Sisyphus’ Road
The road wasn’t lit other than the headlights. Even then, they only illuminated the cliff face to the left and the crash barrier on the right. It was raining. The windscreen wipers were the only auditory companion other than the pitter patter on the car’s roof; because who wants to listen to the static of a broken radio. A thought crossed the drivers mind about the dangers of such a road not being lit at night but they dismissed it immediately. You can’t think about falling off of a cliff when you are on the edge of a cliff, as much as you can’t help it. The l’appel du vide is an odd phenomenon, one that nearly all of us experience the paradox being we’re thinking in anticipation of the exact thing we are compelled to avoid; seduced by the thought of the unknown.
Smirking, the driver continued along the road. We humans are a strange bunch. Our thoughts define how we see the world yet the world is defined by what we do. The thought of driving off the cliff does not define the driver as suicidal, only the action of driving off the cliff, still the thought of driving off the cliff happens none the less and this is absolutely normal; Mundane thoughts of suicide one of the absurdities of humanity. So many profound phenomena. Like the button that specifically states “DO NOT PUSH” and it takes the entirety of your being not to touch it, at least if you’re a fun kind of person anyway. I’m not the type to be commanded by a meager note, thought the driver, amused about this stream of consciousness which was crossing their mind. In this scenario, the “DO NOT PUSH” button was the cliffs edge and call the void may, the driver wasn’t going to push.
Coming up to a blind corner the driver slowed down in expectation of the turn to be struck side-on by an oncoming car. The car spun on the wet road breaking through the crash barrier plummeting into imminent death below. The driver, in complete shock of the situation only had time to think about the irony of the previous stream of thoughts just now and in a blasé fashion; they knew this wouldn’t have happened if the road was well lit. The car crashed onto the wave caressed rocks.
The road wasn’t lit aside from the headlights. Even then they only illuminated the cliff face to the left and the crash barrier on the right. It was raining. The windscreen wipers were the only auditory compa- “wait”, thought the driver. Déjà vu much. Although there wasn’t any time for such nonsensical occurrences of consciousness, this was a dangerous road to be driving on in the rain since it was only lit by the drivers headlights. But the stream of thoughts continued anyway; how strange of a phenomenon it is to have the feeling that you’ve already been here before. About as strange as the l’appel du vide one experiences when presented next to a cliff edge.
Shaking off the ethereal overtone of the feeling the driver continued along the road. We humans are a strange bunch. We are compelled by our emotions and yet our thoughts and actions give us further emotions; It’s an endless cycle of thinking, doing, feeling, doing, thinking, feeling — that we have absolute control of and simultaneously none at all. Like the feeling of the l’appel du vide, it’s a thought paired with a feeling and if it were to surmount to its intended action (the driver regarded with certainty) they wouldn’t think or feel very positive about said action once it had been done. The driver had the choice. Like the button that explicitly says “DO NOT PUSH” and the compelling urge to push the button, but any person with any sense of self-control would not abide by this urge. The consequence of pushing such a button would probably result in some negative repercussion anyway. Amused about this stream of thoughts crossing their mind. In this scenario, the “DO NOT PUSH” button was the cliffs edge and call the void may, the driver wasn’t going to push.
Approaching a blind corner the driver slowed in expectation of the turn to be struck side-on by an oncoming car. The car swerved uncontrollably on the wet road smashing through the crash barrier and plummeting to the imminent death that awaited below. The driver, in complete shock of the situation only accounted yet another distinct feeling of déjà vu, but then again they were about to die and so any strange feeling that came over you could be expected in a situation such as this. The car crashed onto the wave crushed rocks.
The road wasn’t lit aside from the headlights. WAIT! — Déjà vu, the driver thought almost in a panic. But why should I feel so panicked about a feeling so silly as déjà vu the driver thought continuing on the road. No this has definitely hap- This road really should be lit up more, such a dangerous road to not be lit at night and for God’s sake it’s raining. That’s the authorities for you, they never look after anyone but themselves all of them. Anything could happen along a road such as this, it wasn’t exactly a safe road it was situated on a cliff edge. Then again, that’s not the kind of thoughts you should be having driving along such a road as this, which is the irony of the situation. STAY CALM. You can’t think about falling off of a cliff when you are on the edge of a cliff, but regardless you can’t help it. The l’appel du vide is an odd phenomeno- WAIT! — Steering around the blind corner the driver is struck side-on by an oncoming car. — The car crumpled hitting the rocks.
The road wasn’t lit aside from the headlights. The driver slammed on the breaks. No. No this wasn’t happening. This had happened before. This had happened before! The driver was certain about this this time. How many times had this happened? What had happened? Did anything happen?!
Whatever happened, it wasn’t going to happen again. The driver put the car into reverse and carefully turned their vehicle around. Which wasn’t an easy task on a road such as this. It wasn’t lit for one thing. It was also raining which made the roads precariously slippery and to top it all off; the road was situated right on the edge of a cliff. Anything could happen on a road such as this. The driver was determined nothing was going to happen on a road such as this. Having turned around, the driver continued along the road. Slowing down whenever there was a corner, being extra safe, still unable to shake the eerie feeling of déjà vu but it was beginning to subside. What an awful thought to cross ones mind on a road like this, on a night like this. Determined, it would still be the fresh beginning the driver imagined. Sunny beaches, white sand, margeri — A car appeared out of nowhere, the driver didn’t have time to break before hitting the car head on, sending both cars skidding on the slippery road. Both cars plummeting off the cliff. In the few seconds before total annihilation the driver, in shock, seeing the other car fall followed by their own; a thought occurred. That looks like my car. The car collided with the rocks.
The road wasn’t lit aside from the headlights. Laughing. Crying. The driver accelerated.
