Chapter 26 the dream

After nightfall, highway robbers often engage in shootouts with California Highway Patrol officers, making driving dangerous under the best of circumstances.It was even worse when the Flare appeared.The government officially announced that during the period when the flare appeared, people should try not to drive to other places if it is not necessary.Still, that doesn't stop those who want to go to family or friends.There are even those who simply want to drive out and drive until they run out of gas, or the end of the world.I hastily packed a few suitcases and stuffed them with anything I thought I couldn't lose, including the database files Jason had given me.

Tonight, the Alvarado Freeway was barely moving, and Interstate 8 was barely going anywhere.I have plenty of time to look back and think about what I wanted to do and whether my actions were ridiculous. The person I was rushing to save was another man's wife, a woman I had cared about.That level of concern has taken a toll on me.When I close my eyes, I want to search for Diane in my mind.Luo Dun's image, but there is no clear picture anymore, only some messy and interlaced blurred images, certain moments, certain movements of her.For example, Diane is pushing her hair back with one hand, and her whole body is attached to the soft fur of her beloved puppy St. Augustine; The ground was strewn with dismantled mower parts; Diane and I hid in the shade of a willow tree, for example, and she read me Victorian English poems like Summer Blooms All Year, or Toddlers Not Yet know.Although I didn't quite understand, I still smiled at her.

Whenever Diane stares at me, or does something special, I always feel that she loves me, or at least, tries to love me.However, it seemed that some force I couldn't understand was suppressing her feelings. Maybe it was his father, maybe it was Jason, maybe it was the whirlwind of time.I thought to myself that it was the time vortex that had trapped us and tore us apart, locking us in two adjacent rooms with no door in between. I had just passed the town of El Santo when I heard a report on the radio that there was a large-scale police operation on the west side of the town of Yuma ahead, and the entire road was blocked four and a half kilometers from the state border.I didn't want to take the risk of wasting too much time, so I decided to take the side road.From the map, it seems to be full and easy to walk.I could drive across the open desert to the north to a small town called Blaser, where it would connect to Interstate 10 and cross the state line.

The small road is not as congested as the highway, but there are still a lot of cars.The Flare seemed to turn the world upside down, making the sky lighter and the ground darker.Occasionally, there will be a particularly thick light pattern entangled and rolling across the sky, rolling from one end of the horizon to the other, as if the dialysis membrane of the time gyration has cracked a crack, and the high-speed rotating universe outside is fragmented, burning the dialysis membrane. I thought about the cell phone in my pocket, the one that was designed to answer Diane's calls.Simon used to call me on that cell phone number.I couldn't call back because the telco didn't log Diane's number and the ranch's number.On the other hand, I don't even know if they're still at the ranch.I can only wait for the phone to ring again.I wished the phone would ring, but was terrified that it would actually ring.

The car drove near Palo Verde, and when it was about to connect to the state road, the road was blocked again.It was already past twelve o'clock in the middle of the night, and the fastest speed of the car could only be 45 kilometers per hour.I suddenly want to sleep.I need to sleep.I thought about it, maybe it would be better to sleep.I decided to give up the idea of ​​driving late at night, and wait until there are fewer cars before going on the road.However, I don't want to sleep in the car.Along the way, the cars I saw parked on the side of the road were either abandoned or robbed, with their trunks open, their mouths gaping open.

Driving south of a small town called Ripley, I saw an advertising sign.The signboard was faded by the sun and torn by the wind and sand.Under the illumination of the headlights, I could vaguely see the word accommodation written on it, and there was a two-lane fork next to the signboard.There seemed to be very few cars on that road.So I turned onto that road and drove for five minutes until I came to a large walled yard.There is a door in the wall.This is a closed motel. There is a two-story building surrounded by a long concave shape with a long row of room doors and a swimming pool in the middle.With flashes of light in the sky, I saw that the swimming pool seemed to be empty.I got out of the car and rang the bell.

