Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Juxten National Park

The sound of a metal singer rocked the car as we rested at the nearest stoplight. Karina rocked her head back and forth, her hair whipping around with her. Miranda stayed focused on the road like she should be. Harmony and Jessica stared out of each other’s respective windows. Harmony was staring at a mother and daughter walking their dog on the sidewalk, while Jessica couldn’t take her eyes off a Pizza Hut within arm’s reach. I swear I could see drool falling from her mouth.

As for me, I was in the back seat in between Harmony and Jessica, trying my best to ignore the lack of oxygen coming to my lungs. Normally, I’d be ecstatic to be between two hot women, but this was something completely different.

Not only were everyone’s clothes still on, which is a bummer by itself, but the car was pretty small, so their arms dug into me so hard I’m expecting it to leave bruises. Especially on Harmony’s side. She needs to realize how strong she is and fast so she can hold back for once. 

The light turned green and Miranda stepped on the gas and began moving again. The song turned off as well and the voices of two people spoke through the speakers. One was a man and the other a woman, and they both sounded emo as hell.

“So, Hellen, how was Burn in Hell by Henry Tight.” The man asks.

“It was fine, Heath.” Hellen groaned out as if it were the toughest thing in the world to do. “Next up is Burning in Hell. By Henry Tight.”

“It’s so different from Burn in Hell that I’m surprised the same person wrote it. What are his other songs?”

“Those are his only two.”

I could feel the silence that emanated from the station that was probably on the other side of the country. I shrunk in my seat for the two of them.

“Well, up next is Burning in Hell. Hope you think it’s fine.” The man said before the song began blasting.

Those two need to get their hearing checked. This sounds the same as the last one. It was all just incomprehensible screaming and shouting with drums and guitars blaring in the background. 

“How can you like this?” I ask Karina. She looked at me, confused, and I sighed as I remembered one of my rules. “You can still speak, but just not as much.”

“Cool.” Karina took a deep breath as if she’d been holding it forever. “It’s just really freaking good. The way how the screams can make my body vibrate and how much anarchy it brings.” She screamed and threw her arms back. “So riveting.” 

“Really? I thought it was the lyrics you liked?” Harmony asks.

“You can understand that?” Karina asked her back.

“Could you not?”

Karina shook her head. So she listened to the music without even understanding the meaning behind the words? God damn, I never thought I’d be looking into a mirror, especially when the reflection looked like her.

“I’m not a big fan of how they sing, but the lyrics are pretty touching.” Harmony said. “‘The way to hell is by not doing anything,’ and ‘You’ll burn feeling less human and more demon.’ That’s some good stuff right there.”

“How can you understand that?” Miranda asks. “Every time Karina plays this stuff, I can’t even decipher a single word.”

Harmony shrugged her shoulders as she looked out the window. The city passed by like a blur, the only notable building coming up being the elementary school. As we passed by it, she kept her eyes locked on it until it disappeared from sight. 

“I just can. Where I grew up, there was no music or anything. We had books and a single T.V. in the square, but no one ever went there.”

This time, Jessica was the one to look over. “It sounds like you had a tough life.”

Harmony let out a deep, reminiscent sigh. “For the longest time, I never considered my life to be bad since I never knew what a good life was. It was only recently when I read a book that detailed what a life worth living is like that I decided to do something about it. Now here I am.”

The car went silent. Even with the blaring music in the background, it didn’t cease the feeling of stillness and silence that covered the car with its blanket of depression. Even the ever talkative Karina looked at the floor without moving a single inch.

As for me, the only thing I could do was watch Harmony from the corner of my eye. I couldn’t make heads or tails about what she was thinking right now. However, if I knew anything about that face she’s making, where her eyes look like they travelled to another timeline, I knew it wasn’t anything that would make her feel like butterflies and rainbows. 

