A gorgeous blue sky hangs overhead while dozens of clouds slowly pass by in various shapes and sizes. The majestic mountain sits among some of these clouds and serves as the jewel on the horizon. A man walks down the mountain road, stumbling and suffering from some kind of trauma. The mans clothes are battered and torn, his hair disheveled, and his face is covered in blood that has dried under the sun. He speaks incoherently to himself and to his ghosts as he does his best to navigate the downhill grade of the mountain road. He does not know why he is here or where he is going, nor from where he has come.
THE PREVIOUS NIGHT
Dusk - below the majestic mountain i see the welcome sign of a hotel vacancy at the foot of the long journey up the mountain. I decide this rustic log Inn would be the perfect place to relax for the evening and continue on my journey in the morning. After checking in for the night i gather my belongings from the company car and go to my assigned room. Once i open the door i am surprised to see a half dozen or so late teen or early adult males sitting around the room drinking and behaving like guys of a certain age often do.
I look at my key and again at the room number on the door, assuming there must be some kind of mistake at the hotel desk, but the numbers match. I am greeted somewhat by surprise but once the young men realize who i am they immediately offer me one of their beverages from an ice chest and ask me to join them, eager to hear stories from someone like myself. I look around the room and see my own reflection in most of their eyes - i could have been any one of these kids at one point in time - in fact i probably was. I respectfully decline their offer and excuse myself to try and find another room for the evening.
At the hotel desk the Asian gentleman gives me another room key and apologizes for the inconvenience of the other room (i was careful not to rat the boys out, just told him i wanted a different room facing other direction). Upon arriving at the new room i open the door and was thankful to see the room was dark and quiet. However after turning on the light i notice immediately two mountain lion cubs on the bed. These are just babies - probably the size of a house cat or barely a few weeks old. Their piercing blue eyes staring intently at my own, they cry out for their mother from their place on the bed. It occurs to me that there is likely a mother somewhere around....I decide that maybe this room is also not meant for me.
Once again i return to the hotel desk, this time the Asian man is not around instead there is a younger girl probably around 20 years old who seems more interested in her mobile device than my needs or the needs of baby cougar cubs in the room i was given. Finally she manages to break away from the phone long enough to ask me to come back with her to a sort of supply room which holds nothing but empty shelves and bunch of generic alarm clocks - probably 50 or 60 of them. She asks me to choose a clock which is interesting because they all appear the same, save for they are not all on the exact same time. I reach out and choose once which seems to be ticking the loudest and hand it to her, with that she turns and goes back to the hotel desk.
On the way out of the room i notice a faded sign on the wall which reads something to the effect of "Money can buy many things but happiness is not guaranteed. A clock can give you time and it can also take time away from you - choose wisely" Presumably that was a vintage advert for the alarm clock company....
She gives me a room key based on the number off of the clock that i had chosen and wishes me a good nights rest. Finally settled back into the room i am about to lay down to sleep when i hear a faint knock on the door. Upon answering the door i am shocked to see possibly two of the most beautiful young women i have ever laid eyes on; one of them golden hair and riveting seagreen eyes and the other a brunette with jade eyes. I have no idea the intentions of these mysterious visitors but they seem genuine enough, they claim to be from management and offer me a free complimentary breakfast in the morning for my troubles.
THE FOLLOWING DAY
Alarm clock rings like a rooster in my pillow. In fact i thought it was an actual rooster the damn thing was so loud and obnoxious. I must have hit it 10 times to get the snooze button to work and then fell back to sleep returning to dreams about angelic beauties on the farm in daisy duke shorts squirting each other with a water hose while be chased by a rooster. Then i wake up with a jolt as sunlight has completely filled my room. I had slept easily past the time i had wanted to get up, so now im rushing around to get ready and restart my journey.
As i check out of the Mountain Inn the Asian man takes my key and waives the charge for the night, however he is insistent that i keep the old alarm clock for some strange reason.
I hop in the company car and take off up the mountain knowing i am easily an hour off of schedule. As i climb the majestic mountain i am amazed that the beauty of the rock as the road slices through it. Approaching the apex of the mountain its late sunrise and the clouds appear at eye level - i see a herd of gray elephants with pink bellies and orange trunks move on by, then a lone shark, possibly a whale shark, followed by a smaller great white shark swim by. The great white shark stops floating by me long enough to lock eyes with me and open its mouth and show its teeth - only its not possible for clouds to have teeth.
At this moment i turn my attention back to my travels and there standing in the road ahead is an adult Cougar and she is not moving. As the company car rapidly approaches her she doesn't flinch. I stand on the brakes immediately with all of my power and try to swerve to avoid hitting this beast. Unfortunately i swerve just enough to run off of the road and over the cliff, the car rolls and tumbles over the rocks and hills and trees before coming to a stop a hundred feet below, in a twisted heap of metal, broken glass, and smoke.
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
Stumbling down the mountain my body aches all over. I am still not quite sure what has happened to me or why i am walking down this road. The beautiful mountain begs to tell me her story and take me in as one of her own - but i keep on walking. Eventually i come down to a bit of a valley where the road straightens out and up ahead there are a few buildings; a couple of homes, a general store / gas station, and a small cafe.
When i make it to the cafe i am absolutely exhausted. The waitress notices me and comments on my condition but i assure her (i think) i am okay. She offers me a glass of lemonade and lunch since i am obviously very hungry and thirsty. After one of the best club sandwiches and homemade fries i have eaten, plus more freshly squeezed lemonade, the events of the day(s) are becoming more and more clear to me. I recite them aloud as if to try and make sense of them, but yet "I still don't know why i am here..."
A shadowy man in the corner of the cafe was listening to me, i had not even noticed him before, but he stood up and put his cigar out in the ashtray and walked by me. I could barely make out a description of him but he was tall and somewhat creepy - very creepy in fact. His very presence gave me goosebumps, and his voice cracked like the rocks of the earth beneath us.
"Its obvious why you are still here...." he said slapping a wooden cane on the floor of the cafe, his angular face still obscured by shadows "those two Angels pulled you out of the car and walked down the mountain with you. They carried you part of the way. In fact they are waiting outside for you this very minute.....make no mistake friend....you are only here because it wasn't your TIME....otherwise i would have pulled you out of the car"
And with that the mysterious shadowy man disappeared ...