The Human Sheep - A short story

The Human sheep

The shepherd
When I was growing up this we used to have travel down from the mountains from Scotland to the north Coast of Clywd we had to drive through rural mountains especially the long drive through the rural very sparsely populated highlands. Sometimes we had to stop for toilet breaks, and stop off and go behind some old abandoned stone farm shed on the side of the road. Well having an active imagination and spending hours in a car, that would have as you expect get sometimes tiring. I slowly developed from my imagination a haunting figure a shepherd bi-pod creature half sheep half wolf with a shepherd's hook, a sharp wolf like jaw and teeth of a wolf but the clothing of sheep fur, and bipod. It often haunted my thoughts as I travelled with my parents and my brothers in the car, now this wasn't their fault I never told anyone about it, and we used to listen to tapes, and play games to make the journeys fun, but my imagination has always been terrifying to me. On these long journeys the emptiness and the erieness of the highlands can get to you. And can haunt a young mind, and to stare out across miles of uninhabited open Hills, where there was nothing except abandoned cottages, and heather, can open your mind up to visions from nightmares.
I half believed that a sort of half sheep half wolf creature, that I imagined followed us down running along the hills. If I remember the creature was a bipod like a shepherd, a face that was that of a wolf, with the jaw and teeth of a wolf. But with wool for fur, but ragged and intimidating, Sometimes I used to be scared when stopped that it would jump out at me from behind the wall of an abandoned cottage.
Mind I also thought there were monsters in the toilet so there I had a pretty terrifying imagination that used to scare me at an early age. There were quite a few stories that scared me at an early age growing up in the highlands. I remember we used to hear of how golden eagle had carried a young lamb away. Well that used to be a major topic of conversation growing up, Cos when your quite small it is pretty intimidating to think there is bird flying around that could carry a creature as large as a lamb away. One time I even had a dream where myself and fellow children of the school were running away from a distant flock of vultures while mountains themselves moved. I'm pretty sure that was my sub conscious visions about the lambs being carried away. I don't want anyone to get the impression this was all I thought of most of the my time was spent playing, watching TV playing on the Amstrad CPC 464, and dreaming of becoming a football player for the Dons.
But anyway back to the sheep creature. It is this creature that motivates me to write this story.
A land of human sheep wolf like creatures.
This story is conglomeration of real dreams I have had growing up, and at university. Of human sheep of long bridges over valley's, of trains over tunnel I had just walked over and of lush green lands, and above all of the Human sheep that haunted my journeys.

The Human Sheep
In the Mountains of the Alps a group of 6 tourists made their in a mini bus across the narrow bending roads of the mountains South East France. It was rural countryside. Green, Lush beautiful forests, and clear blue skies. "We're lost" said Terrence a young 21 year old graduate from Bristol University. "We are not" said Mary his girlfriend from the same year at university "Look we just need to stop and ask directions" "That means we're lost if we have to stop and ask directions we're lost" replied an agitated Terrence. "Ruff, ruff, ruff" said Scooby the dog. Actually it was Purdy Lorshaft's and his idea of a joke who had spent the entire last day of a bus journey wearing scooby doo mask and trying to make a very long joke out of what had been an amusing observation. Ruff, Ruff, Ruff. "Stop making that joke Purdy you idiot it's not funny anymore" Said Gerry, and American cousin of Mary's, who had hired the mini bus. That just left Rose, another of Mary's friends, and Gerry's girlfriend and their pet dog, scrappy.
"Look if you're Scooboy doo. Whose Shaggy" said Terrence. "Well not me I'm the only one who hasn't brought a girlfriend replied Purdy. "Well surely that means you're Shaggy and scrappy is scooby doo. Replied Mary. Purdy put the mask on Scrappies face. Scrapy pulled himself out of the mask. "See he doesn't want to be scooby doo. I'm scooby doo".
Gerry stopped the van "Look we're going to have to stop the van. I we have to stop and plan what we're going to do"
Terrence replied "I say we just go for a walk, this is great countryside"
Purdy seemed wary "I don't know look at people round here they were very friendly at that inn where they going on about incomes". "I thought they were going on about "incomes" said Gerry. Purdy replied "Well when I asked for lamb they seemed pretty upset" "It as a vegetarian restaurant" replied Rose.