It is an electric lock remote control door, you can press the control panel at a safe distance, and the door will open inward.A palm-sized camera is installed on the top of the tall gate post, and there is an intercom at the height of the car window.The camera turned to point at me, and there was a clicking noise from the walkie-talkie, as if someone had activated it.I heard bursts of music coming from somewhere inside, maybe the basement, maybe the reception room.It's not the kind of music set by the voice, but I can vaguely hear someone playing music inside.At this time, someone spoke on the intercom.The voice sounded rude, cold and unfriendly.Closed tonight.

After a while, I reached out and rang the bell again. That voice appeared again.Why didn't you understand what I said just now? I said: If I pay cash, can you let me stay?I will not bargain with you. Sorry dude, we're closed. Okay, wait a minute, don't hang up like this, okay, I can sleep in the car, but, I don't know if it's convenient for you to let me park the car in, it's safer, is that okay?I can park the car in the back and just be out of sight from the road, okay? He hesitated for a while.I heard the sound of a small horn on the intercom, as if chasing the beat of the drums.The music seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember which one it was.

Sorry, not tonight.You better go. Then there was no sound again.I waited there for several minutes.There was a small clearing in front of the hotel, covered with pea-sized gravel and planted with a dwarf palm tree.A cricket was hopping among the gravel and palm trees.I rang the bell again. The boss responded quickly.Look, I've got a gun in me, and I'm not in a good mood.You'd better get on your way. I say: Harlem Air Shaft. What did you say? The music you're playing right now.That's Duke Ellington, right? Harlern Air Shaft.It sounded like it was played by his band from the fifties.

He hesitated for a long time.He didn't cut the walkie-talkie, though.Although I haven't listened to Duke Ellington in years, I'm probably pretty sure I guessed right. Then, the music was turned off.The faint melody was interrupted suddenly in the middle of a beat.Is there anyone else in your car? I rolled down the windows and turned on the interior lights.The camera pans left and right, then back to me. He said: All right.I'll open the door if you can tell who is playing the trumpet. Small speakers?When I think of Duke Ellington's band in the 1950s, I think of Paul.The name Gonsavetes.However, Gonsavez played the saxophone.I have a long list of names of minor trumpeters in my head.Kate.Anderson?Willie.Cook?It's been too long to remember.

