“On your mark.”
I squat down, shaking, and breathing—feeling the air rush through my lungs. We’re on the first planet, the unknown, and I’m trying my best to land in the place that is right for me. The race is ongoing until my fate and destination are decided.
“Get set.”
I squat down further, breathing even faster. Tension fills the air with contestants beside me, gathering together. Is this it? I ask myself. How will it happen?
“Go.”
The two letters form a word. The word that I’ve dreaded my entire life, reminding me of the past.
***
Imagine a massive forest. Trees are towering above you, higher than the CN Tower. Animals are surrounded by leaves, nibbling on leftover food. The birds are singing, their voices faint amid the growling wind. The land seems so foreign and quiet, but while walking around, one can see that the forest has slowly become a land with habitation.
Small houses filled with tourists and villagers can be seen on the outskirts. The dorms are much like the log cabins from our primary school history books; people are gathering together in some of the rooms, chatting as the night begins. The happiness and exuberance among the residents hide the mysteries within the village.
It is difficult to know how many races have happened. But the footsteps in the mud do indicate that a lot of outsiders have traversed within the silent pathways; whether that would be for socializing or adventuring.
To my right, I notice the size of the houses. Seeing so many people laughing inside and drinking red wine, it is possible to say that some homes can house around two hundred people. However, as some approach the door to exit, their expressions remain faint. And when I walk past the last house, I wonder if I’ve hallucinated or not.
A map is not present anywhere, as it is a land familiar among us. A land we are taught to navigate on our own. And a region, filled with so-called “undiscovered stories”.
The race to run through this forest isn’t an easy feat. I didn’t want to sign up for it, but I was instructed to do so. Regardless of that, I knew I had to always experience this race. As a child, I looked forward to it and scribbled some doodles predicting the result. I wasn’t an artist back then and I am deceived by the fact that my child-self was incorrect about my future.
Shame on her, I think, as I rush my way through thick bushes and flowery leaves. Winning would mean the world to me until…
Thump,
Thump,
Thump.
I am not on my feet anymore. I am on my back. What happened? I don’t know but I sure hopefully am not off-track. Ugh.
My hands are covered in mud and my socks are soaking in water. I place my two hands on the wall and see a light flashing in front of me. I don’t know where it’s coming from. Needless to say, everyone who is a reader knows that a bright light is a good sign.
I decide to walk towards the light and search for some of the world’s most hidden treasures. My heart thumps as I step closer. The scenes begin to change all around me; the trees melt away and turn into giant skyscrapers, the small villages vanish and soon become large translucent buildings, and the rocky sidewalk, which I walk on, ends.
A new path appears composed of cement, glass, and asphalt. I step my right foot on the glass and feel the atmosphere transform around me. Long gone are the silent whispers, replaced by loud honks and screams. Automated cars, robots, and a huge solar-panelled building summarized the region, which bustles with energy and excitement.
On the left, I see a sign that reads; “Race, run this way.”
Happy that I found my place in the race again, I decide to follow the sign’s directions and work towards completing the gruelling competition. The region is perhaps Disneyland in 2120; a magical place filled with robots and automation. Walking through the streets feels like waking up from a dream because I know it’s too good to be true.
And before long, indeed, I know I was right. After spending two days in this new place, I don’t feel like an explorer. The hustle-and-bustle among residents, combined with loud noises, result in heavy migraines, affecting my sleep. Small rooms shaped like submarine pods thrill me and a couple of visitors at first, but after sleeping in them, I notice that my jet-lagged schedule fails to change.
The constant beeping, dinging, and other various noises strangle my thoughts to the point where I forget about the race.
Then, I open my eyes from a deep sleep, staring at the ceiling, and trying to remember the task that I forgot. I keep on squinting outside, trying to spot a star amongst the smog.
What am I missing?
I jolt up from my bed and run towards the washroom. Grabbing my toiletries and cosmetics, I stuff them in my small homemade purse and rush out the door. Turning around the corner, the signs direct me into a staircase, and there I go:
Down
Down
Down
Into the underground, where another capsule-like machine appears.
Reaching down to my bag, I pull out a note: Do not be lost in the land of robots. End when you want to end.
Glancing at the machine, I realize that there is no other choice. Sure, I can run back but for me to continue the race, I must find the right place to see where I truly belong. The finish line is so close, yet so far. Determining the point is very obnoxious. When am I done? I thought.
I throw myself on the small, empty bullet machine. The panels are arranged like an airplane cockpit; the steering wheel on the left can be pushed up and down, and the speed indicators on the right indicate the direction and movement of the vehicle. Four buttons titled “Destination One,” “End Race,” “Destination Two,” and “Finale Four” are placed below the steering wheel, and just beside the large side-mirrors is another button, with the word “Star” painted on.
