On the night of May 27th of this year I decided being that I was newly inhabited in a town of which the name I will not mention, I decided to take a walk. Around 11:30PM I began my journey taking with me a fanny pack that contained a portable CD player that I borrowed from my cousin, and my cell phone, and 3 CDs (Rancid’s Lets Go, Bad Religion’s Process of Belief, and The Alkaline Trio’s Crimson). I headed into a familiar direction down the road on which I live.

I walked past many houses, which lead to a busy intersection. I decided to turn onto this busy road and walked until I found myself near a conglomo of a grocery store (really big one). I walked over to a soda machine that required 35 cents, put in my changed and pressed the button that displayed grape soda. This did not result in satisfaction!

Instead of the grape soda of which I desired, the machine distributed unto me vanilla cola. (This is a drink I choose not to consume for personal reasons). Now upset I placed the cola on top of the machine. After stepping a few feet to the right (my favorite direction) I discovered a machine that had 7-Up for $1 a bottle thus resulting in me apprehending 7-Up.

After obtaining my newly desired goal of consumptive fluid, I began my journey once again. I passed through a neighborhood of apartment complexes, headed down paths then I circled back where they began, until I came across the one street that was not lit very well. I asked myself “what is out there Eddie, what is lurking inside the darkness waiting for me to learn of it, hoping to be noticed and become apart of my memory, what is it you feel deep in the pit of your stomach?” I decided to take this path of darkness.

The sky turned to a darkened gray, rain began to fall softly apron myself and surroundings, and then it happened… I came across a bird just standing in the middle of the sidewalk. The rain was beginning to thicken up and the well being of this bird concerned me. I knew it was not healthy for this pour creature to lie on the sidewalk. If not already it could become sick or possibly end with fatal results. I decided to bring the bird home hoping that a vet sought out in the morning might be able to examine it and nurse it to health, yet upon the attempt of reaching for it, the bird became frightened and flew into a nearby tree. I felt much better knowing it would be safe now.

Upon the departure of the bird I once again ventured on into the darkness, however it wasn’t long at all before a flash of lightning lit up the sky and neighborhood before me. I had to pause for a few seconds; due to the flash my sight had been temporarily blinded. In my pause of movement I heard a terrible snap (much more loud, than the cereal “snap, crackle, and pop”) followed by a low roaring rumble. In its prime I pulled my cell phone from the fanny pack and proceeded to document in my mind the length of time this reverberating noise took to finish which was exactly one minute from when I pulled my phone out.

After the sound of the thunderous bolt had depleted I wandered again into the darkness down the asphalt before me. I came to conclusion that I was lost, however the diligence I felt mixed with my sense of adventure brought me upon a thought that I would eventually find my way home anyway – so I decided to continue my journey.

I crossed yet another busy road, into another darkened suburban area where this time the night painted everything black. Only the night rain, now dormant on the ground reflecting the moonlight would light my way from here on out. I pressed forth into the darkness exploring deeper into my new residence of which the name I will not mention, deep into the night of twisted and oddly curbed roads, until I acquired an injury (I hurt my foot), the damage in my steps brought me to the conclusion that it was time to end my quest.

Now in pain I headed in the direction that I assumed would lead me home. I again took a path that I as unfamiliar with seeking a shortcut home. I stopped to urinate on a local sewer drain, saw a street sign of which I also will not mention the title of, however due to its pronunciation, an image developed in my mind of a toilet filled to the top with macaroni and cheese.

I walked a twisted winding road that eventually ended in finding for a third time a busy intersection, I also discovered I was not that far from where I expected to end up. Upon crossing this particular intersection, I passed through the parking lot of yet another grocery store. I stopped to change the disc in my borrowed CD player back to my first choice (Bad Religion’s The Process of Belief) thinking to myself “man this trip was crazy”. But I was not quite home yet; still a path laid before me, and the rain was at its thickest possible downpour!

Venturing through the rain and back into my neighborhood, I looked over to the well-kept houses to see television lights flickering in the dark of what appeared to be a living room. I aimed my head towards the backyards and for some strange reason I pictured a giant mechanical chicken pressing diligently to the north.

As I approached my front door I thought of all the interesting things I encountered; the evil pop machine that gives you that of which you did not ask to obtain, the lightning bolt that lit the sky and its thunder that roared like a lion, and what of the bird that I encountered at the beginning of my journey? Did it finds its way back to its nest and family? And if not, would it get the necessary health attention to stabilize its condition? Perhaps space aliens landed, spoke with the pour weak bird and invited it to a tea party on the moon? Only the bird himself would know these things. I opened the door and stepped into my new home ending my quest for absolutely nothing.

- Eddie