"Just my luck the only vegetarian restaurant in the whole of France". Anyway what is there problem with meat if it wasn't for meat there would be any sheep and the sheep are pretty happy they don't have to work they get free food, free health service, they don't give that to People in America". Gerry "Yeah but we don't end up being eaten by humans at the end of it" replied Gerry.
"Yeah, but it's swings and roundabouts free food, be food, free houses, the easy life, and they don't know, so what does it matter they probably think wow these humans are generous free food, free housing. I say if I was given that career choice it would not bother me Let me live for sixty years then I get eaten, so what I had a life and no need to work, and maybe I would have no financial issues".
"Yeah but you would live for sixty years you'd be mutton if you lived that long". Said Terrence.
Rose shouted back "Look could we stop going on about eating humans please. We're stuck in the middle of knowwhere I don't want to bring cannabism into the option yet".
"Well we know we have a volunteer already if we have to".
Purdy faked fear and opened the back door of the mini bus and shouted and ran off for a while shouting in mock fear "Help help I'm being held hostage by Cannibals". The other 4 laughed while Scarppy chased after Purdy barking excitedly Then scarppy ran off down into the Forrest.
"Where's he gone" shouted Rose. We'll have to find him. The five others ran after scrappy hearing is barking through the woods. They ran for a while. But the dogs barking started to become more distant.
They came to the edge of a tunnel and saw tiny animal foot impression on the muddy ground of the tunnel. The dog must be through there said Terrence. The five walked through the tunnel
"This is a pretty narrow tunnel" said Gerry "Ouch said Terrence as he banged his head on the roof.
The tunnel was about 50 metres long. And once they got to the end they were shocked to find it just lead to a view over a large valley. "Where is this" said Purdy. "I thought Purdy was the geography expert said Gerry. Is that the Millau Bridge said Purdy bit it's hundreds of Km from here. It can't be anyway the Millau brodgre bridge isn't as big as that.
The five stared in awe at a massive long bridge that strethced over the valley. The valley was long and wide and high alike a grand canyon. Except lush and green with lakes and forests, and many rivers at the bottom then a massive, city in the middle which the bridge stretched over. That city must havel about a quarter of million people in it, look at the size of it where is this place? I've never heard of the place, and, where's Scrappy" said Purdy.
Suddenly a loud rumble was heard from above the tunnel, like a train suddenly a narrow metal gate. Suddenly Rose turned round to see that a metal gate had closed across the tunnel at the end. "Who did that" she screamed Terrence looked around "The gates been closed" Who did that Purdy is this a joke". "What I've been standing here". "Well we'll have to walk across this path to the bridge. Whatever this bridge is Millau or London it doesn't bother me surely they'll be some traffic and we can get some help. Then the two looked round to see a train arriving in the city. The five walked the path, Purdy was worried about what would happen to his dog. "Its not a wild go are there wolves round here no.. But what about the locals don't they eat dog. No that's horse". After 3 minutes of the walk they looked down to see a train arriving in the city. That is probably the train that went over our tunnel.
The five stopped to look down as the people got out of the train "Hey does anyone notice there seem to be a lot of fur coats down there. "Yeah animals rights activists obviously aren't very strong in rural French cities especially places I haven't heard of. Hey I think I heard of this place isn't it Nice" said Terrence. "Nice is by the sea", said Rose. "I knew that I was just saying doesn't this place look Nice. I said it like the town Nice by accident"
The team reached the bridge but it was empty.
Terrence was confused "How can the build a bridge this big and yet no one uses it. Could we find our way back to the Bus from here". "I have no idea" said Gerry.
Then they saw yellow car in the distance slowly driving up along the bridge. "At last" shouted Gerry. A car. They started to waive, to draw attention. Then half way along the bridge the car stopped and stayed still a man got out and looked over the bridge. "Well what are we going to do know" said Terrence. "We could go over to him and ask where in the name of France this place is" The five made yet another long walk this time over the bridge to the half way point it must have been 2 km just to reach half way.
