A journey without an end

“Are you hungry?” asked Edmund.

“Not really.” replied Theodora as she started stretching after having been awakened. “Where are we?” she asked with her eyes still closed. 

“Oh, I stopped at this station for some gas. Are you sure you don’t want anything?” 

Theodora nodded, and the sound of a door closing was heard. She opened her eyes, but the world was still shaking and the colors were still bright, so she closed them again. She smiled. This was going to be an experience she would never forget. 

She always enjoyed driving on the highway. The empty roads that led to a seemingly endless journey always sounded appealing to her. It was only after meeting Edmund that she realized how much more she enjoyed the road when someone else was driving the car. Edmund didn’t know it, but never before had she felt this comfortable around anyone.

There was a small bang that she heard on the outside of the car. She tried to open her eyes again, but the sunlight was too radiant, so once more, she shut them off. Edmund must have pulled the gas pump out.

Never before had she considered the prospect of consuming drugs, let alone hallucinogens, but Edmund was simply too convincing, and she was always curious about it. Did she regret it? Certainly not! What an experience it has been!

At first, the lack of an immediate effect worried her. Had Edmund not stopped her, she would’ve taken a few more. It only took a few minutes of her shaking her legs in mild anticipation for it to finally hit her. Theodora was looking at the long and straight road, wondering where they were going next, when a sudden rush of wind blew in her face. The road started swirling from left to right, and then from right to left, it spiraled into a downward motion, a change so sudden that she clinged onto Edmund for support.

The sun, the sky, the road, and even the wind—all day-to-day aspects of life—are now so vibrant that she questioned if they were always so full of life. The bright colors fused and mixed with one another, creating different shades and hues she had never before seen. What a sight it was! A symphony formed from elements that could only be considered wild and divergent! Once they got back home, she knew she was going to try and recreate this beautiful picture on a canvas. The trees danced to the rhythm of the swirls and seemed to be reaching out to her. She tried to grasp them, but Edmund pulled her from the open window and shut it.

“What are you, crazy?”

“Yes,” she laughed. “And you love me for it.” He couldn’t deny that. Flustered, he could only mumble out, “Just put your seatbelt on."

Her last recollection before falling asleep was of Edmund’s face swirling and shifting into something else. A sense of guilt washed over her as she realized she had all the fun by herself while Edmund took care of her and drove for the better half of a day. He surely must be rewarded.

Through the small open gap of the window, she could hear footsteps approaching, then the door being opened, and someone sitting down. She turned to smile at Edmund, but strangely, he didn’t react. The engine, on the other hand, seemed to have witnessed it as it began to growl in anticipation for what was to come.

Theodora finally opened her eyes. The world was still swirling and vibrant, but something seemed off. She looked at the passenger rear view mirror, and a motionless hand caught her attention. She rubbed her eyes, but before she could look at it again, it was out of her view.

Her senses heightened as she was dragged into the eerie unknown. At first, she discerned an unsettling presence—a relentless, ominous hum that resonated through the apparent emptiness. She scanned her surroundings. There was nothing to be seen; only oppressive obscurity resided in the air. Then, as though the world itself had frozen in place, a single thump made itself known, becoming a harbinger of dread that echoed throughout her bones.

She hesitated to confront the source, but she could feel sweat dripping off of her. She couldn’t have been the only one who could hear it. Slowly, she turned her head towards the driver’s seat. She stared in anticipation for even a glimpse of Edmund, but that moment never came. Then, the following question came up: “What does Edmund even look like?”

“Come on!” she thought to herself. She’s drawn him numerous times before, each time with more detail than the last, so why couldn’t she remember now? Could this have been how he always looked?

She turned her attention to the road again. The departure of the sun combined with the darkening of the sky turned the sky an eerie red. The once-solid asphalt now appeared to be shifting like the terrible waves of the ocean. It wasn’t helping.

The way he was driving seemed to be like Edmund. His height and volume, or the mere impression of them, seemed to be right. On the other hand, he did adjust his seat when he entered. Plus, the lack of a response to her smile. No, it couldn’t have been Edmund. What if he was, though? She could’ve asked, but what kidnapper would tell their would-be target what they were doing? 

“What are you looking at?” asked the man. It was a simple question, which she could have answered with ease, but its suddenness broke whatever chain of thoughts she had in her mind. Countless questions flooded her mind, but she was too scared to ask any of them. She could’ve said she wanted to throw up, but the man would just find an excuse not to stop. She could wave for help. She could; she could; the fact of the matter is, she couldn’t. Her hands were trembling. Her voice sounded shaky in her own mind. She was scared. She regretted taking that psychedelic. She regretted agreeing to take a road unknown to her. She wanted to go back home. 

“Hey, hey. It will be alright," said the man in an attempt to comfort her. “It won’t be long before we arrive home.” Those words achieved the desired effect, and Theodora quieted down. The car drove on and on, towards a journey that swirled up and down with different shades and colors so mixed and so uncertain, and that seemingly was without an end until it eventually did.