I said: Ray.Nance. Wrong answer.It's Clark.Terry.You can come in, though. ☆ I parked the car in front of the reception room, and the boss ran out to see me.He was tall, about forty, and wore a pair of jeans and a loose checked shirt.He eyed me warily. He said: sorry.When this thing first came out.He pointed to the sky.His skin looked sallow in the light of the flames, and the stucco walls had a sickly khaki color.The police closed the state line on the Blaser side, and a lot of people came to my side to grab rooms.They are really robbed.A couple of guys pulled out their guns and pointed them at me, right where you're standing now.I didn't make enough money that night to spend on the renovations, less than half.The men were drinking, throwing up, and smashing things around the room.I heard it's worse on Highway 10.There is a solar hotel near Ehrenburg.A counter clerk on the night shift was stabbed to death with a knife.After that incident, I built this security fence.The reason is here.Now, whenever the flash comes on, I turn off the lights with the vacant room on the sign, lock the door, and wait for the flash to end. I said: Then play the Duke's jazz. He smiled.We walked inside to check in.He said: Duke, or Pop, or Deeds.I'll listen to Miles, too, if I have a whim.True jazz fans will give a musician's name a nickname, for example, Dad is Louis.Armstrong, Dizzy is Dickie.Grisby, Miles is Miles.davis.However, I didn't listen to music after about 1965.The reception room was darkly lit, plainly carpeted, and decorated in an early Western style.There is a door inside the counter, which is the owner's small room.It looked as if he lived in it.I could hear music playing in the small room.He looked at the credit card I showed him. He said: Dr. Dupre, my name is Aaron.Foden.Are you going to Arizona? I said that Route 8 was blocked at the state line and I had to take the side road to Interstate 10. I'm not sure you'll be faster on the tenth.On nights like this, it seems like everyone in Los Angeles wants to run east, like the Flare is an earthquake or a tsunami or something. I'll be on my way soon. He gave me a key.Get some sleep.Not without small supplements. Do you take credit cards?if you want cash As long as the end of the world isn't here, credit cards are just like cash.If the world ends, though, there's probably no time for regrets. He laughed, and I laughed along. Ten minutes later, I was lying on the hard bed without even taking off my clothes.The room had a disinfectant smell mixed with dried flower petals and spices, and the humidity from the air conditioner was heavy.I'm starting to regret it a bit, maybe I should just stay on the road and keep driving.I put the phone on the bedside table, closed my eyes and fell asleep. ☆ I woke up within an hour of sleep, and I suddenly became nervous for some reason. I sat up and looked around the room.The room was dark, and all the furnishings could only see a gray image.I looked at the images one by one to see if there was anything unusual.Later, I saw the square window with dim light.When I first moved in, there were bursts of light on the windows. The Flare had stopped. Now the room is dark, and it should be easier to sleep, but I suddenly have a feeling that I know it is impossible to fall asleep.I caught a little drowsiness briefly, but now the drowsiness has escaped.There's no use trying to force myself to sleep. The owner was kind enough to put a filter coffee maker in the room.I made some coffee and drank a cup.After half an hour, I looked at my watch again.In fifteen minutes, it will be two o'clock, which is the middle of the night.At such moments, it is very easy for people to lose their calm and objective.Maybe I should take a shower and get on the road. I got dressed and walked down the quiet concrete corridor to the reception room of the hotel.I originally wanted to throw the key into the delivery port of the mailbox and leave, but I didn't expect that the boss, Foden, was still awake.The light from the TV screen flickered in the small room behind him.When he heard me turn the doorknob, he stuck his head out to look. He looked a little weird, like he was a little drunk, or else in a trance.He blinked hard at me, and finally recognized me.He said: Dr. Dupre. Sorry to disturb you again.I have to hurry on the road, anyway, thank you for your kindness to take me in. He said: I understand.Good luck and hope you get where you're going before dawn. I hope so too. me?It's on TV, I'm watching it. oh? I suddenly couldn't understand what he was talking about. I turned off the sound so as not to disturb Judy.You don't know Judy yet, do you?She is my daughter, ten years old this year.Her mother was with a furniture repairman and they lived in La Jolla.In summer, she will come and live with me.I didn't expect that she would live with me in this desert at this time. Fate is really a trick, don't you think? ah uh However, I don't want to wake her up.His face suddenly darkened.Is this wrong?Let her continue to sleep, and when the time comes, she won't feel anything.Isn't that right?Or, how long will she sleep until she wakes up by herself?Maybe I should wake her up.It occurred to