When Going Forward Lies Stagnant

My heart slammed against my chest while I sat in the passenger seat of the Honda that had been conveniently parked outside the building. I slammed the door shut right before the hundreds of tiny creatures could make their way into the vehicle. We had just narrowly escaped being sucked in by them, and I looked out the passenger window at them while they snarled and clawed at the side of the car. Their orange eyes paled against their gray-green amphibious skin. They kept repeating in a soft whisper some phrase in a foreign language. Even though I couldn't understand them, I can never forget what they were saying: Tnĕrew uoy hsÐ"®w uoy gnihtÐ"Ñ--reve dŋa sÐ"©katsim růoy tsap růoy erÐ"ÐŽ ęw.

Kelly and I had been running for what seemed like an eternity. We had both been captured by two different demons that had held us captive for several years, but we had finally broken free. All sorts of demonic entities tried to hunt us down and take us back into the hell we had just come from, but we were about to get away from it all once and for all.

Kelly started the car and floored it out of the parking lot away from the monsters, away from the fear, and away from our terrible pasts. We drove for about three days without stopping before we pulled over in an empty field to figure out what we were going to do next. We didn't know whether we wanted to keep driving aimlessly or if we wanted to set a course for a specific place. We sat for a minute, thinking about what we really wanted to do. I finally leaned over and kissed her right on the lips. At that very moment, a giant meteor fell from the sky and blew up everything around the car except for the ground directly beneath us. The smell of ash and sulfur passed through the car, but quickly faded away.

I could see around us endless, barren space that was filled with a deep, dark black air. Looking up, stars shone so brightly because of how they contrasted against the pitch black. Though the darkness gave me a feeling of evil and fear, I found beauty and peace in the stars.

I then decided in my mind what I wanted to do next. I began to feel very lightheaded, almost like when you wake up the morning after having taken Nyquil and try standing up too quickly. My hands sweat so much that I could feel the grit of the salt between my fingers. I didn't want to drive aimlessly anymore; not knowing where we'll end up. I wanted security between Kelly and I. I wanted our relationship to serve a purpose.

I looked over at Kelly and at that moment, she looked more beautiful than anything else I had ever seen. Her eyes shone so much that I had to shield my eyes. I suddenly became even more nervous than I was before. My hands started to shake like a rattlesnake's tail, and I poured sweat from my brow. I couldn't control myself physically so I drank a magical elixir that was in the back seat and suddenly I felt the courage of the strongest of men. I felt my muscles relax, and I could feel myself building up internally for what I was about to say to Kelly.

I took this newfound confidence and I leaned over to Kelly and I asked in a strong voice, "Kelly, will you marry me?"

Right after I asked, my arms, legs, and entire body froze stiff. I couldn't move at all. I kept trying but I couldn't budge. I looked over and Kelly wasn't moving either. I tried to ask if she was ok, but no sound came out of my still mouth. I watched the radio clock out of the corner of my eye and counted seven years that went by while we were in that solid state. During those seven years, I thought of what I had