The Chosen: Chapter 4 - The Mountains

The imposing chain-link gate loomed ominously in front of him.  The gate was topped with large loops of razor wire which winked garishly in the sunlight.  It was as if the gate itself was boldly advertising its lethalness. 

He passed a large sign made of solid granite that looked like it had pushed its way up out of the earth.  Chiseled into the surface of the flat stone were the words " Montgomery  County Detention Center.  It eerily resembled a giant tombstone, which ironically seemed fitting.

The name on the sign always elicited an internal cynical laugh from him. Calling the institution a "Detention Center" never seemed appropriate to him.  The name seemed to announce that the center was a location where kids gathered after school to serve their detentions.  It made it sound innocent.  In his opinion the name was just a poor attempt to sugar coat the truth.  Honesty and frankness were very important things to him.

If it was a Prison, call it a Prison.  Call things what they are, don't attempt to hide them, or dress them up. That was no better than lying. Besides the people inside knew the hard truth anyway.

   

He brought his Harley slowly to a stop alongside the guardhouse, propping himself up with his feet. The bike idled noisily beneath him as he reached in his jeans' back pocket and fished out his wallet.  He took his driver's license out of the leather bifold and held it out for the uniformed guard to take.  A different guard was on duty this time standing in front of the guardhouse.

   

"I'm Galvyn Knowles", he said as the guard took his license, "I am here to visit my brother Lincoln Knowles.  I should be on the list.", he added.

 

 The guard studied Galvyn's license in one hand, and looked down at the clipboard in his other.  His face showed no emotion.

As the guard reviewed the clipboard, Galvyn's eyes were drawn towards the gun holstered to the guard's right hip.  It was a sad reminder for Galvyn that he wasn't visiting his younger brother at work, his apartment, or at a bar for drinks. No, Lincoln wasn't going to be in any of these places any time soon.  His brother was here now and it was his fault.  A welling of emotion caused his throat to constrict for a moment,  but he quickly pushed the feelings down deep within himself.

     

"Ok Mr. Knowles, you are good to go.", said the guard, motioning to another guard who was sitting in the gate house, "I assume you know the drill?  You know where to go to be processed, right?"

   

"Yes, thanks.", Galvyn replied. 

Unfortunately he knew it well.

The guard in the gate house pushed a button and the large chain-link gates began to slowly slide open. Galvyn rode through the entrance and found an empty parking spot in the visitors lot. After parking his bike, he made his way towards the visitor's main entrance.  The building was enormous and made of solid concrete which gave it a severe and monolithic appearance.  The anxiety he always experienced when visiting his brother began creeping around inside of him.

  

Once inside he was subjected to "processing".  He had to pass through a metal detector and was patted down for weapons or contraband of any kind.  This was followed by a drug search carried out by a large German Shepherd.   The process always felt intrusive to him.

 

Galvyn was escorted by a prison guard down a long dim corridor and into the visitation room.  The room was relatively small and filled with five open-ended booths,  all equipped with a chair and a black phone hanging  on the inside wall.  Separating the inmates from their guests were large sheets of thick plexiglass which were scratched and dingy. The overhead fluorescent lights flickered occasionally behind yellowed plastic covers, and cast a sickly hue over everything.  The sallow light filled the room with an atmosphere of despair.

 Lincoln sat behind the plexiglass in the second booth, the phone already in his hand.  A drawn smile formed on his young face when he saw Galvyn approaching.  A set of fresh bruises surrounded his left eye and blemished his pale face with shades of purple and yellow.   His appearance tugged mournfully at Galvyn's heart.

Taking a seat across from his brother, Galvyn reached for the phone on his side of the plexiglass and brought it to his ear.

"Hey Link", Galvyn said into the receiver with a small smile, trying to hide his emotions, "How are you doing?"

As soon as the words left Galvyn's mouth, he cringed internally and felt like kicking himself.  How are you "doing"?  What kind of question was that?  Weren't the bruises an obvious clue as to how he was doing?

 

"Good.", Lincoln replied, but his eyes said otherwise.  It was clearly a lie.

 

"You sure?", Galvyn asked, pointing to his own eye and gave his brother a questioning look.

"What, this?", Lincoln said, lifting his hand to gingerly touch the puffy and discolored patch of skin with his finger tips, "It's nothing really, just a bump.  You should see the other guy.", he joked, letting out an unconvincing laugh.

Galvyn laughed in return, but his heart really wasn't in it.  Every time he saw his brother attempting to be brave for his benefit, it tore out a a little piece of his soul; chewed it up, lit it on fire, and stomped on it.  He would never get it back, no matter what happened. 

