T H E S T R I P M I N E

Hell

A Modern Tragedy

[2020]

This is Hell.

Do you see?

Everyone is dead. You’re alone in this place.

How does it make you feel?

I’m sad.

Without a doubt, I’m sad.

Any real man would do anything to protect and feed his family.

This is how they caught most of them.

And you?

I would do anything.

Anything, to escape this place.

You see, when humbled- most men cease to be men.

They become animals.

All men are humbled.

Not all become animals.

Have you ever broken a man?

I have.

You’re looking at her ring. She’s married. Her hands are very clean. You notice her nails and the length of her fingers. Again, she’s married. She doesn’t belong to you. Now you’re looking at her hair. Her hair is a sign of her virtue. You’re looking at her skin now and your eyes are drawn to the flaws.

She has very fair skin.

You ask her things she wants to talk about. She’s laughing now. She’s looking in your eyes. You keep looking at her ring. She’s watching your eyes to see where they go. You stay on the ring. You give her your eyes.

These are words. It doesn’t matter what you say. You want me dead. I’m right here. I can see you. Nothing that you say matters if you want me dead.

This is not my dream.

You have stumbled upon a Bengaled Tiger inside a cave. How do you feel? Are you still alive? Touch your stomach. Make sure that you’re awake. Pinch yourself and make sure that this isn’t a dream. You should keep far from a nest of Snakes or a Tiger’s den. There might not be a next time. Look over your shoulder to make sure. See that you’re not being followed on your way out.

You have met the girl for sale. Is she pretty? Do you like her?

Resurection is part of the punishment of ruining forever.

You are without a penny.

You’re looking at the ground now. Looking for something. Are you no longer seeking love?

I’m no longer seeking love.

At this moment I have given up on everything including love.

I’ve lost hope now.

She’s adjusting her top in front of you. She wants you to see her. She’s showing you her body. You’re staring.

Do you wish to change me?

You claw at the walls frantically tracing your way through the tunnels, the water splashing as you try and level the rising fear that’s beginning to overwhelm your very existence. It’s only a matter of time before the terror completely takes hold of your reality. You’re beginning to cross over, how would you like to keep sane?

You’ve just been told that the sky is orange.

You’ve been told to open your eyes.

I try to avoid them if at all possible.

Full enlightenment can be achieved in many different ways. It can be a punishment just as soon as a gift.

*This is a Deere.

Take a look, this one has a bottle.

I woke on a bridge. Savannah was dead. She was slumped against the passenger’s door. I was sweating, my head was spinning. We were surrounded by cars but their engines were dead. None of them were moving.
Everyone was dead. As I stepped from the car I felt like I was falling.

*You’ve encountered a Moose. How do you wish to proceed?

I think I’ll just keep my eyes to myself.

You’ve encountered a Ghost, it’s best to keep your eyes to yourself. If you look at it, it might look at you. Would you like a Ghost peering into your soul?

The Shadow of a Tree is reflecting something small with wings. You look up, and spot two small birds of prey. They’re letting you look. Would you like anything more than to simply look? Do you feel safe beyond looking? Move on; these birds are peaceful, you’ve seen them. You know they exist.

You’ve spotted a rose. It’s bright red. Do you like it?

It’s a nice flower. It’s bright red. I like it. It doesn’t belong to me, I am obliged simply to admire it briefly, and move on.

Now you have to contend with a Bear.

Stand your ground.

There is a stranger approaching. How will you proceed?

I’m tense- my grip tightens on the knife, I wait for sudden movement.

You look up at the sky. A giant winged beast is ascending the clouds, two young children are seated facing eachother, atop this creature breathing fire towards the Sun- kissing. They don’t notice you. You begin to cry.

When I woke I was in a huge Estate filled with many people I know. Each of them was hunting for a room to hide in. I finally chose one of the rooms furthest to the east, deepest into the Estate so as it would require all the other rooms to be passed before it was reached. I would listen for the screams to see that it was real and lie between the massive windows and one of the beds so that I wasn’t trapped. Many of the others elected to hide in closets, bathrooms, and large drawers. It was snowing. I sensed the horses drawing near, thought of the highrise murder scene and the swinging steps at the top of the tall room.