Surely this bridge should be more famous. It's massive a five line duel motorway on either side. This makes the Millau bridge look like the bridge over the river Skye. Said Gerry. What river Skye, don't you mean the bridge to Skye said Rose. "well what ever it was Skye loch or whatever ever it's called. You know that one speed bony bridge over the bridge to Skye". "It speed bony boat to Skye" replied Rose.
After an hour and a half of walking from the tunnel they finally reached the man with a yellow car.
The man barely looked up to see them arriving. And without running his head spoke to the five in fluent English a strong South West France rural accent "Bonjuer or should I say, Good afternoon, my tourist friends, are we wondering where we are". The five were by now tired both mentally and physically, and none was quick to respond. Again the man commented "I see it has been a long walk. Oh by the way I saw an animal four legged barking running down to that town, what are they called those creatures".
Terrence replied "That might have been our dog. Oh and what is the name of the town"
"Brigoveja, it's an old sheep market town that has boomed recently". The man had still not turned to f
ace them.
Purdy commented back "Listen eh about my dog, where exactly was the dog, "
"Don't worry about it, the dog catcher will catch the animal soon. The animal stand out like a sore hoof".
"I thought it was saw thumb, or toe" replied Gerry.
"Well I suppose it depends on who is saying it." Replied the man
At that point the five turned to see a lorry driving from the other side of the bridge. It a large tow truck and seemed to be towing something. A gate suddenly closed behind the lorry.
That'll we the tow truck. Sometimes traffic parks on the private road of the city. After a certain time the traffic is towed away.
The lorry drove past and on it was the Fives mini bus,
That's my truck shouted Gerry. The five ran after the lorry but it drove away at top speed. "What is going on. How are we supposed to get back.. That's my bus, give it back". The five stopped to see turn round to see what the man on the bridge could advise but he wasn't there. They looked across to see a man with a parachute, floating down the valley. The man had jamp of the bridge and used it to parachute off. The car was left behind. The five ran to his car. A note was left on the car "Please don't take the car" The note had been written in an old fashioned text. There's a drink and food dispenser the end of the bridge. Where there is some food available take a rest there. The five walked on for another 20 minutes to end of the bridge where they found an unmanned rest centre fitted with security cameras. As was told to them The centre contained drinks oddly the enough the food was free and so was the drink.
They just had to type say or type their name and the security camera noticed if they were cheating and warned them not to order more than one meal each and not drink over an allotted amount.
Gerry was impressed "Well I know all about social Europe and free health care but why do we need free food, this seems well I don't know is this inefficient, or efficient. This is might generous"
Purdy commentated back oh these meat options are pretty poor all there is a steak or ham. What about lamb, and what is the steak made off. I want to know what I'm eating. Oh what heck break he family rule just for a cheap steak." In the background played the Hotel California.
The five enjoyed a delicious meal each and some drinks. Mary had a Chinese meal Duck with Chinese vegetable. Rose had a vegetarian quiche with chips. Terrence had a grilled ham. While Gerry had a vegetarian steak with chips. "No alcohol" said Terence to Purdy if we're to make it down to that city we need to be sober. Purdy took as bait and ordered a bottle of Scotch to go with the grilled juicy steak and chips.
"I'll take this on the way down. I can't be expected to make a long journey like this sober."
After 10 minutes of rest, a security message was read out Allotted time in Human centre over. Please go down to the city. Leave or face imprisonment. Go to the pens. Go down to Brigoveja
Purdy shouted back "We were going to leave anyway. We don't need telling what is this the fascist state or sometin. Who do these people think they are telling us when we can go".
The five left the centre soon refreshed in health but angered and frustrated at the ordering about.
Gerry seemed more calm thinking this was typical Europe, when it wasn't.
Terrence was last out and shouted look we can take these ruck sacks. They've got food and money in them. It's all free.
Gerry started laughing "Talk about the nanny state. Will someone tuck us into our beds when we get to our hotel in the city. Purdy looked into his ruck sack look free hotel spaces. Now wonder this place is booming. Everything is free. Did they strike oil, hey Gerry don't tell that president about this".
