Highway 6

I'm in a daze.. don't know what happened, or what's going on..
My head hurts, and I can't see what's in front of me. The silence down in the abyss is deafening.
I only recalled my parents telling me to stay clear of the highway, not to be drawn to it by the gilded pavement or the jet black gravel; not to ogle the fast cars whizzing by.

I think I listened.. kinda. I slung on my luggage and trudged ahead. It took me several days, though it seemed like every ounce of energy had been drained from me. Feverish and exhausted, I stopped in my tracks. There, right there, ahead of me, stood the beautiful highway. I was blinded for a moment, and when I thought it was due to the glaring rays of the sun, I saw a hint of glitter.

So the legends were true, the bridge existed, the gold was real.. and the people, boy did they worship the damn pavements. People, from all walks of life, practically kissing the floor. Some tried to hack at it, hoping to take some gold home. The pavement would not budge, and they grew weary from the wasted effort. I took my eyes off the people and saw all types of expensive cars at full speed, weaving through each other like an urban wave. The path was straight, perfect for me.. but I remembered my parents' warning, and I turned right.

The path in front was daunting. Narrow and rough, I tripped right on the first step and scraped my knee. Blood oozed out, but I got used to it; after all, that's not the only thing draining away from my body. As I traversed the difficult terrain, I realized that the path was directly below the highway. Looking up, a drop of black, oily substance hit my face. Gasoline, tar, the vehicular waste was mocking my choice. Underneath the highway was its true nature; the dirty yellow paint was peeling and filth inhabited all of its corners. All of its splendor was replaced by a grim layer of deception.

After what seemed like hours, the path finally turned, encircling a hill. A waft of fresh air embraced my senses, freeing me from the deadly stench of exhaust. I deliberately walked at a slower pace, hoping that this temporary grant of freedom would last.. but as the last patch of nature slipped away from sight, I found myself looking at the end of the path..

and screamed in anguish. What seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel led right back to the highway. Some people saw me and laughed in scorn.
"You fool! You should've taken the highway!."
More people joined in the mocking, pointing fingers at me. I looked down, regretting all those times I foolishly followed what I thought was right. Below where I stood was nothingness, an endless abyss. Perhaps...

I lept; the fall took forever.. the last thing I saw was oncoming darkness as I closed my eyes and waited my demise.

Wait, back up, I remember now. The people who laughed at me.. they didn't have faces, just hollow sockets and pitch black lips. And their skin.. the lifelessness of it frightened me. It was like, they had no soul. Perhaps that was the 'filth' I saw underneath..
And it dawned on me; I'm free, free from the cackling ghouls, free from the shackles of unholy pleasures, free from the weakness of the flesh, free from the route to death, and even as I breathe my last, I know I'll open my eyes to a better place. I'm free,

free from Highway 6.