I used to make that face all the time, but when I realized that gaming kept me from thinking like that, I took it up right away. It was a way to keep my mind off the past and help me think in the now. I’m sure everyone here has something like that. Whether it be a job or hobby, they keep their mind busy to keep them from thinking.

What did Harmony have? Sex was just food to her. It didn’t keep her mind off of anything. In fact, considering the way she thinks about her relationship with sex, it most likely makes her think of the past even more. 

Her job at the antique shop is a good guess, but I’m not there to see if it’s something that keeps her mind from wandering. I would bet that it doesn’t, though. 

Beyond those two things, what else does she have? Cooking? She only ever cooks for me and she said the only reason she learned it was to fit in with humans more. What if I help her find a hobby then? That would help her keep her mind off of things.

The car stopped at another red light. As it stopped, I could see Karina looking around. When she spotted what she was looking for, she smiled and pointed somewhere.

“Hey, let’s go to the park first.” Karina suggested. “It’s kind of stuffy in here. Let’s stretch our legs before going.”

Miranda turned to us. “What do you all think?” 

“That sounds fun,” Jessica said.

“Sure.” Harmony said, without taking her gaze away from the window. 

All that was left was me. I didn’t want to make a detour, but with this, I can probably lift Harmony’s spirits. All I have to do is get her to follow me. 

“Majority rules.” I said.

“Alright.” Miranda said. 

As soon as the stoplight turned green, the car began moving and made its way to the park. She turned into the parking lot that was filled with cars and began trying to find a parking spot. I looked out the window and saw the sign that welcomed people into the park.

Juxten National Park. The home of the Juxten Plateau. We welcome people to check it out, take some pictures, and give us money.

It wasn’t hiding a single motive. Not even to this day. Come on, guys! At least pretend you care.

We all climbed out of the car and as soon as Harmony left, I could hear her gasp. That’s the reaction I expect when people not from here see the park. It’s almost inevitable.

For most parks, a reasonable person would think its level with the ground around them. However, we aren’t reasonable people, now are we. We’re spectacular, extraordinarily outside of the box thinkers. 

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The park itself was situated on a large plateau with stairs leading up on all sides. The entire city surrounded this single landmark and got most of its money from people coming over to see it for one specific reason. That reason is why we’re here. 

“Harmony, I’m going to show you something.” I say, moving slightly ahead of her. “You coming?” 

Harmony nodded her head, still looking up. “Sure.”

“We’ll meet up with you two later.” Miranda said. 

Harmony and I separated from everyone else and we began making our way up the plateau. We passed a sign warning parents to keep children ten or younger within line of sight. Although there are fences around the entire edge of the plateau, children are both stupid and brilliant at the same time. They’re brilliant at finding trouble when there really should be none, and idiots at not knowing that what they found was trouble.

As we climbed, I looked back and saw Harmony staring below us. We were only halfway up, but the ground below us looked far away. If it weren’t for the railing and other people trailing behind us, I don’t know if she’d keep her grip. 

With one final step, I stomped on the surface of the plateau. I moved out of the way and let Harmony step onto the surface. As soon as she did, she looked around, staring at all the vegetation that somehow grew on here. A plateau is mostly rock, so for there to be grass growing from the top was a miracle on its own. At least it would be if the grass were actually real.

Some of it is indeed real, but lots of it is just fake grass to make the place look better. Without actually touching the grass, however, it looked like the real thing. 

“This is amazing.” Harmony said with her mouth wide open. “What kind of place is this?”

“Have you never heard of a plateau before?”

“I’ve heard of them in geography books in school, but there’s none where we live. So this is a plateau?”

“Yes indeedy. You want to see something cooler?”

Harmony nodded her head so fast her hair flew everywhere. When it came to a rest, her eyes were hidden by strands of her hair. 

“Follow me then. And don’t worry, I’ll pay this one.”

We walked further into the plateau. Harmony looked around at all the children playing on the swings, in the spinny thing that would always make me dizzy as a kid, and a dome that’s filled with a lot of holes. I have no idea what’s in there and I don’t care enough to find out.

