Postcards from the Wasteland

​Nihil walked along the sidewalk, a steady stream of people passing him by in both directions,

the people hurriedly scurrying from their appointments to their responsibilities, trying not to take one misstep, fearing their financial livelihood doom if they did. The people were cogs in the wheel, forever turning gears of the machine, members of the rat race speeding along as fast as they could, just to reach the finish line, to then race the very same steps the next day again. And so, the people streamed along the sidewalk, repeating their daily routine, and so, the rats took part in the rat race upon the sidewalk, weaving between the legs of the people streaming along the sidewalk, trying to see who would be victorious. Crossing the finish line first, it was Pugsly Mugsly. He’s now a perfect 84-0 and growing weary of the lack of competition, calling out any who would accept a one on one race. Tell me something, Usain Bolt, what are you afraid of?

OK, Pugsly Mugsly’s exploits in track and field were certainly impressive and should be brought to everyone’s attention but I really don’t think here is the appropriate venue to display his running prowess. I do believe I may have gone a bit off track. No pardon even requested for the puns, so do or don’t, it matters not. But, back to the story of Nihil walking along the sidewalk, people streaming past him in both directions on either side.

Nihil continued walking along the sidewalk. Where was he heading to, he really didn’t know, he was just walking, steps leading to wherever their destination was determined to be. He walked with a plodding, consistent step. The people passing by on either side, they all seemed in such a hurry, so determined to get where they were going as fast as they could. But, really now, where was it they were even going? Did it really make any difference if they ever got there, at all? And why exactly were they in such a hurry to get there? Nihil pondered these questions as he continued to walk the sidewalk.

As he walked, he began to glance at the faces of the people passing him by. The assortment of the facial expressions of lives in motion were on display, determined, focused, anxious, nothing, smiling, angry, distracted, bemused, confused, and a fuck of a lot of many of them yammering away on their cell phones. It was like an automaton factory line, the conveyor belt leading them into whatever abyss they then called home. Nihil couldn’t help it, he found every expression running the gamut to be ugly and he began to wonder why the hell he had gone out for this walk to nowhere, and if he, for whatever reason, was so intent on doing so, why he had not, at the very least, maybe chosen a somewhat less populated avenue upon which to traverse? But, still, Nihil just continued walking ahead with the same steady stride while the people on either side of him continued to hurry on by.

And so, Nihil just continued to walk on the sidewalk, the people streaming past him on either side and in both directions, and as he walked and glanced at the faces of the people, he noticed there was this odd, eerie quality about them. The rapid pace with which they moved was becoming amplified so that they appeared as if they were flashes racing by in a speeding train, the visages blurred, the expressions distorted and pronounced. And as the people passed by, the expressions were more bizarre, grimaces, sneers, shrieks, wicked smiles, groans, shouts, agony, worry, sorrow, pain. And the flashes of each face became so rapid it was like they were dancing within the momentary embrace of a strobe light, Nihil just steadily walking straight through this hallucinogenic-like tunnel. And then...The faces returned to normal, the people passing Nihil by with the customary assortment of hurried strides. And, as Nihil continued walking, he continued to glance at the faces passing him by, all now displaying themselves as they had before, the mundane, varied monotony of lives in motion. ‘Well, guess it was mildly interesting while it lasted.’ thought Nihil to himself. And so, Nihil just kept walking along the sidewalk.

At some point, while walking along the sidewalk, the people flowing past him on either side, there came speeding past Nihil’s feet, Pugsly Mugsly, Pugsly Mugsly blazing past Nihil’s slow and steady stride and immediately surpassing every other walker heading in his same direction, his little rodent legs rapidly pumping as he left all in the dust and disappeared out of sight. They say that slow and steady wins the race, well, I'll tell you this right now, slow and steady will never win the race against Pugsly Mugsly.

Nihil just kept walking along the sidewalk, people passing by him on either side. His were really just steps heading nowhere. Seeing as how Nihil was heading nowhere, he really saw no particular reason to hurry. Would there be anything he might encounter, from this point on, along his path that would be in any way noteworthy at all? No way for Nihil to say. He figured he’d know it if he saw it.

And so, Nihil just kept walking along the sidewalk, On, he continued to walk and on, the people continued to flow on either side like two infinite streams in a perpetual loop, all the people filing past, along the course of their day, the footsteps of their lives. And, in between the two streams, Nihil continued to walk, continuing forward with his slow, steady stride.

