Hello my faithful, or once faithful, readers. I began this story two years ago and then abandoned it right before it came to its`finish. What can I say? My life became hectic, I moved out and grew up. I ended up living through some of the lifestyles I portrayed in this story; the sex, drugs and Metal kept me from writing. Recently I re-read this whole story and it blows my mind that I was 15-17 while writing it, there may be certain immaturites plaguing this piece, but overall the emotion is there and so is the language and most of the knowledge. This story, Highway Chile, will forever stand as a testament to what I felt when I was younger and to what I dreamed of becoming, I truly laid my heart out bare for you anonymous people. I can never thank you enough for the beautiful reviews, and mostly for telling me that my story made you feel. I spent many nights crying as I wrote, overwhelmed with the tragedy and gorgeousness of the plot. Needless to say I decided that I really could not let Highway Chile stay on this site forever without its`epilogue. I can finally say a melancholic goodbye to this novella, this thing that I emptied my soul into for two years. I love you all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Phineas & Ferb nor do I own the song Shame In You by Alice In Chains.

When I waken, and I'm achin', time for sleepin, yeah
When I'm sayin time to go and, I've been hurtin, yeah
When I'm layin, I'm still tryin, concentrating on dyin', yeah
You're right as rain, but you're all to blame
Agreed my crime's the same
My sins I'll claim, give you back shed pain
Go find a place for own shame

So you can deal with this thing unreal
No one made you feel any hurt, yeah

Shame In You; EPILOGUE

Present Day; February 13th 2010

How is it that three days have passed, since I've been blessed with a pallid curvature of lips, the glow of jaded eyes? How is it that it's all only been a series of agonized moments between Ferb's death and my inevitable one? Why did I ever think it would be alright to take a soul? By trying to save him I've ended myself.

Baljeet is howling as a banshee, rocking my slowly stilling body in his ripe brown arms. My optic nerves spasm as every face that has ever graced me flutters past on moth wings. The long slow song of the River begins to wane. As a child I never considered dying young a possibility; it was only when stardom broke us in its' invasive, helpless way that I thought about it. I am twenty five years old and I am taking my last breaths. It doesn't seem real even as it's happening. Soon I will be draped in sleep, eaten by worms, encased in a wooden box. I wonder if I will be remembered, Ferb is certainly going to be immortalized in blood spattered gold. Will Candace and mom and dad weep? How about Baljeet and Buford, or Isabella or Vanessa? Ferb's death occurred such a miniscule time before this that they'll all be shell shocked.

Heroin death isn't painful, or maybe it is. Maybe I am so far gone that I have finally gone completely and utterly numb. "I can't believe this is how the story ends." Jeet pushes the words out with a pitiful cringe, his sumac colored irises are shining with tears as I imagine my plain blue ones are. "When we were kids you two dreamt up universes, you could have done anything. Until you put it in Ferb's head to become a rock star. He was obsessed with the idea to the point of madness, necessary madness it turns out. But I only wish that you hadn't loved him Phin. You and I, we'll never know what was wrong with Ferb and we will never know what we could've been without him. He was infatuated with stardom and you were infatuated with him. He dominated your life, he was your life. And now he is your death too. It is too late to undo this Phineas, but that doesn't mean I still can't try to put some logic into your brain."

"You're…so…bitter" I gasp, squinting up at him. His face contorts in realization; that without Ferb I wouldn't be Phineas. Because of my love for him I abandoned everything, anyone. I walked through the living world with him as a crutch and as the very thing that had wounded me. Without Ferb my existence would be annulled, Baljeet couldn't love me then because there would be no darling Phinny.

"I am only bitter the way you were when he was with Isabella. Love is a monster, I know that now."

"No, love is nirvana. Human beings are the monsters. You and me Jeet. We're-we're monsters…" My mouth suddenly feels slack, like it isn't there. Baljeet's comforting grasp is swept out from under me along with everything else. "We're monsters."

There is a blast at the door. "Open up, Paramedics." Jeet gallops to the entrance and swings it open.

"Oh thank Christ" He babbles incoherently "My friend is overdosing, thank God…"

"On what" One of the white robed demons asks, fire in is analytical gaze.

"…Heroin, I don't know how much he took. Enough to kill a fucking horse." Leather bangles slide up and down Baljeet's arms, he laughs the way people always do in vomit inducing situations. "More than 1000 milligrams…"

In my mind's eye I hallucinate Ferb, naked. His skin is translucent as usual, violet veins glowing ethereally and anemically. He is just a boy. And even in eternity he is too skinny, too emaciated and lackluster. In every sphere he will be broken. Incredibly imperfect. But beautiful. He'd begrimed himself with a life of excess and went out accordingly. "Ferb" I know I am reaching out at nothing; clasping and unclasping my stiffening fingers like a child. "Ferb" His image beckons to me, and despite all the agonies still wracking his body he smiles. A wonderful and serene gesture filled with promises. "Ferb" I cry, tears racing down my cheeks. There is a ring of thorns and budding red roses crowning his lengthy green hair, setting off the jewels of his eyes. Hail the emerald Christ! Bow down to the Jesus of a new generation. "Oh God, how I've missed you." The logic that Ferb is not really before me fades away and now he is flesh and bone, stagnation and dirt. "Take me from this place. Deliver me from this evil." His ragged fingernails graze my hands; all of his features hum impatiently, waiting for me to join them in the halls of infinity. Ferb Fletcher is here to save me. "I knew you would come back for me Ferb. Thank you…for everything."

Ferb envelopes me in his watery embrace; he smells of rose petals and cigarettes and dew and rot. ``I forgive you``

My irises roll back into my skull, my brains burst, the mortal world leaves me and I am birthed into the microcosm of death.

The landscape opens up as a forested dream, as an eyeball fluttering to wakefulness. I no longer see Baljeet or perceive the paramedics; there is only the sound of a lazily moving river. I seat my weightless body at the base of a mammoth oak tree, sighing into its` rough brown bark. No thoughts plague my weary mind. I hear the fall leaves crunching and turn to my left; Ferb seats himself next to me. He smiles melancholically ``I guess I always knew this was the only way we could be together forever.``

`` Worms are devouring our cadavers, but so long as our minds are here we have achieved bliss.`` I take his cool alabaster hand in mine, we both look out across the river at the gaping suburbs of Danville, people-less and imaginary. Our eternity yawns out before us, a gorgeous abyss.

Body's movin, only provin, no one needs to move
Still believin, yet mistaken, all God's children, yeah
And I must say, I was stupid, selfishly she consumed, yeah
And you must change patterns all we trained
Or n'er regain peace you seek
Now you hear me, for the things I see
Yeah, I believe in inner peace, yeah
Throw out, blow up, hold in
Show fine, no signs, grow blind

``Two clocks, two ghosts, one square acre of hidden mirror...Every love story is a ghost story.``-David Foster Wallace