Something was off about her, though. Her lost look appeared back on her face as she looked at the children, laughing and screaming. I can only imagine what’s going through her mind at this moment. Whether it be horrific atrocities, or the vague feeling of never having such innocence, she looked at them with eyes that looked into her past. 

I tapped her shoulder, and she snapped out of her delirium. She spun around, and I pointed to our destination. A park officer stood at a gate with another pair of stairs that led upward to a plateau on top of a plateau. Such wonder mother nature can create when she isn’t busy causing earthquakes and tornadoes. 

As we walked up, the officer was letting people through. As he did, I got a good look at his face, and immediately my mood soured. Why the fuck is he still working here?

We walked up, and I was already preparing notes in my head. Then again, I should have changed a lot since all those years ago. There’s no way he should recognize me.

The guard looked over at us, and his face immediately lit up. “Ty? Is that you?” My life is nothing but failures. 

“Yeah it is, Larry.” 

He laughed while keeping his eyes on me. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard someone call me that. You still look like you’re sixteen.” Dammit genes, hurry and grow a beard. “So, what are you doing here?”

He looked beside me and smiled. Harmony waved to him and looked at me, not knowing what to do. I mouthed for her to say hi and she complied. 

“Hello, my name’s Harmony.” 

“Nice to meet you, Harmony. My real name’s Larce, but you can call me Larry if you want.”

“I always thought you hated that nickname?” I ask.

“Well, after enough time has passed, it gets kind of nostalgic. I remember the last time you came up here too.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t care about back then. I only care about now. So how much?”

Larry shrugged his shoulders. “Eh, for you it’s free. But next time you’re paying.” 

I nodded and thanked him as we went past him and climbed the stairs. I could hear the customer behind me argue to let him pass for free as well, and Larry stepping his foot down. I guess sometimes adults are as dumb as children.

As we climb the stairs, I can tell without even looking how small the world looks. I remember the last time I came up here, and how the people looked like ants beneath my feet. Why haven’t I forgotten that already? Better yet, why am I coming up here?

“Look at that.” Harmony said. Oh yeah, that’s why. I nearly forgot.

I look behind me and see her staring down. Thankfully, large fences are in the way to keep people from falling to their deaths. As I stared down, I could see Jessica and Miranda sitting at a table eating something. Karina was nowhere in sight, but she’s probably going to the bathroom.

“Come on. We still got a bit left, and then you’ll see what this city has to hold.”

We continue climbing and finally reach the top. I step forward and Harmony follows soon after. I could hear her gasp behind me. Suddenly, she ran in front of me and placed her hands on the wooden fence that blocked her from certain death. There’s a reason why children aren’t allowed up here.

The wind blew so fiercely it whipped her hair around, forcing her to hold her hand in front of her face just to see the sight. And what a sight it is. 

From up here, anyone could view the entire city. All edges exposed and nothing could hide from eyes up here. That gym that’s in between the pawnshop and chuck-e-cheese couldn’t hide from us forever. 

“Look over there.” I point in a certain direction. 

Harmony turned her head and we both could see it clearly. From where we stood, we could see the antique shop and grocery store from here. With just a lift of our heads, we could even spot my house from here. It all looked so small from the place that sat above the world. It’s almost like we entered God’s home and we’re seeing the world from his omniscient eyes.

That’s really the best way to describe this place. It’s where people go to experience what it’s like to see like a God. To be able to see the entire city from all the way up here made it seem like if I had big enough hands, I could move all the people down there like dolls. They wouldn’t be able to complain either. Or rather, they can. It’s just I’d be so big that their prayers would go to deaf ears.

I could already see it in Harmony’s eyes. She was finally enjoying herself in the moment. There was no hint of pain in her eyes. But that comes with a cost. For her to lose that pain, someone else must gain it. And I guess that person is me.

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