me that she had never seen it.It's ten years old and I've never seen it.Maybe this is her last chance. Sorry, I don't quite understand It's just that it looks a little different, not what I thought it was.It's not that I'm an expert, but when you were young, if you were often outside at night, it would be more impressive. What is more impressive? He blinked.Star. ☆ We went outside to look at the sky by the empty swimming pool. The swimming pool has not been filled with water for a long time, and the bottom of the pool is full of sand and dust.Someone had painted purple giraffes plump like balloons on the walls of the pool.There is an iron sign on the crossbar of the surrounding railing, which states that there are no lifeguards on site.The iron plate was crackling by the wind.The wind blows warm and warm, blowing from the east. There are stars in the sky. He said: Did you see it?It's not the same anymore.I can't see half of the previous constellations.The stars all over the sky look a little scattered. Billions of years have passed, of course not the same.Everything in the world ages, even the sky.Everything in the world will tend to the maximum value of the entropy function, tending to chaos and randomness.For the past three billion years, the galaxy we inhabit has been devastated on a massive scale by an invisible force.The stars in the entire Milky Way are entangled with a small attached galaxy. In the old astronomical catalogue, that small galaxy was numbered M41. Later, all the stars were mixed and scattered in the sky without order.It feels as if a hand of time has violently disturbed the entire sky. Foden said: Doctor Dupre, are you all right?Maybe you should sit down. Yes, I'm petrified and can't stand.I sat on the rubberized concrete floor by the pool, my feet dangling from the slope in the shallow end of the pool, my eyes still staring at the sky.I have never seen such a sight, so beautiful and yet so horrifying. It will be dawn in a few hours.Foden's tone was a little sentimental. From here, farther to the east, in the far Atlantic, the sun must have passed the horizon.I was about to ask him how it was reported on TV when I was suddenly interrupted by a small voice.There was a shadow beside the door of the reception room, and a small voice came from the shadow: Dad?I hear you talking.That must be Judy, his daughter.She took a step forward a little timidly.She was wearing white pajamas and a pair of laceless slippers.She had a round face, a little ordinary in appearance, but very cute.She looked like she wasn't awake. Foden said: Honey, come over here.Come, sit on my shoulder and take a good look at the sky. She climbed onto Dad's shoulders, bewildered.Foden stood up, took her by the ankles, and lifted her up, bringing him closer to the dark, starlit sky. you see.He said.There was a smile on his face, but tears started to run down his cheeks.Judy, look over there, you can see far, far tonight.You can really see the end of it all tonight. ☆ I went back to my room to watch the news on TV.Most of the cable news stations are still on the air, Foden said. The Flare had stopped an hour ago.The flame suddenly disappeared like this, and the time gyration dialysis membrane also disappeared together.Back then, the whirling of time appeared silently, and now it disappears silently. There are no magnificent scenes and no sound, except for a buzzing sound from the direction where the sun comes out, which sounds like an unexplainable static. sun. Three billion years.The sun has grown older again since the time gyration separated it.I tried to recall the current state of the sun that Young-jae had told me.There is no doubt that the sun is deadly.The earth has been excluded from the habitable area of ​​the solar system.This is already basic common sense.The image of the ocean boiling has been heavily played up in the media.However, are we already facing that situation?Are we going to die by noon, or can we live until the end of the week? is there any difference I turned on the small TV in my room, switched the channel, and found a show live from New York.The mayor looked terrified.Many people are still sleeping.There are also some people who see the stars after waking up and know that the time has come, so they don't go to work.As if in a feverish dream of journalistic heroism, the live crew of the news show set up cameras atop buildings on Mount Tott and Staten Island.The light was weak, and the eastern sky was beginning to see light, but it was still empty.The two anchors, who didn't seem to have any tacit understanding, took turns reading the bulletin that had just been faxed in. After the flare ended, the signal from Europe was not clear, they said.This could be static.Unfiltered sunlight washed out the signal from the aerostat.It is too early to jump to conclusions and predict that something tragic will happen.One of the anchors said: According to the usual practice, although the government has not issued a statement, we still have to advise everyone not to act rashly and continue to watch our program, we will keep you informed of the latest developments.I think we should ask everyone to stay home as much as possible. Another