I was walking back from the downtown library when I noticed a long serpentine line of people. It started on a platform in front of a grey cinderblock building and ran down two flights of stairs and spilled out onto the sidewalk for what seemed to be about a hundred yards and bent behind the corner of the building.
“What’s everyone waiting for?” I asked a teenage girl wearing long glitter silver boots.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“That’s what I said, but I know it’s something fab.”
“Fab? How do you know?”
“Because they said so.”
“Who said so?” She gave an irritated sigh and looked away.
It was a three-story building, but I only saw the one door and a flight of stairs. I walked around the rest of the building until I came to another portion of the line that had bent around the corner. There were no windows or doors other than then the one door at the beginning of the line. The building was a closed-in brick cube with one way in and one way out.
I went back to the front of the line to gather more information. I decided I had worn out my welcome with Miss silver boots. I approached a middle-aged man with a thick long red beard and mustache.
“How long have you been waiting here?”
“I don’t know. I guess about three hours.”
“Three hours! Must be something good in there.”
“That’s what they say. A free gift, unlimited supplies.”
“Who told you that?”
“Someone else in line, about three hours ago.”
“Have you seen anyone else come back out?”
“Well…” he gave a little chuckle. “Hell, now that you mention it, no. I’ve seen a lot of people go in, but nobody come out.”
I stepped aside several feet from the line to indicate to everyone that I had no intention of cutting in. I wanted to see the door open, and someone enter.
“Hey, get in line like everybody else buddy!” I heard someone yell further down.
“I just want to see someone go in. I’m not cutting. I promise.”
“Then stand over across the street. I don’t trust you,” said a short elderly woman.
Everyone in line voiced their agreement, some respectfully, others not so respectfully.
“Alright, damn,” I mumbled to myself.
It wasn’t a bad idea after all. Across the street was a little pizza joint with an outside service area. I went over and plopped down in one of the wought iron chairs. Not very comfortable, but it beat standing up. A young brunette in a red and white striped shirt came bouncing over to my table.
“What can I get you?”
“A slice of pepperoni pizza and a large Coke.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, for now. Hey, what is everyone waiting for?”
“I don’t know, but they say it’s good. Also, free,” she said lowering her voice when she got to the word free.
“How long has this line been here?”
“I don’t know. It wasn’t here yesterday afternoon, but it was here when I got to work at nine.”
“How long was it then?”
“All the way around the building like it is now. Are you getting in line? You ask too many questions. Just go wait in line or don’t. Why do you care so much?”
“I will if it’s something worth waiting for,” I snapped back. “Sorry.”
“I was told a woman came out of there and said that she would never have to work another day in her life.”
“That sounds too good to be true and you know what they say about something when it’s too good to be true… its bullshit.”
She rolled her eyes. “Nobody’s forcing you dummy.” She abruptly turned and stomped away.
I sat back and waited for my order. The people in line had nothing in common. They were a diverse bunch. There were young and old, and people from every race. There were no novelty tee shirts or hats to clue me in on the awaited prize or what sort of fan base this might be. I doubted the old lady was a heavy metal fan, or the glitter boot girl a Sinatra fan so I ruled out music merchandise. I reasoned that it had to be monetary, something every person loves or maybe a free television.
“Here.” The waitress dropped my plate and slung my Coke across the table, causing a little soda wave and splashing a good deal of it out of the cup.
“Sorry. I’ll get you some more. Just keep that one. I’ll bring you another full glass.”
“Could you make it a to-go cup? I’m gonna stand in that line.” I smiled at her. She smiled back, shaking her head up and down in approval.
As I started to clean the table with a napkin, I heard the door squeak open and the crowd cheer. A man was standing inside the door wearing a purple shirt, gold pants, and a long red cape. He wore a blue cowboy hat with a white sheet of fabric hanging from the inside of the hat and covering his face. The eyes were cut out, but the mouth and nose were drawn on and brightly colored. The mouth was drawn in a wide smile with large white teeth and purple lips. The nose was red and narrow, pointing to the right side of his face.
“Hellooooooo!” he yelled to the crowd.
“Hellooooooo!” they answered.
He gently escorted the woman in the front of the line through the door. I concentrated on what she looked like. If I saw her out while I was standing in line, I could ask her if it was worth all the time and trouble. She had short curly blonde hair. She wore a brown skirt with a white blouse. Nothing spectacular to remember except that I did see that she was wearing long dangling earrings. It looked like she was wearing diamond chandeliers.
