The Long Dusty Road
By Julie D Cole

It was the end of March and days were getting brighter and the temperatures were ideal for walking. I’d headed to the Lake District and set out for a long hike over the hills. I was following a track that I knew was heading in the direction I needed to be to reach my destination. I’d almost followed it the previous summer but it was dangerous since we’d had long dry spells and there were all sorts of fire warnings. I remember it looked like a long dusty road to nowhere but it intrigued me,

I’d been going for three hours now, or possibly longer, since I’d blacked out. My watch was broken since I’d slipped and fallen on some moss coated rocks whilst trying to look for landmarks. My feet were tired and my ankle was so sore from the fall that I’d needed a broken branch to use as a crutch to take my weight. Now I was lost and all alone on this hike that had started early in beautiful dawn sunlight and now it was getting dark.

I could hardly see my map and I’d lost power on my mobile phone as well as my torchlight and compass. I’d sat on my glasses so the map was useless anyway even using the one lens that survived my bodyweight. I tried to use the binoculars I wore around my neck for bird watching but my arms weren’t long enough. So I couldn’t find the path in front of me to know which direction to take. It was cloudy so no sun or moon to identify north or south and I was relying on my instincts to choose the route to the pub where I was staying overnight.

I tried putting the map on the floor and standing on a rock to use the binoculars but it was already too dark and even when I lit a match it didn’t help. There were no lights from any farmhouses or villages where I might head and I knew that even fully fit I was at least an hour from my destination.

I wanted to remove my walking boot to ease the pain but feared I’d never get it back on again. I had some strapping in my rucksack to wrap around my ankle and boot to hold it in position so that it at least took my weight. .

This road was supposed to be popular with hikers but I hadn’t seen anybody for at least two hours. This walk should have been easy for me and I had everything I needed when I set off including fresh underwear for the following day. According to locals the path was supposed to be well signposted but I’d not seen any. Maybe I took the wrong turning way back, I was booked into a wonderful country inn for the night where I should have been settling down for dinner by now. Why was I so lost? I was all alone and completely out of my comfort zone.

It was getting darker by the minute no thanks to the heavy low cloud and I wished it would disappear so that I could the stars and find the North Star and a bright full moon. Typical for the Lakes and England in spring. At least there was no overnight frost or snow that can happen this time of year.

I settled against a rock and contemplated lighting a fire but I was aware we’d had a problem with moor fires the previous summer that lasted until autumn. A fire would have been useful try again to look at my map. As much as it pained me I decided that the best thing would be to get as comfortable as I could and raise my foot resting it on my back pack. I ate the rest of my energy snacks that remained in the side pocket and took a swig of water from my bottle. My weatherproof cape would keep out any chill and with luck it would be light again by 6am and I’d feel refreshed enough to make sense of my location.

……………………………………………………………………………………

I managed to drift off to sleep until some hours later I was awakened by a movement in the shrubs below me and as my eyes came into focus I could make out a figure. Maybe they had been there a while and I could see them now because it was getting light and the clouds were breaking. It was a woman staring at me with fear in her eyes.

She seemed some years younger than me and she was distressed, She wasn’t exactly dressed for hiking or to be walking about anywhere outside at this time of night or early morning. She had silky blonde hair down to her bare shoulders and beautiful ample breasts that were on display. She stood up after a minute or two holding her skirts down as a gust of wind blew that made her shudder. She was quite tall and I guessed she’d be about the same height as me. She was wearing open sandals as if it was the height of summer.

I tried not to scare her. I just pointed to my ankle and beckoned her towards me. After a while she built up the courage to come forward to speak rather than run away. It took all my skills of persuasion fixing my eyes on hers. It took me back to my days in dance halls and nightclubs when I used to survey the field and pick a target. Usually they were beyond my reach but the practice came in handy as I gained confidence around women. I went from zero to about a seven in success but relationships never lasted. I liked beautiful women of any age but I wasn’t sure what attracted me so much.

I tried to stand but in the end I had to sit down again since my ankle ached and it was painful if I put my weight on it. She came right over me and as scared as she seemed to be she took my arm and helped me to stand and take my weight on the branch that I’d used as a crutch.

She didn’t speak she just looked into my eyes. Hers were magnetic and I sensed the pain deep inside.

‘Are you ok? I sense you are lost. What on earth are you doing up here so early in the morning with no warm clothes or a coat. You look perished. You’ll catch your death.’

She spoke softly in reply. ‘I don’t care I’ve decided I’ve had enough.’

‘Surely not, Such a beautiful woman as you with only half your life gone.’

‘I had 2 or 3 lifetimes already and I’ve had enough of trecking this long dusty road.’

‘But it’s not dusty just a bit muddy here and there and difficult in places but not impossible to walk.’

‘I don’t know where it leads it goes on forever and each time I come here I give up and turn back. Today I want to go to the top of that hill where there is a sharp drop. I want to step into space and feel the wind as I float. There is nothing here for me anymore I don’t fit in this world.’

‘Please wait and don’t do anything stupid. Why not talk to me and see if I can help.’

‘No you can’t. Nobody can help me I’ve made my decision and that’s it.’

‘What about your family and those you love and those who love you? They’ll be upset.’