"Did you get the care package I sent you last week?", Galvyn asked.

"Ya, thanks. I appreciate it.", Lincoln replied, "You don't have to send me stuff though, you know?"

"Yes, I do.", Galvyn stated firmly, giving his brother an authoritative look.

"What? Why?", Lincoln asked, looking confused.  

 

"You know why.", Galvyn said without explanation.

"I do?", Lincoln laughed,"Actually I'm not sure that I do, so enlighten me."

"Yes, you do.", Galvyn said decisively, "Because I owe you...  Because you wouldn't be in here if it wasn't for me."

"Oh, come on, not this again.", Lincoln complained, rolling his eyes and looking up at the ceiling in frustration, "That is not true, and you know it."

"Yes, it is.", Galvyn corrected his brother and locked eyes with him in a serious stare, "Maybe not directly, but ultimately it is... In the end, it's my fault." 

An image of Lincoln smiling for the camera on his eighteenth birthday with a beer held up proudly in his hand flashed before Galvyn's eyes.  His brother's smile had been full of life and mischief that day.  What he wouldn't give to see that smile again.  But everything had changed that night and he hadn't seen a smile like that from Lincoln since.  And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.  He couldn't take it back. 

"Well, that is enough of that.", Galvyn said, changing the subject abruptly, "Sooo... Amy asked about you the other day."

"Oh?", Lincoln replied, his eyebrows peaked with interest.

"Yep, she asked me how you were doing and she told me to tell you she said hello." 

"Really?", Lincoln said in disbelief, "I thought she would never speak to me again after... well you know."

"Well, apparently that’s not the case.", Galvyn replied and gave his brother a knowing smile and a small wink.

"Tell her I said Hi then, and that I miss her." Lincoln grinned.

The smile wasn't exactly Lincoln's old smile but it was the closest thing to it that Galvyn had seen on his brother's face in quite some time. It warmed his heart to see his brother perk up some. 

"I will little brother.", Galvyn said, "You know you should have asked her out a long time ago.", he added.

"I know.  Kind of late now though.", Lincoln said sadly.  His smile faded some and his eyes became distant.

"No, It's never too late.", Galvyn scolded his brother, "Don't think like that Link.  You will be out of here soon. And who knows, maybe Amy will still be single when you do."  

Lincoln burst into sardonic laughter and shook his head slowly back and forth. 

"Not likely." Lincoln said, "You are such a dreamer Galvyn.  You always have been."  

"If you stop dreaming, you stop living.", Galvyn replied simply, and smiled, "And I plan on living."

"Confucius says?", Lincoln added, laughing at his own joke, and for a moment he seemed like his old self again.  

 

Galvyn laughed heartily along with his brother.  It felt good to be laughing and joking with his brother again.    

They talked and laughed together like this for a while and Galvyn wished it wouldn't come to an end, but before he knew it the guard was giving them their 5 minute warning.  The time always flew by too fast.

"Well, looks like I've gotta go Buddy.", Galvyn said regretfully, "Stay safe.  I will see you in a week."

"Ya, sounds good.", Lincoln replied, "See you then."

Galvyn was about to hang up his receiver when Lincoln leaned in towards the plexiglass and said, "Galvyn wait... There is something I need to tell you."

"I'm listening.", Galvyn said and studied his brother with a puzzled look.

 

Something about Lincoln's demeanor had changed suddenly, and he didn't seem like himself.  But Galvyn couldn't put a finger on why.  Even the sound of his voice didn't seem quite right.

"You need to go to the mountain.", Lincoln said not much louder than a whisper.  

 

"What?", Galvyn said with surprise.  His brow furrowed in confusion and his head recoiled slightly. 

What in the world was his brother talking about?   Had he actually heard him correctly?

"I said, you need to go to the mountain.", Lincoln repeated slightly louder this time.  He leaned in closer to the glass and his expression was strange. His eyes looked almost vacant, like someone had pulled down the shades. 

 

"Ya, I heard you the first time.", Galvyn said, "I'm just not sure what you are talking about."

Galvyn felt the hair rise on his arms and the back of his neck.  It was as if his body was trying to warn him that something was off. It was such a random thing for his brother to say that it alarmed him, and he began to feel apprehensive.

Was his brother losing his mind?  God knows a place like this could do that to someone.

 

"The mountain, Galvyn.  You need to go to the mountain.", Lincoln said and his voice sounded odd to Galvyn.  

"What mountain?", Galvyn asked in bewilderment, "What are you talking about?"