I finished my meal, but I thought I better go use the bathroom first if I planned on being in line for several hours. When I was done forcing what I could out of my bowels I began walking to the end of the line. I went around the corner of the building and followed the line. As soon as it bent around the building it straightened up and flowed straight down the length of the alley for about four more buildings. I finally got to the end of the line and stood behind a man wearing an old blue jean jacket.
“Shit, am I really about to stand in this line?” I asked myself.
“I hear ya. They say there’s something good in there though. Name’s Tom.” He reached out his hand.
“Don,” I replied. I sure as hell didn’t want to talk to anyone but I figured it would be rude not to shake his hand.
“Don’t worry man, I’m not a talker. I got some tunes to listen to.” He must have seen my displeasure.
Of course, the line moved slowly. When I got in line the sun was high in the sky; now it was hiding behind some buildings across the street. Every so often I would hear the echo of the door and the man yell hello. After about the sixth hello it became annoying.
I tapped Tom on the shoulder. He took out one of his earbuds. “What up?”
“Has he said anything other than hello?”
He laughed. “Nah man. I haven’t heard him say anything but that. It’s pretty damn annoying.”
“Do you have any idea what we’re waiting for? Is it money? Is it a prize?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t want to miss out. I was told that one lady said she was set for life after going in there.”
“Yeah, I heard that too.”
“Look, they better give me something or I’m going to kick someone’s ass.”
“No doubt.”
There was an awkward silence and then Tom put his earbud back in his head and floated back off to whatever daydream I had interrupted. I could hear that he was listening to Pink Floyd and it put me in a different state of mind. The scene felt surreal. I heard clocks ringing and the sound of time coming from Tom’s phone. I begin to think about how old I was and how much time I really had left. In my mind, if everything went right, maybe twenty years. That’s nothing. Thinking back to twenty years ago felt like yesterday.
“Hellooooooo!”
“Shut uuuup,” whispered Tom. I laughed out loud, but he couldn’t hear me.
Two more hours and I was finally at the corner of the building. My legs and back were aching, but the bottom of my feet felt the worst, like exposed nerves soaking in a tub of alcohol. I bent down, put my hands on my knees to get some relief for my back. When I stood up, I saw a woman exit a building at the top of a hill on an adjacent street and saunter aimlessly in circles. She was wearing a brown skirt and a white blouse.
“Hey Tom,” I said as I impatiently tapped his shoulder as if I was doing morse code.
“What man.”
“Hey, can you hold my place in line. That woman up there… I saw her go in. I want to ask her what happened.”
“Hell no. Once you leave the line you got to go back to the end,” hollered an anonymous voice. Others voiced the same opinion. “That’s the rule.”
“Fuck you! Go Don. Ain’t nobody gonna take your place in line. I promise.” He opened up his jacket and revealed his revolver hanging in a nice leather holster. People nearby saw his movement and understood exactly what he was saying. A new rule had been written- I was guaranteed my spot in line.
“Thanks man.” I stepped out of line and for a minute I felt like I had been freed from a jail cell.
“Hellooooooo!”
The line moved forward, but not so much so as to cover the gap where I would eventually slide back. It was as if a force field had developed and locked itself in position behind Tom.
I ran up the steep street to where the woman was walking around in circles. It was without a doubt the same woman. The ear chandeliers were unmistakable.
“Ma’am.”
She didn’t respond at all.
“Ma’am. What went on in there? Did you get a prize?”
She kept walking around, not paying any attention to what I was saying, so I grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Are you alright?” Her eyes were covered with a thick milky white film. Her hair was grey and her skin light blue. She felt cold and stiff. “Hey, are you alright. Hey. Anybody home. Hello?”
When I said hello her eyes, skin, and hair went back to normal. Her eyes turned green, her hair back to blonde.
“I’ll never have to work another day in my life. He freed me,” she said.
“Who freed you?”
She leaned in towards me and brought her face closer to mine. I could smell her cheap perfume. It was a deep, intimate stare. “Go find out for yourself.”
“Hellooooooo!”
I walked back to where Tom was standing in line, but I didn’t get back in line, not yet. I was too disturbed.
“I don’t think they’re giving away money or televisions.”
“What’d she say?”
“Some crazy shit. I don’t think we should go in there.”
I turned around and headed back toward the other building.
“Hey, where you goin?”
“I’m going to see what’s in that other building. I feel like they’re connected.”
“You know the prison is connected to the courthouse through an underground tunnel. It runs under Main Street. Maybe it’s the same with these buildings. Don’t ask me how I know that.”
