Walkies

 

I love taking walks.

I love the feel of the ground pounding against my feet. I love the way the air feels in my hair and on my face. It clears my mind and brushes away the cobwebs and lets in the sunshine. When I was young, I used to take long walks, sometimes for hours along the shortcuts and alleys, away from people and things that make noise. I like the worn foot trail that trots (i like that word, trots) along the railroad tracks through a mini-forest. Birds sing there and the smell of grass and dirt is strong. There are no cars anywhere and I am alone with myself. I like to go after the train has moved through and all that's left is the smell of hot metal and flowers from far away. The rails are sometimes still hot. I remember my cousin swearing that if you put Krazy Glue on the railroad tracks when a train came, the glue would catch fire. My cousin said that about a lot of things: pennies, blankets, small animals. He believed that if a train moved fast enough, he could catch fire. He would burn and then he would fly, fly away from this toilet of a town. He did fly, but not as far as he probably would have liked, and they did find part of him, but I'm getting away from the point.

It was on my walk that I found the knife. (the knife was shiny) It wasn't too warm out and the breeze felt nice. The sun created little diamonds on the surface like a bracelet. It was just a butter knife orphaned from a set but it caught my attention. I wondered who would have a butter knife out near the railroad tracks. Maybe bums. Maybe picnickers. Probably bums. I didn't know. I walked some more, feeling the rocks beneath my shoes, hearing dogs barking. I don't like noise on my walks. It's intrusive, like a baby crying on a plane or a radio blaring when you're trying to take a nap. I was bothered by the thought (rude people) and I tripped over a shoe. I scraped my hands and skinned my knees and tasted dirt cool and gritty on my tongue. (rude stupid shoe) Who would leave a shoe in the middle of a path? There isn't a lake around here for miles and you can't roller blade over rocks. It was a nice shoe, not expensive but nice. It was clean, but it was in my way.

I brushed the dirt from my hands and knees and mouth and kept walking, thinking maybe it wasn't such a good day for a walk. There used to be a large pond where my cousin and I used to spend days that were too nice to be in school. He used to put cherry bombs into coffee cans, put the lids on and toss them into the pond. It was his version of dynamite fishing. The bangs were loud but no-one ever came to see what we were doing. (one time he lost two fingers) He thought it would be better if the can were weighed down with rocks, but he thought about it after he lit the fuse. I went for a walk after that. I don't remember much about that walk, only that it was good to be away from the screams. My cousin was mad that I left him. Sometimes you just have to get away.

Then I saw a torn jacket just lying there. It was red and black and a sleeve was ripped at the shoulder. I kept walking thinking how polluted the foot path had become. Some people have no respect for nature and the balance of things, but I do. The litter I find on the ground I pick up to throw away later where trash belongs. Sometimes I come home with all sorts of junk in my pockets, like buttons and burger wrappers. Sometimes, I throw it all away. (sometimes trash is treasure)

It was after I found the foot that probably belonged to the orphaned shoe that I should have called police, but I didn't. I kept walking and a little further along (so sad so much trash) there was an arm and some teeth. The rest of it was probably on the other side of the rails but I don't cross the rails. (i don't Know what's over there) Things happen to people who cross the rails. My cousin knows that now. We put Krazy Glue on the rails and he laid down on them. He wanted to burn and fly. I don't know what he was thinking, maybe that it wasn't real or he'd really fly. I don't know. We put Krazy Glue on the rails and he laid down and I heard a scream. I went for a walk.

I went to the police station with my found jacket full of arm and foot and shoe and butter knife. I told them about the littering and my cousin and the dogs that wouldn't stop barking. I told them about my walks and the pond and the firecrackers. I didn't tell them about the teeth, those I wanted to keep for myself. (sometimes trash is treasure)

They asked a lot of questions. They wanted to know about the scrapes on my knees and palms. They asked about the blood on my shirt and the dirt on my face. They asked about the Krazy Glue and then the teeth that they found when they had me empty my pockets. One guy gave me a speech about rights and counsel and I told them everything that I knew. They put me in a room and had me write everything down. When I was done, I went for a walk. (the path is so clean now)

When I came back from my walk there were men looking at me. They said that I was in a lot of trouble. They said that the knife looked like the kind in my kitchen drawer. They said that they went to the tracks and they found parts of what may have been a dog and other parts that may have been my cousin. I told them about my cousin again, and how he'd come to live with me and he brought his dog. (when the path is clean i remember more) When the dog got noisy I went for walks, and when I'd come back the dog was quiet. I told them about my cousin and how messy he was, leaving paper and wrappers all around. When he got messy I want for walks and when I'd come back the mess was gone.

They asked me about my walks and how often I went on them and where I went. (the forest the trees the birds) I told them about the railroad tracks in the forest and how I could walk for hours and smell the dirt and trees. The men looked at each other and then at me. One man tapped the side of his head and another nodded. They wanted me to take them there so I did.

We parked near where I lived and we went for a walk. I could feel the rocks beneath my shoes and hear the birds in the trees. There were other men already taking a walk along the tracks, some surrounding sheets on the ground. I hoped that they didn't plan on leaving those there. I heard one man say that this was a train yard and there wasn't a tree anywhere, but I don't think we were taking the same walk. I kept walking feeling the breeze on my face. (i'm crossing the rails) Soon the men were gone. I decided then that I was never leaving the forest or the rails. I would keep on walking and walking with the breeze and the birds.

It's funny.

I've been walking for days and I'm not even tired.

Reviews

[Nickolaus A. Pacione]

This one is pretty damned disturbing. I think you actually did a story that is truly more frightening than anything that was published on the Horrofind.com fiction section. Being that I am also a member of the International Order Of Horror Professionals, I never had a chance to check out your stories but now this is my real introduction to them. I agree with a lot of the people who gave this four star reviews or higher when I say this one is taunt and eerie. It is just plain sick, but then again it takes that kind of mind to write this genre and do it right.

[Richard McLin]

I agree with angel, this is a great piece.

[Angel Marie Antoinette]

I love this.. I wonder if he'll see his cousin again on his walk.

[Steve]

I'm speechless....
You won't be offended if I say you're just plain 'SICK'!!
Loved it!

[Katlyn Loch]

Eerie. The format of the story itself is actually pretty original. The timeline does not go in order giving the character an even more sporadic feel. I think this enhancesher appearence od psychosis.