I found several small Christmas Trees and climbed them up towards her. The snow was getting wet. It was dark, there were several fires lit and festive lights were blinking. She had a small cutout where she was having tea. There was a little fire going and a crimson colored carpet. The open air was cold but the small space where I found here was warm. She was with company. I can’t remember a single thing. I was climbing again. I wasn’t worried though, I follow my instinct and I always find myself where I need to go. I had reached the tunnels. Steep stairs and abandoned lines were operating. I was following someone. Small leaks were everywhere but they hadn’t made it through my shoes. You couldn’t avoid some of the puddles where I was. As time passed some of the corridors became more narrow and deeper, the stairs became ladders and there was more water. I had reached the center of earth.

You’ve reached The North Pole.

You’ve been spotted by something horrid lurking the snow and melting glaciers.

You blink.

You’re bleeding.

You don’t feel any pain.

Where is your God?

You begin to fade off.

What do you regret?

You regret nothing.

You’re leaving the fear behind.

Many of us have died. There are less of us now. The World has changed. It has yet to sink in. We have to come to terms with the greatest lie of all time but it’s not registering because it’s a lie.

How will you choose to cope with this lie?

I’m resigned to sadness.

I have no answer.

I wish to leave.

Please…

You have begun to scream. Tears stream warmly against your cheek in protest.

It’s raining and dark, there’s a house at the bottom end of the block with several dogs and a young owner. Tori lives a few houses up. She took something from me laughing and promised to return it when she’s done.

Then I blinked and I was there, in the front cab of a large vehicle. We were entering an elevator. A tiny elevator with thick glass windows on the sides and looking out in the front. Out upon the vast ocean that we towered above. The lift was rising and we entered several other lifts of the exact scale and variety. We kept rising, and when we reached the top we exited the vehicle and there was food, and soda machines. But it was the view. The endless view of the ocean that surrounded us. We had reached the highest point on earth. The top of the world. There was no way down.

No escape.

My eyes closed and I could hear her breathing deeply. She was moaning when I found myself along the winding road at the desert mountain peak. An empty twisting path dusted with red clay, ancient rocks and succulent plants overlooking the dead sea in the horizon. Here there was a small store that I would frequent along the road by the shore. Carpets were placed in the sand and the ocean was a deep indigo blue. The sky had vanished. This was part of the Moon.

The edge of Earth is where I leaned in to kiss the right side of her cheek.
I’m looking up at the sky as I reach for the blade in my coat with my right hand. And she’s placed a shawl behind my head. I blacked out as she gets closer and begin to spin.

I feel like I could cry. I’m looking around now. There are people here. I won’t cry.

You’ve reached the ocean.

Would you like to cry now? I enjoy the view. I have no use for crying here. I like the view. I would enjoy company here as the view might be more becoming with entertainment. If I could share this with someone, it might be more enjoyable.

Is there a name in your head when you think of being with someone?

Do you have someone that you love? Do you know for sure that they love you? Who would you wish to share this moment with? With someone you trust? Is that the right word?

Tell me who.

Can you speak this name?

Speak this name and I will grant you one wish.

I woke in Macy’s at Herald Square. On a yellow couch. My legs were crossed, I had a drink in my hand, and a telephone, everyone had knives. They were coming for me. I was in the furniture section, on a yellow couch. I fell back asleep.

The Hudson Murderers is a part of the underground. When you wake here the first thing you must do is not allow fear to overwhelm you. The entire place is made of cement. Some of the floors and part of the walls are painted white. The ceiling is horribly low, the corridors are wide but at some points you might need to crawl to get through. There are a few signs hand painted in red, and there are no windows here. Most of the people that you will see here are black. Many of them are rather old in appearance. You see the scary thing is that no one here speaks. So the moment you try and understand how you arrived and how you might escape you might begin to speak. But there is no way out. Once you have arrived here you will be here forever. Unless you know something that hasn’t ever been spoke of. Then you might find yourself remembering your time spent in this place.

Do you like it here?

Can you remember what some of the men wrote on the cardboard signs that some of them wore around their necks?

I remember the signs, but I don’t remember what they said when I was there.
Can we think of something else? That place frightens me. I don’t like crawling through narrow corridors underground. And I think those are bad people there. I would like to think of something else.

Those men will be there forever.

Let us think of the world under the sun and not of the underground. Think of the birds outside. Do you like them? The birds? Can you see what a gift they are to this world? Have you noticed them before? Have you actually looked at them before? Have you seen them truly for what they are? There are many different ones.