Recycling.

The wing mirrors of the 7.5 tonne Roadrunner lorry brushed the overgrown hedges on both sides of the narrow lane obscuring any view to the rear, this suited Alan as he skillfully steered the vehicle along the narrow twisty road, as he rocked about in the cab ash fell from the end of his cigarette and landed on his trouser leg already covered in the fine grey powder, it had probably been forty years since these roads had last seen anything other than emergency maintenance. These back lanes served no real purpose now, only in the summer when half the country's population visited the small seaside resorts and blocked the main roads with their caravans and trailers, which only ever see the road on their once yearly migration to the southwest, did the local traffic ever venture onto these narrow lanes.1

Spring was now in full grip of the countryside and the hedges bloomed with bouquets of tiny flowers into which Alan now flicked the remains of his cigarette, water draining from the fields created a small stream along one side of the road, even though there had been no fresh rainfall for the last eight days and the twin rear wheels of the truck made a satisfying whoosh as it travelled through the water. The engine roared as a lower gear was selected to climb the incline which carried the road up and out of the valley. Alan knew these lanes well now, twice each week he had travelled along them for the last four months, four months which had changed his fortune, four months in which he had earned as much money as he had in the previous two years doing general light haulage, soon he would have to travel then at night when the summer visitors arrived, but the trip was worth it.2

Nearly a year had passed since he first re encountered his old school colleague and what was first said as a joke slowly turned into a lucrative business plan. He had the transportation and Anthony could obtain the hazardous waste disposal certificates, all that remained was to find a factory with hazardous waste to dispose, but even this turned out to be easier than they would have believed, after just two phone calls Alan found a company who was willing to give him their contract for a lower price than their current disposers, and as long as the paperwork was complete they were happy, and now Alan had all the paper work he needed.3

The road levelled off as it crested the hill and the enclosing hedges fell away as it entered the edge of the forest, bluebells covered the ground in some areas creating a blue haze just above the ground and primroses dotted the side of the road. Alan checked his mirrors again just to be sure no other vehicles had close in behind him as he climbed the steep hill, he would have been surprised to see he was being followed, he had only seen five or six vehicles on these roads throughout the winter.He hadn't travelled far into the forest when he could see the large level area on the side of the road which was his destination, he pulled in and had another good look up and down the road before killing the engine, then grabbing his gloves from the dashboard he jumped down from the cab leaving the door to swing wide and remain open as he walked down the narrow strip between the lorry and the ditch which separated the roadside from the woodland. Unlike the road in the valley the ditch contained no water, any that had been in there had long since drained away into the forest, that was another thing which made this the perfect spot.4

He pulled on the thick rubber gloves which had become soft from the heat behind the windscreen and he could feel his hands starting to sweat instantly, rounding the rear of the vehicle he unfastened the two clamps holding the heavy tail-lift in place and lowered it as gently as he could, but a heavy metallic bang still ran though the trees scaring away all birds and wildlife nearby, leaping onto the horizontal tail-board he waited a fews second for his eyes to become accustom to the dark interior before entering and releasing the retaining straps which held the barrels in place in transit, this would not take long, twenty minutes and he would be on his way again, he would lower three barrels at a time and punch two holes in the top of each with the hatchet he carried in the rear of the truck, allowing the contents to drain away into the ditch whilst he unloaded the next three down. He had only learned to punch the second hole after his first trip when it seemed to take forever to empty them, as if he wasn't nervous enough at the time. Once the unknown liquid was emptied he would reload the last of the now light barrels back on board and head up to his broth-in-laws salvage site near Cardinham, where the barrels would be crushed and mixed with other aluminium waste, no longer recognisable as a hazardous waste container, he would fill out the certificate to prove the factory's waste had been disposed of according to the legal requirements and post them back to the factory and await his cheque. 5

With the final barrels now emptied of their contents he secured back into the truck and closed the tail-lift, every time he came here the sound of the fluid running into the ditch had the same effect on him, and this time was no exception, he jumped over the pool he had created and headed towards the large, ivy covered oak tree and unzipped his fly. Once relieved he turned wanting to be on his way but his first step brought a series of sharp pains to his lower leg just above the boot line where the bramble dug in deep, his second leg came racing forward to catch him but fell to the same fate as the first and he crashed face down amongst the undergrowth. Stunned and cursing he used his hands to push him back into a squatting position in an attempt to rise back up without causing the brambles to cut any deeper, once on his hunches he lifted his trouser legs to remove the ground hugging and thorn covered stem, but the sight which greeted him stopped him from taking any further action and 6

filled his throat with the taste of his own body's acid. It was the bramble which had brought him down but the pain came from the ivy now wrapped completely around his legs and the tiny little root like hairs which covered the stem now embedded themselves into his skin. Falling backwards his head struck the solid unmoving tree forcing his chin to collide with his chest which raised and fell in a rhythm which it hadn't done since his childhood, he placed his arms around the trunk behind him and pushing himself against the tree slid up into an upright position, he took a few deep breaths before he was ready to try and release his legs again, he swallowed hard hoping to clear the taste of gastric acid in his mouth, but the taste only became stronger as his stomach emptied it contents a split second after he tried to bring his arms away from the tree and he felt the now familiar burning pain spreading along his forearms along with the inability to move them.7

Alan didn't know how long he had remained unconscious, as he became aware he realised it was night. His body felt numb and unmovable, he tried to cry out but his voice could no longer obey, as his mind cleared from its haze his thoughts became alive as panic struck, eyes flashed from one side to the other as realisation informed him it was the only part of him which still had the ability to move, a dark sorrow filled him and he cried, a silent cry, his body even failing to shudder as he wept.8

The next time he became alert it was early morning the sun still very low and the birds sang out their morning songs, ivy leaves now covered his face partially blocking his view, a bird sang out from the tree he was fastened to, and a new awareness filled him with an understanding and a greater dread, not only could he hear the bird above singing, but he could feel it perched on the branch, but it was more than this which broke his spirit, it was because he could feel the other two birds on the other-side of the tree even though his own hearing and limited vision were unable to inform him of their presence, he could taste the bitter sap deep within the tree's heart, he could feel the gentle breeze caress the smallest twigs and he knew, knew he was no longer bound to the tree, but had become a part of it consumed but still with his own conscience.9

Days past into weeks, he had seen the police arrive to look at his truck still at the edge of the road, they even ventured into the forest only feet from where he watched but once content there was no sign of a body laying on the ground they soon moved on, shortly after a tow truck arrived and removed his vehicle, the only signpost to his where abouts, after this there was little to measure time as one day blended into the next, he guessed it had been about three weeks when the next change happened and he knew instantly its cause. Though subtle at first it increased at an alarming rate, first was the taste, not in his mouth but deep within his being, this new being of man and tree, and now it was pain, the pain of a chemical burn, and in his own heart he knew the roots deep under the soil where sucking up the fluids he had poured into the ditch, and day by day the pain became more and more until finally his mind gave way to madness, and he would scream non-stop inside his own mind for as long as the tree continued live.10

ăAndrew Hide11

5~1~200312