wires, small donut-shaped Dream puffs had formed and moved with different speeds according to the amount of ceramic disks connected onto the ends of the lines.

“Wow, you can see the electromagnetic properties of Dream on the power lines. It's really following the current.” Jonathan thought.

Suddenly, Lewis’ rear lights activated as he started to slow down.

“Okay, we really have to stop now,” Lewis says, stopping in the middle of the road.

“Can I get the map? I think we’re getting lost.”

“Oh, sure here.” Jonathan says as he comes to a stop behind him.

Reaches into the storage of his motorcycle and takes out a map of the nearby area and gives it to Lewis. Silently, Lewis reviews it before putting the map away in his shirt’s pocket.

“Phew, we’re still on the right path. Follow me.” Lewis says as he takes a turn at an intersection in the street. Trailing behind him, Jonathan and Lewis leave behind the suffocating neighborhood as night falls.