anchor said: On this special day today, I believe everyone wants to stay with their families. I sat on the edge of the bed in my hotel room and stared at the TV until the sun came out. A camera on the roof captures the first footage.At first, it seemed as if a red cloud had risen from the oily level of the Atlantic Ocean.Then, a fiery crescent edge appeared, and the photographer added a filter to the lens to make the light less harsh. It was impossible to judge the size of the sun for a while, but the sun rose slowly.The sun is not pure red, but a reddish orange, but I don't know if that's caused by the camera's filter.The sun keeps rising, higher and higher.Finally, the full sun came out to hang over Queens and Manhattan.The sun is so big that it doesn't look like a star in the sky, but like a huge balloon filled with amber light. I would have liked to hear what they had to say, but there was no sound on the TV screen.Later, the scene cuts to the Midwest.The News Network headquarters have retreated there.Another host appeared on the screen.The makeup on his face seemed to be hastily drawn, unlike the usual anchors seen on TV.He seems to lack sources of data to say anything.He continued to appeal to the audience, but that didn't seem to be doing much.I turn off the TV. I walked over to the car with my luggage and medical kit. Foden and Judy ran out of the office to say goodbye to me.Suddenly, I felt like they were old friends for many years, reluctant to leave.Judy looked terrified.Foden said: Jodie called her mother, however, her mother didn't seem to know about the stars yet. I can't bear to imagine that kind of picture.Early in the morning, my mother was woken up by her daughter's phone call.Judy called her from the desert, and she knew it was the end of the world.Judy's mother said something as if to say her last goodbye to her daughter, but was afraid to frighten her. Now, Judy was nestled against his father's chest, and Foden held her tightly.Warmth and kindness bind them tightly together. Judy asked: Are you really leaving? I said no to go. You can stay with us if you want.This is what my dad said. Foden said to her very gently: Mr. Dupre is a doctor, maybe he has to go to someone else's home to see a doctor. I said: You are right, there are really patients waiting for me. ☆ Something simply unthinkable happened in the eastbound lanes of the highway that morning. Some people decide they don't have much left to live, and start doing some heinous deeds, as if the end of the world is certain, and Flare is just a rehearsal.Everyone has heard the prophecy of the doomsday scene, the forest will be engulfed in flames, the heat wave will destroy the world, and the sea will be scalding and steaming.The only question is, how long will this vision last?A day, a week, or a month? As a result, some people smashed the shop windows, took what they wanted when they saw it, and killed anyone who resisted, treating human life like nothing.Some people become beastly when they see a woman, but they find that when all the norms and taboos are gone, they are not the only ones who are willing to fight recklessly.Those women they intend to get their hands on seem to be empowered by the end of the world.They gouged out the eyes of the perpetrators with fingers like steel claws, and kicked the perpetrators' private parts.All new and old hatreds are settled with bullets, and pulling the trigger is just a thought.Countless people committed suicide.I suddenly thought of Jasmine.Even if she wasn't dead when the first Flare appeared, I can almost bet she's dead by now.Maybe she was full of joy when she died, because she had completed a natural plan logically.For the first time in my life I felt bad thinking about her. However, the positions of human civilization are still all over the place, standing firm, and heroic deeds full of human glory are also heard from time to time.Route 10 on the Arizona border is one such place. Around the time of the flare, a National Guard unit was stationed on a bridge over the Colorado River.Not long after the Flare disappeared, the soldiers of the guard disappeared.Maybe they withdrew, maybe they went AWOL and went home.Without them directing traffic, that bridge would have turned into a big bottleneck, a mess. However, this turned out not to be the case.Traffic flow in both directions is smooth.Several ordinary people volunteered to stand up.They pulled out emergency flashlights and strobes from their trunks to direct traffic instead of the soldiers.Some people are eager to return home, as anxious as ants on a hot pot.They have to travel a long way, hoping to reach New Mexico, Texas, and even Louisiana before the dog lights up, before the sun melts the engine.However, no matter how anxious they are, they seem to understand that it is necessary to line up obediently, and that it is useless to overtake and squeeze to the front.Patient waiting, they tell themselves, is the only hope.I don't know how long this kind of emotion can last. I don't know what kind of kindness and what kind of growth background can condense such behavior.Maybe it's the brilliance of human kindness, maybe it's the influence of