"THE mountain.", Lincoln emphasized the word the and he began to look distressed, "You know the one."

"No, I don't.", Galvyn said, "What mountain are you talking about, and why do I have to go there?"

Lincoln's behavior was so out of character that Galvyn was becoming slightly panicked.  It was bad enough that his brother was in prison, but the possibility that his brother might also be experiencing a psychotic break was just too much for him to process.

 

"You need to remember.  You were there once.", Lincoln said with urgency, gripping the receiver firmly. He was a tightly wound coil ready to spring.

 

"What are you talking about?",  Galvyn's voice rose an octave and was filled with disbelief, "I have never been to a mountain in my life.  We live in Kansas Lincoln.  There are no mountains here and I haven't traveled much, except to Oklahoma, and I am pretty sure there aren't many mountains there either."

"But you have.  A long time ago. You just need to remember.",  Lincoln became agitated, and his eyes took on the wild look of a crazy person.  He seemed almost frantic and fidgeted in his seat.

                        

"Lincoln what is going on with you?  Your not making any sense.", Galvyn pleaded with his brother.  He could feel tendrils of fear gripping him.

This couldn't be happening.  He couldn't lose his brother to madness.

  

 "You need to remember.  You need to go there.  There isn't much time.", Lincoln insisted fervently.  His strange eyes seemed to almost be burning a hole through Galvyn.  

 

"Isn't much time for what?", Galvin asked incredulously. 

Galvyn couldn't take it anymore.  His brother's behavior just kept getting weirder and weirder.  He was beginning to think that he must be dreaming, but he knew it was just wishful thinking. 

   

"Time to prepare.", Lincoln stated as if Galvyn should already know; as if it should be obvious. 

 

"Prepare for what?", Galvyn's voice cracked slightly like an awkward teenager's.

Prepare for a Tsunami by seeking higher ground?  The absurd thought popped into Galvyn's head. 

  

Galvyn prepared himself for the answer, however strange it might be, but he was still completely caught off guard by Lincoln's response.

 

"What?", Lincoln said, looking curiously at Galvyn, his eyes blinking rapidly. The wild look was gone from his eyes, and he now seemed perfectly relaxed.

    

  "I said, prepare for what?", Galvyn repeated his question.

 

"What?  What are you talking about?", Lincoln asked, clearly confused. 

Galvyn couldn't believe it.  It seemed as if Lincoln truly didn't remember any of what he had just said; like he had been talking in his sleep and just woke up.   A sick feeling lodged itself in the pit of his stomach and he felt slightly dizzy.

What the hell was going on? 

 

"You were just telling me that I needed to go to some mountain.", Galvyn told his brother, his voice faltering some.

"No I wasn't.", Lincoln said flatly and laughed nervously, "I was just telling you goodbye."

 

"No, you weren't just telling me goodbye.  We just had a conversation about some mountain that I have supposedly been to before, only I haven't.  And you told me I needed to remember it and that I needed to go there.", Galvyn said, running his hand through his hair in frustration, "Are you telling me that you don't remember a word of what you said?"

"No, I'm telling you I didn't say any of those things.", Lincoln said, his head tilted slightly to one side like a dog who just heard or saw something curious.

   

"Jesus, this is crazy Link. I'm telling you man, you said those things.", there was desperation in Galvyn's voice.

 

Galvyn was opening his mouth to say something else when the guard said in a deep voice, "Times up.  Let's go."     

 

Galvyn knew from experience that if he attempted to continue his conversation with Lincoln that the guard wouldn't have any of it.  The guards were crystal clear in their instructions.  "Time's up" meant your time was "UP" with a capital "U". 

Galvyn said his quick goodbye and told his brother that they would talk about it next time.  He hated having to leave his brother this way after what had just happened. It just didn't feel right. 

What if there was really something seriously wrong with his brother? Would he get worse before anyone in here even noticed? 

 

The guard escorted Galvyn back down the same dim hallway they had walked through on their way to the visitation room.  As Galvyn walked a heaviness settled on his heart and it felt as if there was an actual physical weight on his chest.  He was overcome with worry and fear.

 

Galvyn's mind was racing from one thought to the next when the guard beside him spoke.  He had been so deep in thought that the sound of the guard's voice startled him slightly.  The guard had stopped walking, so Galvyn stopped beside him.

"There isn't much time.", the guard said in a voice that almost sounded mechanical.

"What?", Galvyn said in confusion, "isn't much time for what? Visiting hours?"

"No.  There isn't much time before you will need to go there."