The five walked down as Purdy became increasingly drunk, and snag and shouted the afternoon away. Joking, and then shouting out his political views on the war on Iraq, which the other 4 weren't interested in. The four walked down main road to the city. The afternoon started to turn dark. As the sky grew to a kaleidoscope of colour orange, purple, red, blue and grey , colour arrived but street lights lit the way even in the rural countryside surrounding the city.
"Hey it's interesting how there are no farm lands around here, the countryside is just rural. Just forestry, and natural Forrest at that. Most big cities are surrounded by farm land". Said Purdy the geographer, and there are no houses on the outskirts. A red squirrel ran across their path looked at them and stood still, then ran across the road again.
The walk down was fairly uneventful.
Then finally they reached the out skirt of the city. Which was surprisingly surrounded by a white picket wooden fence. The five climbed over the fence. The streets were empty, but noise was emptying out from the houses and hotel centres, from many of the houses people talking in numerous different languages. Terrence stated "Where is the place we all have to go to. Did anyone get the name of the street." Gerry replied "I think it's called Trough Lane". Suddenly a house door opened up and out ran a another tourist the tourist was crying, and shouting in a foreign language none of them could understand, it sounded like Spanish or Portuguese. One word they could make out was "comiva, comiva" over an over again, he shouted this pointing to them. The man shouted hysterically then ran away from the city and jamp over the fence and ran out of sight. "Must know about all My jokes calling me a comedian." Said Purdy.
Terrence walked into the building that the man had ran out of, while the others stood outside to go and ask for directions. Terrence walked out again.
"What was the place like" said Mary
"Seemed pretty smart, and I got the directions, we just have to walk to the centre of town then follow the yellow signs. It's a pen for new entries to the city".
"Pen?" replied Gerry.
"Well what was the phrase she used. Oh and there's a curfew I'm this section of the town tonight, every month there's a curfew on the out skirt of the city, we're only allowed out after 5 to find our rooms" said Terrence.
Purdy was gob smacked "This is beyond belief we have to stay in our rooms after 5 O'clock. What kind of place is this. Well I hope they have great TV, that's all I can say cos if the TV is rubbish here, then this place will have nothing going for it. Hey I know it's a military town. Just think a wooden fence, surrounding the city, secret, free food, cameras all over the place. Booming town must be all this war on terrorism stuff."
Terrence replied "Look she said normally this place is wild, but just once a month they have a clean night a curfew".
"Just my luck I get to the Las Vegas of the Alps and it's early closing day". Said Purdy.
The five walked through the empty streets. The cameras followed their every move. A Limousine drove past with black windows , driving through the red traffic lights. All the traffic lights were red as it was a curfew.
The city looked like any typical Mediterranean town street cafes, small shops, then there were some tough looking places too they had to walk through with flats, broken windows, and graffiti they could not read. In many ways a typical town except on this night everyone was in.
Gerry commentated "Must be the chief of the city, the town Mayor, the big honcho".
"The general" replied Purdy.
The five walked on and finally reached the destination. The Pen a giant flashy building. Neon lighting, a tacky casino style area of the town. A man was standing at the door, can I see the tickets from the rest centre please. The five each handed in their tickets to enter, the building. The five entered a large reception with a fountain and water wall. The place looked like it could normally contain many many people but it was only five people in today. Then a receptionist arrived a dark haired woman in her twenties "The new arrival, we have room free for five".
Suddenly Terrence blew his top "What is this place we get free food, a man knows who we are on the bridge then we're shown to some" Terrence shouted in "Pen" in exasperation. "How does everyone know who we are". Purdy shouted out "And where's my dog".
The receptionist replied "We know who comes to the city security is very key to the survival of this town".
"I said so Military base, they let everyone go drunk every night to let off steam then bang military mission everyone has to sleep the night before".
The receptionist smirked and replied "Yes that's right"
Purdy replied "Listen how fast can we get out of this town. We had a mini bus and it was taken by the tow truck and we lost a dog, ehh were do we go to get back our stuff to be honest we're not planning on staying here long"
"I'm new here myself there's no one who around who can answer those questions yet. There will be someone tomorrow, who can help. Now we're very busy. And could I show the room.
The five were showed up to there room now. Gerry commentated "This place is like prison we don't know where we're going we're forced to go a room they decide". Rose spoke up "Are we all expected to sleep in the same room, what about privacy",