ralph takes a walk

Ralph often took long walks through the barrens, under the hot hot summer sun. And by the time he was halfway through, his head would be buzzing and swimming, his eyes blurred and its hammers all again. Sometimes it got so loud that it actually managed to block out the watch's tick tick tick tick tock of worry, block all reasoning and block all thinking. Then he'd remeber someone telling him
[ay, ralph, that guy he crazy like a fox! You do well watch it]
to watch out for himself when he was out there in the barrens, should he fall or faint in the sun there would be no one to save him, no one to greet him as his brain addled and fried in the heat, except for the flies. But hell it was good excercise, and he needed the walk to clear his head. Or at least fizzle it to static for a while. Sometimes walking didnt cut it and he began to run, to pump his legs ever forward till they hurt and felt like lead, till his chest burst in fine spray of red and when his tongue was sandpaper rasping the roof of his mouth. Ragged breaths would chase him down and then finally overtake him as the static fizzle became louder.

And there were the times where the thoughts came hard and fast and there was no respite and he would gasp involuntarily. These often took place at night as he stared out of his window and see the arcs of sodium lights turn everything into sharp distinct contrast of melachony orange and black. Yet in the blackness indistinct amorphous
[ghosts monsters gorillas]
shapes moved about rallied round the house waiting to strike. Sometimes the thoughts dispelled the shapes, sometimes it only reinforced their ranks. So he did what he did again, long walks in the blackness, the shadows keeping close company as he tried to avoid the cars and their dead occupants still trapped within and underneath, blackening and ripening to a sweet cloying smell. Sometimes the dead would move and turn to smile
[ay ralph howssit doin? wen you gonna join us]
their toothy grins as their lips peeled back to everlasting joyfulness. These cars he would shun and try to stay in the
[deadlights its called the deadlights]
sodium lights. but that made him easier to spot so he tried to move fast in and out of the shadows. His anxiety would stay until the toughts came to devour him again and he would be untouchable again, the dead occupants remained dead and the shapes were just shadows. Sometimes he preferred it this way, sometimes not.

Sometimes ralph resolved his issues with thoughts, sometimes he wouldnt.

And sometimes when the weather was really hot, he would slip on his sandals, and make for he barrens again. Sometimes his issues were resolved, sometimes not. He tries really hard, but
sometimes his brain would just
[addle and fry in the heat].
not cooperate and things would not be resolved. Still he tries, and taking walks so far have been the best remedy to all of man's ailments so that was what he was doin
he was walking