"Go where?", Galvyn asked, "To the parking lot?"

That had to be what the guard was talking about, didn't it?  What a strange guy. 

 Galvyn reassured himself that the guard was probably just one odd bird.  You would have to be a little crazy to want to work in a place like this he told himself.  Despite his attempt to provide a rational explanation for the guard's peculiar behavior, he was still slightly afraid of what the answer to his question might be.

The guard answered him and his worst fears were realized.  

"No.  To the mountain.", the guard said stiffly, his eyes glassy and remote.

 

Had the guard really said that?  

Galvyn wanted to believe that he had just heard the guard wrong, but he knew that he hadn't.   His pulse quickened and it suddenly felt like the walls of the hallway were closing in around him. He felt the urge to run.  He wanted to be anywhere but there in the hallway with the guard.  He didn't want to hear anymore.  

"You need to go to the mountain.", the guard said, "Before it's too late."

That was the last straw on the proverbial camel's back.  Galvyn's mind simply couldn't handle anymore.  He could almost hear an audible snap in his mind as his field of vision began to narrow and all sound seemed distant and tinny.  He reached out for the wall to steady himself, afraid that he might pass out.  But he wasn't provided that luxury.  He remained conscious and was forced to endure more of the insanity.

"You must go now.", the guard's voice was pressing now, "Or it will be too late."

 Galvyn covered his ears with his hands and closed his eyes tight.  It felt as if the hallway was tilting at an odd angle like the walls of a funhouse.  Reality seemed to be tipping upside down.  He knew in that moment that he must be the one having a psychotic break,  not his brother.  He was the one going crazy.

"Please stop," Galvyn pleaded with the guard, and his voice sounded child-like, "Please, just stop!"

"Stop what?", the guard asked and there was a hint of confusion in his voice.

Galvyn uncovered his ears, and opened his eyes slowly to look at the guard.  There was a puzzled look on the guard's face. He was studying Galvyn like a scientist would examine a bizarre specimen.  

Yep, it is official. I am losing my mind.

        

"Stop what?", the guard repeated his question.

"Nothing.", Galvyn replied in a haggard voice, his shoulders sagging, "It was nothing." 

That is if "nothing" is another way to describe losing your marbles. Then "nothing" is exactly what had happened.

"Well let's go then.", the guard said guiding Galvyn towards the end of the hallway.

Galvyn was no longer worried about his brother.  It was his own sanity that now had him concerned.  As he walked, he wondered if this was how it happened for everyone who was off their rocker.  He had always thought that it must happen slowly over time; with a symptom of paranoia here and a sign of neurosis there. Because it couldn't happen overnight. People didn't just wake up crazy.  Did they?   But maybe he had been wrong?  Maybe that was exactly how it happened.  One day you’re a normal guy doing normal guy things and the next day you're a raging lunatic who's hearing voices.  And those voices are telling you to go to some mountain, like Richard Dryfus's character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

As Galvyn left the grounds of the Detention Center, fear grew within him like a sprouting seed.  Tendrils of dread uncoiled inside of him and spread to fill every available space, shoving all other emotions aside, like roots pushing their way through the soil.

 What the hell was he going to do?

Reviews

[matrixmark]

And I'm back ino the world of 'I can't wait to see where this is going next'
Stong opener with the gate - I liked.
Second paragraph - 'Pushed its way up from the earth' - Nicely phrased, really cool way of describing things.
Nicely penned when you talked about the guard - it actually did feel like..a guard. And his mannerisms
were how one would imagine.
The building itself was a short description, but becuase of the 'monolithic' word being used - that really said it all.
Good descriptions of the inside of the building and I like how you added the word 'despair' into the description too - perfect.
The dialogue was really good, clear and easy to follow. My favourite part was the image of Lincoln flashing before Glavyns eyes of the beer and how he remembered the smile - a touching moment I thought.
'Lincoln burst into sardonic laughter' - these words were placed well.

This bit - "I said, you need to go to the mountain.", Lincoln repeated slightly louder this time. He leaned in closer to the glass and his expression was strange. His eyes looked almost vacant, like someone had pulled down the shades. - I have see this done before in a number books and I really think you have pulled this off with some flair - Good, solid images. Excellent.
The confusion hits - No conversation about a mountain
The intrigue starts - the guard even mentions 'the mountain' - Hmmm..intresting. I didn't see that coming. It really felt like the Guard was talking in riddles - REALLY COOL THOUGH - I liked this part.
Last paragraph - great descriptions, laving me wondering WHAT THE HELL IS COMING NEXT.

I will find out.

Mark.