I walked back uphill and to the door of the other building. I turned the knob but it was locked. I shook it and pushed on the door. No luck. I was about to walk away when I heard some footsteps on the other side. This could be my chance. I heard a buzz and a heavy clanging. The door swung open. Standing in the doorway was the girl with the glitter boots, looking like a sedated zombie, grey and pale all over. I grabbed the door and held it opened. I peeked inside to make sure no one was behind her. She wouldn’t move out of the way. Instinctively I said, “hello.”
“I’ve been freed. I’m free.” She began to move lively out of the doorway, skipping like she had just received her first kiss.
I walked inside and the door slammed shut. I was cast in darkness. I couldn’t even see my hands. The heat was smothering, sweat beading on my forehead and dripping into my eyes. I could feel both sides of the hall, with my shoulders. I was panicking, claustrophobic, squeezed in tight. It felt like the walls were slowly closing in. I dug in my pocket and got out my cell phone, turned it on and found the flashlight.
I was in a long narrow hallway, with light green wallpaper. I raised my phone and pointed it to the far end. The hallway ran a good distance, with no doors or rooms on either side. I could barely see a door frame at the other end, so far away that it looked like a one-inch opening.
I tried to turn around to back out the exit door, but I was crammed in, my shoulders squeezed against my chest. The walls were indeed closing in on me. My only chance was to get to that opening. I pushed against the walls. They gave way, but it was difficult to pass through. The walls were pliable and it felt as if I was pushing through thick melted plastic. My skin was burning and my heart was pounding. I was being enveloped by the walls, choked to death by an inanimate object. I closed my eyes and drove my feet into the floor, pushing hard against the ever-amorphous barrier impeding my escape, and then I felt a release and I fell to the floor in front of the doorway.
I shined my light back towards the exit door, but I couldn’t see it. The hall looked normal, but I feared that the door had disappeared.
On the other side of the doorway was a stairway descending downward into darkness. I made my way down several flights of stairs. At the bottom was an old metal door. I pushed it open and there in front of me was a wide concrete pathway lit up by bright orange lights, like an aircraft runway. I turned off the cell phone light. I could hear cars running overhead, the sound of tires humming against the road, with an angry honk to reassure me that I was still somewhat close to reality.
I heard a door open and shut at the other end. A small elderly lady was slowly walking towards me. There was nowhere to hide, but I didn’t feel the need to hide. I stood there and let her walk past me. She didn’t notice me standing there. She was being led by some unseen force. I heard the metal door open before her. As I watched her walk through the door, I noticed spray painted above the frame was a number: 144,000. I looked around to see if there were any cameras. Did someone open that door for her? If so, then I’ve been caught.
There was another door at the end of the pathway. This door was golden and framed by two red dragons. I opened the door and was greeted by yet another zombie. The pace had quickened; he was moving more people through, faster than before. There was another set of stairs but these were wooden, and the railing was ornate, with two large carved serpents on each side, weaving in and out of colossal vines, confusing the boundaries between animal and plant. I grabbed the railing and it felt like the scales of a snake, the texture smooth, yet jagged. I let go and started running up the stairs.
At the top, just like the other building, there was a door frame without a door. Blue light was shining through the opening. I heard a distant door open.
“Hellooooooo!”
I knew I was there. I crept up to the door frame and peeked inside. It was another long hallway but lit up with blue lights, but the source of the lights I couldn’t see. There were no fixtures in the ceiling or on the walls, and unlike the other hallway- the collapsing hallway- there were at least two doors on either side. I quietly made my way down the hall.
“Come this way,” I heard the man say. He had a slow monotone voice. He walked past the open doorway and a man followed him in a blue jean jacket. It was Tom. Like a dumb shit, I almost hollered out his name. Had that much time passed? The sound of their footsteps grew fainter. I had been carrying my cell phone this whole time and when I went to put it back in my pocket, I accidentally dropped it. It crashed to the floor and exploded with sound. I heard a shuffling of feet rushing closer, so I opened the nearest door on my right and stepped through.
The stench was overwhelming. The room was dark but there was a sliver of light coming from underneath the door. I activated the flashlight and surveyed the room. I was on the edge of a pit dug in the middle of the room. I had barely escaped a long hazardous fall. I shined my light into the pit. It was a mass grave of nude bodies stacked three-quarters high. Slumped over to one side of the pit I noticed the curly-haired blonde woman, stripped of her earrings.
The door opened and without hesitation I jumped into the pit, my foot landing on the side of a man’s face, crushing his cheek, and pushing him further down the hole. It felt sacrilegious. I seized a body by the arm and dragged it over myself as I crouched down. As I hid, I heard footsteps pacing around on the edge of the pit. After a few minutes, the door shut, and the footsteps receded.