On, Nihil walked, the people hurriedly flowing past him on either side. At some point, he gazed ahead, looking forward, and he saw, in the distance, a solitary figure in the middle of the sidewalk, just standing there as the people flowed past it on either side.

Nihil continued walking forward.

After a time, Nihil looked ahead, into the distance, again. Up ahead, the figure was still standing in the middle of the sidewalk, the people flowing past it on either side.

And so, forward, Nihil continued with his slow and steady stride.

After a bit, he looked up ahead again. Ahead, he could still see the figure, stationary in the middle of the sidewalk. He was closer to it now and could tell that it was a man, and the man was just standing there in the middle of the sidewalk, staring ahead in Nihil’s direction, the people flowing past him on either side, as Nihil continued walking forward with his slow, steady stride.

Nihil continued walking along the sidewalk and, at some point, looked ahead again. He saw that he was now only twenty feet or so from the man standing in the middle of the sidewalk, who was just standing there, staring, not just straight ahead but straight at Nihil. Nihil could also see that the two streams of people, those coming toward Nihil and those following in his direction appeared to be converging and diverging from immediately behind the man standing in the middle of the sidewalk because, though leading up to him, the sidewalk was a steady stream in both directions, beyond the man standing in the middle of the sidewalk, the sidewalk was empty, entirely clear of people. It was as if all the people seemed to join into one continuous stream, the stream both beginning and ending with the man standing in the middle of the sidewalk. It was a very bizarre contrast, the hustle and bustle and cacophony of the sidewalk leading up to the man standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and the silence, stillness just beyond him. Nihil continued walking forward with his slow, steady stride, almost up to the point where the man in the middle of the sidewalk stood.

Nihil kept walking until he was immediately in front of the man standing in the middle of the sidewalk. He stopped. The man standing in the middle of the sidewalk stared straight at Nihil, Nihil just stood there and stared back, the people flowing past them on either side. The two of them just stood there on the sidewalk, staring at each other, neither speaking a word for some time until Nihil decided to break the silence, So, nice day for a walk, wouldn’t you agree?

The man standing in the middle of the sidewalk smiled. Well, I, for one, would say, it’s always a nice day for a walk when those steps lead you to the only place those steps shall ever go.

Might I say, that was a completely stupid, senseless statement. Nihil commented.

Are you sure of that? How then, might you tell me, could it not be a good day, when your steps are leading you where it is you will go. The man theorized.

Nihil drank from a water bottle he carried that was filled with vodka. I don’t know, not entirely sure that would be accurate if all your steps are doing is leading you into hell.

The man standing in the middle of the sidewalk, people flowing past him, emerging or converging from behind him, replied with a smile, Hell, works for me.

Might I kindly inquire who it is you are? Nihil asked.

The man standing in the middle of the sidewalk looked at Nihil as though he should know the answer. Why, the devil.

The devil, I see. And so, tell me, all these people milling about the sidewalk who, I notice, are not at all present behind you, who might they be? Nihil inquired then took a drink.

The devil chuckled wickedly. Oh, just my souls. I like to let them out on these pointless excursions so that they can savor the taste of the air, remember life, and by doing so, dream again, before I return them to their cells. You see, by allowing them that dream that they could ever be free, it greatly compounds their misery.

I see. So then, basically, what you’re doing is letting the inmates out of the asylum to run around, to go from hell then back?

The devil considered this with a contemplative look. No. I would not phrase it as such. For, you see, once you enter hell, there really is never any way to get out, only those moments when you think you are, and it is those moments, when you then realize that you are, in fact still condemned within it that makes hell and all the abject torment so real.

I see. Might I comment here? Nihil asked.

The devil nodded his head with a welcoming look. By all means.

You’re a sadistic douchebag. Nihil stated.

I am the devil. the devil rationalized.

You could consider being a somewhat less sadistic, douchebag devil. Nihil suggested.

Well, I am the devil.

Yeah, but you’re a sadistic, douchebag devil by just letting the people run around outside for a while then throwing them back in their cell and crushing their dreams.

The devil looked at Nihil with a questioning gaze. What do you suggest, that I hold movie and popcorn and karaoke nights for the denizens of hell, instead?

"I said less sadistic douchebag." Nihil emphasized.

Well, I am the devil. the devil announced with a self-praising tone.

Nihil drank from his bottle. Yeah, I kind of got that the first however many times you said it. But then, so tell me, what about me, I’m not in the streams of people, does that then mean I’m not in hell?

The devil