The Unknown Road

Mark walked down the country road. It was a peaceful day with a pleasant breeze blowing. As he walked, the sky darkened and the shrubbery thickened.

There was something in the bushes. It was looking at Mark. It was hungry.

Mark picked up his pace. He needed to get back home, for the woods were dangerous at night. Things without names lurked there.

Fear gripped Mark as he walked the forbidden road. He knew he shouldn’t have taken the Unknown road but he was bored and wanted adventure. He regretted not taking everyone’s advice and keeping to the Safe road, and now he was going to die.

Fighting panic, Mark walked on. Relief was great as he finally arrived at the fork in the road. One path was bright and cheery. It had pretty flowers and headed for the town of Pleasantville. There he would find a safe life where he would grow up with family and friends. There he would have a steady job and be a dependable member of society.

The signpost for the other path said 'Unknown Road'. It led deep into Forbidden Forest. Beyond lay the Mountains of Uncertainty, eternally shrouded in black thunderstorms and crawling with monsters. From that path no one ever came back.

The instructions for the folk in the road read: “Welcome to the Crossroads of your life. Choose your path in life or be stuck forever.”

Looking around, Mark noticed that the Crossroads was filled with the skeletons of people unable to make the choice and died in indecision.

Mark desperately wanted to choose Unknown Road, but it terrified him. What would people think? How would he live? Shouldn’t he come back when he was more prepared (even though preparation was impossible)?

Something snapped behind Mark. A shiver ran down his spine as he bolted down the road to Pleasantville.

Mark spent the rest of his life in Pleasantville, regretting to his dying day not taking the Unknown Road.