‘My family rejected me years ago. I’ve no patience with them anymore. I don’t fit this world or their lifestyle.’

‘Surely you are exaggerating and misjudging them. Families always stick together based on my experience.’

‘Not mine since they are ashamed of me..

‘Why have you murdered somebody or robbed a bank or something? Are you pregnant or have you murdered somebody?’

‘No none of those. Anyway I could never be pregnant. It’s never going to happen.’

‘Don’t say that. A beautiful woman like you. You are still young enough.’

‘Fat chance. I’ve never ever felt like I fit into this world and from an early age I used to feel like I was looking through the window. Outside looking in.’

‘I was like that growing up. Life was tough in my day and I’m quite a lot older than you so I do know a bit about struggles.’

‘Nothing like mine.’

‘I can’t judge but you seem so nice. Here take my wrap to get warm and hold my hands. You’re freezing. I have some spare socks in my bag if you want to put them on. Your toes are almost blue.’

‘OK thanks. Just for a while whilst I help you get to where you need to go and then I will leave you.’

‘That’s kind of you just get warm and take my jacket for a while. I will survive and you need it more than me.’

‘Thanks but only because you need help.’

‘Yes I guess I do. Stupid of me to walk this road alone but I read a story and it intrigued me. I wanted to follow it to see where it led and learn about the writer.’

‘I wrote a story/poem like that. It is a road to nowhere.’

‘Maybe you just took the wrong turnings so far but that’s life. Sometimes you meet someone at a crossroads or a junction and things look better.’

‘In my dreams. It’s OK for you since you look fit and strong and you’ve lived a life.’

‘Yes I’m OK but right now I can hardly walk and I’d had to stop and wait for the sun to come up rather than stumble on and trip and fall. It’s just a matter of stopping and taking a breath.’

‘What do you do for a living?’

‘Nothing much. I write stories now. I worked for a lot of years from an early age. What do you do?’

‘I do all sorts. My preference is artistic work but I’m a big fan of music and films.’
‘I never had time. Pity really. I envy you your talents. I was just average at anything I tried.’

‘So I have to go. Here please take tour things back.’

‘Keep them please. I can wait here until some other walkers pass by. I’m sure they’ll have a phone.’

‘Even if they have one they won’t get a signal up here.’

‘Bugger. Never mind I’ll find a way.’

‘Here please take your things back you might be here for ages yet.’

‘What about you?’

‘I can make it now to the top of that hill. I’ll soon be free of the pain of this world.’

‘OK. If you feel you have no choice.’

‘What do you mean. I told you some of the reasons why I’ve had enough.’

‘Yes you did. I’m a good listener if you want to share more.’

‘No. Well OK I can just tell you that my problems started as far back as I can remember. I felt different.’

‘Yes so did I.’

‘But it was weird because I didn’t feel like I fitted in.’

‘I guess I didn’t either.’

‘But you seem different to the people I’ve met in my life.’

‘We all are. It’s a strange world we live in.’

‘Look I need to go. I set myself a target and I’m going to miss it.’

‘So I’m boring you am I?’

‘No not at all. I’m interested to hear your stories and what you write about.’

‘Well you tell me something about you and your interests and I’ll tell you things too.’

‘What about your foot?’

‘I forgot about it since we started chatting. You are such an interesting person..

‘Look some people coming. Maybe they can help. At least they can send the Rangers back to carry you or bring a small utility vehicle or something.’

‘Yes that might be a good idea. Better than limping on this crutch.’

‘Look I’m going to be worrying about you now. Are you going to be OK?’

‘Probably.’

‘Look OK I’ll come with you. But not to the hospital.’

‘Why not?’

‘I’ve had enough of hospitals in my lifetime.’

‘Why?

‘I had all sorts of accidents in my life. I’m lucky to be alive.’

‘Yes you are. We all are.’

‘I didn’t mean that.’

‘Oh slip of the tongue was it.’

‘Yes I’ve almost been drowned and almost killed in several accidents. Then I had my operation. Then I had health problems.’

‘Any good things happen along the way?’

‘No. But I did meet one or two special people who I like a lot. We always helped each other.’

‘Yes you do seem that sort of a person. Now I need your help and you stopped.Lucky me.’

‘Yes but you’ll be like all the rest and you’ll run a mile when you know the truth.’

‘How can I run anywhere like this? You are stuck with me. For a while anyway.’

‘I don’t form relationships or have friends. I don’t have much patience with people.’

‘Well our paths have crossed so maybe things will change.’

‘Why who are you?’

‘Nobody. I was just following this road minding my own business and I slipped and fell.’

‘Are you sure that you are nobody?’

‘Well maybe somebody sent me to stop you doing something stupid.’

‘Who would do that? I’m not special.’

‘You must be special to somebody.’

‘But I did a terrible thing and I’m being punished.’

‘What terrible thing did you do?’

‘I decided I could no longer live in the body assigned to me.’

‘Mine has changed too. I’m a lot older and I prefer to go back to the one I had when I was young. Do you want to go back to the one you had?’

‘No way this is me. I don’t regret a day.’

‘Well why are you going up there to end it all?’

‘I’m not. I think I’ve changed my mind. I need to find out more about you and why you suddenly appeared in my life.’

‘How long have we got before these people arrange a rescue.’

‘What people?’