the weather.Even though a world-destroying heat wave was coming from the east, the night was surprisingly pleasant.The clear cold night sky is full of stars.The warm breeze is full of vitality and sweeps away the tiredness.A gentle breeze blows into the car window, like a mother's gentle touch. ☆ I was thinking of volunteering to help out at a small local hospital.For example, Palo Verde Hospital near Blaser, where I used to go for consultations, or La Paz Hospital in Park Township.However, what's the point of doing so?I can't cure the death of the end of the world, I can only relieve the pain of the patient, with morphine or heroin.This is the way Jasmine chose.But I don't know if the medicine cabinets in the hospital have been looted. Also, Foden was right when he said to Judy that there is a patient waiting for me at home. This trip seems to be just to seek something, like Don Quixote challenging the windmill.Whatever ails Diane, I can't save her.So why keep going?I think, maybe I hope I can do something at the end of the world, so that my busy hands will not tremble, and my busy mind will not panic.However, that couldn't explain the urgency in me.What was it that led me on this journey when Flame appeared?I thought maybe it was a heartfelt desire to see her.Now, that desire is getting stronger and stronger. I've crossed the state line near Blythe, where the road is lined with dark shops and there's an air of commotion.The gas station was besieged, and a large group of people scuffled into a ball.As I drove on, the road suddenly widened and the starry sky grew darker.While I was recalling the scene just now, the phone rang suddenly. I almost ran off the road.I was digging out my pockets while stepping on the brakes.Behind me, an electric company car whizzed past me with screeching tires. Simon said: Taylor. Before he continued, I rushed to say: Before you hang up the phone, or before the phone is disconnected, tell me your phone number first, so that I can get in touch with you. I'm afraid I can't tell you.I Are you using your own phone now, or the ranch's phone? It should be my own, a mobile phone.That's what we use to communicate in the ranch.Sometimes I use it, sometimes Alan uses it, so I don't fight when I don't have to. Forget it, I guess it probably doesn't matter.He gave me that phone number.Tyler, do you see the sky?You're not sleeping right now, you should have seen it.It's the last night before the end of the world, isn't it? I thought to myself: Why would you ask me?For more than thirty years, Simon has been living in an apocalyptic world.He should know it himself.I said: How is Diane? I want to apologize to you for calling you rashly that day.I think you should understand what's going on. How is Diane? I just want to tell you that it doesn't matter now. is she dead He froze for a long time.When he spoke again later, his voice sounded a little sentimental.No, no, she's not dead.The problem is not here. So is she hanging in mid-air now, waiting for the bliss of being raptured? Said Simon: You needn't laugh at my faith like this.What he just said was my beliefs, not ours.I couldn't help but wonder, what does this mean? If she's not waiting for the rapture, she needs to see a doctor.Simon, is she still sick? she's not well yet, but How sick is she now?What symptoms does she have? Tyler, it will be daylight in an hour.You should know what this means. I'm not sure what that means.I'm on the way now, and I should be able to reach the farm before dawn. Oh no, this is not good, no, I why not?Now that the end of the world has arrived, why can't I go to your side? You do not understand.It's not just the end of the world.A new world is about to be born. How sick is she?Can you ask her to come on the phone? Simon's voice began to tremble, and it was obvious that he could not stand it any longer.Both of us could barely contain ourselves.She was almost out of strength to speak, almost out of breath.She was frail and had lost a lot of weight. How long has she been like this? I have no idea.I mean, she slowly became like this. How long has it been since you had the obvious feeling that she was ill? It's been weeks.Maybe in retrospect uh months. So has she ever seen a doctor or taken any medicine?He didn't speak.Simon? No. why not? It doesn't seem necessary. What do you mean it doesn't seem necessary? Pastor Dan said that it is not allowed to see a doctor or take medicine. I thought to myself: Didn't you tell Pastor Dan to fuck it?Hopefully he has changed his mind. also won't So I need your help to show me inside to see her. Tyler, come on.This does no one any good. I'm already looking for the highway exit.I can't quite remember which exit it was, but I have it marked on the map.After getting off the expressway, walk towards a shriveled water and grass field, where there is a sandy road with no road name. I said: Didn't she say she wanted to find me? He didn't speak. Simon?Didn't she say she wanted to find me? have. Tell her I'll be there as soon as possible. No, Taylor Taylor, there's some trouble at the ranch.You can't get in. Having trouble?Didn't you say that a new world is about to be born? Simon said: born in blood.