looking for something that resembled a sweater. A second later, I found a red, long-sleeved cotton shirt that was just as tight as the pants. But it was warmer than the singlet I was currently wearing, so I wasn't going to complain.
“ What the hell are you doing?” Bill railed out from beside the shack.
I threw the top over my head, pulled it down and noticing a pair of ankle-high, black boots, grabbed them before slamming the trunk closed. I walked back toward Bill, watching his eyes widen as he took in the leather pants and boots. “You look like that chick from that movie,” then he pursed his lips together as he attempted to remember said movie. “You know the one,” he continued and cleared his throat before he started singing “‘we go together like ramming dingy dongs, bang bang bangy cha bangy cock!”
“ Grease ,” I finished for him, shaking my head as my thoughts returned to my current wardrobe. “As soon as we’re done here, we need to go shopping.”
Bill didn ’t say anything, but started for the wooden door of the shack, so I followed him. The door was warped, discolored and generally had the look of something weathered and old, matching the rest of the lean-to. Bill shrugged and knocked on the door. No one answered, so he knocked again. When it seemed no one was home, I turned and started for the Audi again, eager to find the nearest department store. Then I heard the sound of the door opening. Turning back toward Bill, I watched him peer into the house before walking inside.
“ Looks like no one's home,” he called out.
I hurried up the walkway behind him, reaching the front door of the shack. I continued forward, intending to talk him out of breaking and entering. But as soon as I stepped over the threshold, I was suddenly blinded by a huge flare of light.
“... and when he had moved on, I entered along the deep and savage road.”
— Dante’s Inferno
FOUR
I gasped and opened my eyes, blinking a few times to clear my vision because something very strange had happened. The last thing I could remember was setting foot into the decrepit shack at the end of the road, and then being blinded by a bright light. And now? I gulped as I tried to make sense of what lay before me, rubbing my eyes in a vain attempt to clear what could only be a trick of my vision. Why? Because I now found myself in the midst of a forest. I glanced up at the impossibly tall pine trees, watching as the sun gleamed through the threadbare coverage of the needles. Snow covered the trees, weighing down the heavy boughs, and dotting the banks of grass and ferns below them. The grass and ferns were punctuated by the brown of dirt and rocks. A gentle wind shook the needles, dropping them onto my face as I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm.
“ Bill?” I asked, my voice reflecting the awe and fear in my gut. “What just happened?”
Bill was standing maybe two feet in front of me and wore the same expression of astonishment. Somehow the fact that he, a supernatural being, seemed just as dazed as I was didn't bode well for our situation.
“ Where are we?” I continued, glancing around again.
Bill didn't say anything, but scratched his head, looking back at me with a dumbfounded stare. Then, as if something just dawned on him, he lifted his arm and studied his monitor. He even flicked it a few times, but when it apparently didn't do whatever it was supposed to, he simply dropped his arm and frowned, raising his eyebrows in question.
“ Looks like I’m not drunk or high,” he said plainly with a shrug. “ One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small ,” he semi-sang.
I didn ’t say anything since I didn’t really get his gist. Instead, I watched as he walked head first into a huge spiderweb. He twirled around twice, like a hefty, uncoordinated ballerina. Then he clawed at his face as he tried to free himself from the gossamer
“ What the hell are you doing?” Bill railed out from beside the shack.
I threw the top over my head, pulled it down and noticing a pair of ankle-high, black boots, grabbed them before slamming the trunk closed. I walked back toward Bill, watching his eyes widen as he took in the leather pants and boots. “You look like that chick from that movie,” then he pursed his lips together as he attempted to remember said movie. “You know the one,” he continued and cleared his throat before he started singing “‘we go together like ramming dingy dongs, bang bang bangy cha bangy cock!”
“ Grease ,” I finished for him, shaking my head as my thoughts returned to my current wardrobe. “As soon as we’re done here, we need to go shopping.”
Bill didn ’t say anything, but started for the wooden door of the shack, so I followed him. The door was warped, discolored and generally had the look of something weathered and old, matching the rest of the lean-to. Bill shrugged and knocked on the door. No one answered, so he knocked again. When it seemed no one was home, I turned and started for the Audi again, eager to find the nearest department store. Then I heard the sound of the door opening. Turning back toward Bill, I watched him peer into the house before walking inside.
“ Looks like no one's home,” he called out.
I hurried up the walkway behind him, reaching the front door of the shack. I continued forward, intending to talk him out of breaking and entering. But as soon as I stepped over the threshold, I was suddenly blinded by a huge flare of light.
“... and when he had moved on, I entered along the deep and savage road.”
— Dante’s Inferno
FOUR
I gasped and opened my eyes, blinking a few times to clear my vision because something very strange had happened. The last thing I could remember was setting foot into the decrepit shack at the end of the road, and then being blinded by a bright light. And now? I gulped as I tried to make sense of what lay before me, rubbing my eyes in a vain attempt to clear what could only be a trick of my vision. Why? Because I now found myself in the midst of a forest. I glanced up at the impossibly tall pine trees, watching as the sun gleamed through the threadbare coverage of the needles. Snow covered the trees, weighing down the heavy boughs, and dotting the banks of grass and ferns below them. The grass and ferns were punctuated by the brown of dirt and rocks. A gentle wind shook the needles, dropping them onto my face as I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm.
“ Bill?” I asked, my voice reflecting the awe and fear in my gut. “What just happened?”
Bill was standing maybe two feet in front of me and wore the same expression of astonishment. Somehow the fact that he, a supernatural being, seemed just as dazed as I was didn't bode well for our situation.
“ Where are we?” I continued, glancing around again.
Bill didn't say anything, but scratched his head, looking back at me with a dumbfounded stare. Then, as if something just dawned on him, he lifted his arm and studied his monitor. He even flicked it a few times, but when it apparently didn't do whatever it was supposed to, he simply dropped his arm and frowned, raising his eyebrows in question.
“ Looks like I’m not drunk or high,” he said plainly with a shrug. “ One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small ,” he semi-sang.
I didn ’t say anything since I didn’t really get his gist. Instead, I watched as he walked head first into a huge spiderweb. He twirled around twice, like a hefty, uncoordinated ballerina. Then he clawed at his face as he tried to free himself from the gossamer
Similar Books
