Old Pali Road

I have written another story somewhere on this site, it also has to do with Hawaii (which is, of course, because that is where I grew up) but I realized it also takes place when cutting school! Which, I guess, says something about me!

A group of us girlfriends left school at lunch one day, and decided to drive around the Island rather than go back for the second half of the day. If I remember correctly, there were six of us, crammed into one car. I was sitting in the back seat with two of the other girls. We decided to "cruise" down the old Pali Road. This is located off of the Pali Freeway, in a quick turn right off the main freeway surrounded by many plants and vegetation. Since we'd grown up here, we knew where to look, but otherwise it would not be easily found. (this was in the early 80's-- this road is no longer open for cars)

The place was well known as being "spooky" and having "heavy vibes". Of the many teenagers that would cruise this road, we did it in fun, yet one was always aware and respectful of the Hawaiian legends. (I remember going down this road once at night, when the driver of the car, Danny, turned off the lights for a few seconds and scared the crap out of everyone in the car--nothing happened, but I have never experienced such total, utter blackness)

Anyway, the strange thing about this road is that no matter how much you are laughing, having fun, not being serious-- inevitably, after about a minute in, everyone becomes silent. The jokes either die down or are said weakly, without confidence. You see, even though the day is bright with sunshine, and the road is in fact, quite beautiful, with all of the varied Hawaiian foliage the Island has to offer, there is something different in the air. It's hard to put into words--but it feels somewhat oppressive, as if the surrounding trees have created a tunnel. There is no noise in the car, as everyone has become silent-we are all looking out the windows, in different directions. There is a strong feeling that every time you turn a corner (it's a very windy road)something will be standing in the middle of the road. It becomes tense. It's not fun, now your body is tight with anxiety and you just want to hurry up and get out. No matter how many times I went down that road, or with whom, I would ALWAYS feel this way. (which, I suppose was part of the attraction-we humans are a strange lot)

Anyway, it was the same this day. I just wanted to get out, it felt somehow like we were "running out of time"..I kept thinking, "okay, the next curve and then the road.." but it kept going and going, I remember thinking that I'd never realized how long this road was.

Finally, we curved to the right, and there was the freeway! We started pulling out onto the main road, and I seem to remember still no one was talking. Just before we turned to merge onto the freeway, I looked in the window behind me, and saw a dwarf walking OUT FROM THE PALI ROAD! He was a "normal" dwarf, not evil looking or transparent or anything--but where was he coming from?! To this day I cannot think of a reasonable explanation. There were no other cars back there, it was as empty and silent as always, and there are no homes or anything back there. This dwarf was literally walking from out of nowhere into the middle of the road we had just left behind.

I'll never forget it, he walked in that sing-song way that some dwarfs do--which makes there entire body jerk to one side and then the next, at a rapid pace coming straight down the road. I eventually gave up trying to find explanations of where he could have come from...