“dammit kiddo, looks like you screwed yo’self on this one, aint no way even some slick shit like you cudda slipped outta this un,no, not even with no lies, big or small, not this time, you're stuck in that there corner”

“yeah, looks like it. Like aways when you live inside the circles huh? I know it is. I checked, I read it all through, nothings up ahead, I saw the sun rise this morning, it was murder red and foggy, foggy at best, at best. I barely could make anything out, it just isn't, normal. Not normal like I'm used to, ever since I gave it up.”

“aint nothin normal bout it sonny, aint nothin normal bout you neither. Id seen you walk up there like youdda own the place, caught a whim of smoke then choked back down to a skeleington of sorts. I've seen you before, pleanty of ya. Cause yarll the same. Think tomorrows always a day away, like it’s a drug. you figger its best ta push it aside jus like ereything else you done did. Till one day, one day it comes like the rains. Heavy hard and unrelenting, it soaks ya through, drowns ya. An all that time you couldda been lernin to swim, stead ya watched, watched and grew into the rocks an sand. Back inta the desert”

“naw now billie, you’ve got it wrong. You can't live how you do, I can't, no one can. Routine? Blah. I shrug it off like everything else. Id wake up everyday wishing for it to be new, but it was the same. The clock kept me living its twisted hurt, reminding me where I should have been when it said 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6, and I never was there. it reminded me what kept on adding up. I stood frozen and kept on wishing something would happen someone would break the glass and stop those hands that machine. Nothing was worth it. The walls kept on growing yellow everyday a little more, like, like a disease. I had to get out, you don’t know what that does to a man, I had to leave.

“well, you gotta lern to walk before ya run I suppose. Aint much place for ya here, these days aint much place for anyone unless ya turned black to the soul, unless yur hungry for it, then they’ll want ya. Cigarette?”

“yeah I might as well blacken my lungs while I can, I decided I'm going back tomorrow, so I won't have a chance to do anything, you know how it is, they’ll figure out who did it then clip your wings before you get the chance to take off up the ladder. Damn government jobs, damn grey walls, damn gray life. I smoke too much and don’t read enough, I'm gonna die before I finish a book. Its always the last page.”

“yeah, I don’t know. Never was much for that kinda thing, always thought it best ta keep it close ya know, hidden and safe, jus go about trudging along toward something, I was never sure what but I thought the sun looked different so I jus took my chances I guess, didn’t get me far.”

“yes, see. It’s the clock, the damned clock, waving about like some police man thinking he can direct us where to go”

“maybe”

“maybe!? It is, it goes away when you don’t look at it in the face. Oh, that’s the worst, when you look close, real close, hell win everytime. My face always feels contorted afterwards. Ill write about it and then forget it ever happened”

“well I guess it depens on where youd had grown up at. I don’t care much for it now, aint gonna help none,shouldda sold out sooner though. Know it right as hell now. That’s the funny thing about walking in a straight line you ferget to take a look back erey once in a while, seen where youd been comin and goin.”

“yes well I suppose so, you really shouldn’t have. Say if you give me 5 dollars I’ll go buy some coffee and be right back”

“hell I aint got no five dollars, you're a writer for that news paper, I recoglized you soon as I seen ya from the picture there”

“no well, I used to. I told you, I couldn’t take it anymore remember”

“so you came here”

“yeah, I just walked out, and came here. Where ever it is”

“I don’t know, been walkin all day myself, forget where from. Don’t know where to”

“ah, yes. Eternally iconic the lonesome travler along some desert highway in search of something. Well I have driven down this particular rode plenty of times. There isn't much. Rocks dust, animal bodies. They smell. Especially when a deer get hit. Blood bathed the road. Looked like someone spilt paint all over the place. Then it gets hot and sticky, grimy and smells awful. I always get sick when I smell it now. Happens so much these days. Somethings gotta keep the population down though.”

“hmm. I suppose. Don’t change I don’t got no 5 dollars”

“ right, well I need to go anyway.”

“you aint going no where like you always do. All talk, that’s what ya are, newt and the big nothing, big lie, the big fool.ha.