Luckily, the stack of bodies was so high that I was able to climb out of the pit, but not without a little work first. I had to stack some bodies up on one side to be able to climb the rest of the way out. After I was done building my corpse ladder, I carefully climbed up and pulled myself out of the pit. I slowly opened the door and made my way to the end of the hall. The exit door was to my right, another hallway to my left with a room at the end. I went left. I had to help Tom.
I could see that mysterious blue light emanating from the room. As I got closer to the room, I could hear someone struggling and choking. I looked inside. Tom was restrained to a large silver chair, with straps around his wrists and ankles. Around his neck was a large metal band. The band was contracting, choking the life out of him. Above him hung a light fixture, with a large round crystal reflector. To the right of the chair was a standing glass pod, filled with a pinkish red fluid.
The light flickered and hummed. Tom was dying, but something in the pod was being born. A head emerged from the fluid, bald and wrinkled. Tom shook in his chair but he couldn’t free himself. The shoulders appeared, then the chest, and finally after a few minutes, standing in full form, an exact clone of Tom.
The real Tom shook and struggled for a few more agonizing minutes before he finally died. The man quickly unfastened Tom from the chair and undressed him. He pushed a button on the pod and released the clone. The clone stumbled out like a new born fawn. With much difficulty the killer dressed the childish clone with Tom’s clothes. He even strapped the gun and halter around the clone’s waist. The man seemed tired, a long day of killing and cloning had finally gotten the best of him.
He patted the clone Tom on his ass and sent him forward. The clone knew exactly where to go and how to exit. He walked past me through the hall and approached the stairs. I could follow him out to freedom and be done with this place. Instead, I chose to grab his gun and confront the killer.
I approached the clone from the rear and seized his arm. He never looked back or attempted to flee. He just kept trying to move forward like a toy robot. I bear hugged him to keep him from moving forward, and with one hand unfastened his holster. When I let go the clone fell and tumbled down the stairs hitting his head against the railing. Under the blue light the blood that seeped out of his open wound looked black. It started to flow downward over his cheek, but then, as if it was one cohesive mass, reversed back up into the wound. The wound closed in on itself and it looked as if nothing had happened. The clone stood up and resumed walking.
The door shut below and that must’ve been the cue for the killer to go and get another victim. He walked past the doorway. I ran up the hall and stood behind him. He heard me and stood still facing the entry door.
“Don’t open that door, or I’ll shoot.”
He slowly turned and faced me. “Ah you! The betrayer. The one that abandoned his post.”
“What are you talking about? Shut the fuck up you murdering piece of shit.”
“Not murdering, but recreating… for the master. 144,000 remember?”
He pulled off his hat and revealed his face. Looking back at me was a perfect replica of myself. I raised my gun and shot him in the forehead, knocking him back against the door. The blood didn’t splatter against the door but pushed out of the back of his head as one large blob and then bounced back into his head. The hole in his forehead immediately healed.
“Oh, poor little worker bee thinks he’s somebody now.” He lunged at me, and with a knife I had not noticed, stuck me in the arm, and then pulled it back out. A thick black mass of fluid flowed out of my wound, but then was sucked back into my arm. The wound instantly healed, just as the others had done.
The killer put back on his hat and opened the front door.
“You must leave. They will have to destroy you now. You are compromised.”
I was dumbfounded. There was nothing I could do but warn the people outside. I hastily walked through the door. It was dark now; the streetlamps were on pushing out faded, weak light.
“Don’t go in there. He’s going to kill you. There is no prize.” I accosted the first person in line. “Go home man. Nothing in there but death. I promise I’m telling the truth.”
“How did you get in there before us?” a woman down the line asked. “I don’t ever remember seeing you in line. That’s not fair. You cut in line you dirty rotten bastard. I swear if they run out of stuff, I’m gonna…”
“You’re going to die if you go in there,” I interrupted. “Go home. I’ve been in there. I’m not lying.” I walked down the steps pleading with everyone, but no one was listening.
“Get out of the way. You got yours you selfish bastard. The world doesn’t revolve around you. We just want a little piece of the pie, if you haven’t already taken it all,” hollered a man in a blue jean jacket. I looked over at him and noticed that it was Tom.
The crowd cheered and added more insults, getting angrier the longer I stood there.
“Hellooooooo!”
“Hellooooooo,” the crowd answered.
The killer ushered in the next person standing in line. He tipped his cowboy hat at me and shut the door. The line lurched forward. The people were placated.