Machines scare me, and the ones that I’ve never encountered before are horrifying. But I need to start this machine, to finish the race. I hop up and jump around the vehicle, motivating myself to find the direction manual. Nothing pops in front of my eyes at the back, and no sign of a paper brochure is near the steering wheel either.
But this time, there is no alternate way out. The race directions lead me into this dark cave; where the end result is invisible. Should I trudge along, or should I figure this out? I reach into my purse and unfold the scrambled piece of paper, grabbing a flat-topped pencil. I place the unfolded paper on the steering wheel and begin writing the advantages and disadvantages of walking through a cave.
Advantages: no figuring out the machine, no worrying about the machine breaking down.
Disadvantages: too cold and dark.
As soon as I finish writing my thoughts, I place the pencil on the side, near the mirrors. While stabilizing the tiny tool for communication, I noticed the “Start” button, staring straight at me.
Contrasting thoughts rush through me, as I debate on whether or not to press the button. Will I damage or break the vehicle? Or what? Well, before all that acting and panic, I decide to grab a pencil and make a new list. Reaching out my right hand amid the dark, I wiggle out the pencil from the tool holder. My right arm is now glued to the area near the machine, struggling to push out the pencil from the holder with force, while my left arm is holding the holder to stabilise the object.
And before I know it, boom.
The lights inside and outside the automobile shine with brightness, glowing stronger every minute. Noises from the engine start to consume my eardrums; the feeling is all too similar to the one from the capsule hotel.
I need to stop this!
I push the “Start” button again, hoping that another press will cease the noise.
But the noise continues.
So, I keep on pressing “Start”, hoping that somehow the machine will understand my commands.
The machine just continues growling and howling, churning its wheels faster and faster as time passes.
That’s it. I’m done. This is enough. I want to go home.
On the button panel, I see the four options available to me. Why are there two destinations, one finale, and one ending? The race does not mean that I need to go through two destinations, as I need to find the finish line rapidly. And why a finale? Shouldn’t celebrations occur after the race?
Well, screw it! I place my hand over the “End Race” button, hoping that the adventure can end. Going through a forest, and then a noisy village, and then a half-beaten machine isn’t worth the amusement.
Tears flow down my eyes as the machine starts to move. The speed of the automobile increases every second, and before long, I feel like the pilot Yuri Gagarin. But instead of the planets, I see different lands.
The first land is filled with lipsticks and glosses. In the middle of the crowd, I see a boy applying different shades and colours above his eyes while filming himself. Whoever walks past is greeted with the words, “Hello sisters!” Other times, I will see some other people, dragging some luggage with the label “Zuca” on it. Most of them are wearing all-black outfits, conveniently produced in their nearest designer-stores. The last view I see is of a girl, packaging a bunch of poorly made lipsticks in a silvery hexagon-shaped box. It’s difficult to say where she is sending them, and I won’t assume.
Throughout the next few regions, residents are seen wearing black cloaks and sky-blue uniforms. Many of them are talking amongst each other after a tiring day of work; some are grabbing a coffee while others are cooking meals for their relatives at home. A little girl who is drawing on a wall looks at me and waves. I wave back only to find her disappear in thin air.
Though she may be missing, the drawings that she worked on continue until there appears to be no end. Even when it’s the time for me to step off.
***
The capsule ceased without restraint in the middle of a rural-like area. The pictures that the girl painted are still visible. It must be the end. So, I open the door and climb off the vehicle.
The images on the wall motion me towards another fifteen-foot wall, filled with mirrors. I push myself to walk up to one of them, touching the surface of the glass. The painter girl appears on the other side, worn-out and defeated. She manages to smile beneath her tears, and wave despite her shyness. My heart warms up as for the first time ever, I don’t feel alone.
“You’re almost done,” she assures me. “How do you feel now?”
I look down at my purse and dig out my notebook, feeling a force of melancholy rush through me.
“I’m stranded” I replied. “Please let me get out of here.”
She smiles. “Follow me.”
She releases one arm, motioning me to grab her hand. I wiggle my right hand out of my pocket and quickly grab hers. In that moment, I feel a force inside me that speaks to the world with gentleness.
“You’ll be done the race in three… two… one.”
Suddenly, I find myself in a world filled with books and newspapers. Unlike the previous lands, this region is much calmer and more peaceful. And unlike the previous worlds, I don’t feel unsure about my journey anymore. It’s still hard to know if I won the race, but regardless of the result, I’m happy to look back and witness the places I experienced. I’m not sure how long I will stay in this world, but I’m more than grateful for being dragged in here.
