First, whatever it is that you seek, know that you must seriously desire what you want. In your eyes, it should be something you need. If you begin the journey without the correct state of mind, you will surely fail, as it will be near impossible to turn back once the journey starts. The second requirement is that you will need a vehicle of sorts. Most use a mecha, as it's the most comfortable choice. There have been a select few that have used small motorized vehicle, such as a hover cycle or drop ship transport, but this has proven to be quite difficult, as the conditions of the journey can prove to be too bothersome.
Do not use a vehicle too large or noticeable, as you will need some of the cover of night to be most safe. Also, while any sort of mecha will do, you may not want to choose the most expensive or cherished one. You can take your slick new black Anubis for the hike if you'd like, but don't expect it to come out in a pristine state. Make sure your mecha is completely charged before beginning the hike.
The first task to accomplish is to locate the path. It doesn't have a name, it's not on the map, and technically, it doesn't even exist. It will only show up if you're looking for it at the right time, and you will only spot it if you know what to look for. Finally, you must be alone during the journey. You didn't think you'd be able to go with a group, did you?
It must be night when you begin. Choose the time of the night where you believe the gate paths are the least populated. Have your mecha go to any area that is just a stretch of dirt surrounded by woods. Here's where you want to start paying close attention. If you're looking for the path, it will turn up eventually, but you need to search for the path's hint in order to go down the right one.
Once you're close, you will see or feel its signs but what the signs will be will depend on what it is you desire. For example, if you're in search of wealth, you may spot shimmers on the empty branches of trees as if they resembled the shine of gold or diamonds. If you seek love, you may begin to see rose petals slowly dance in the light breeze, blowing in the path's direction. If you seek revenge, you might sense an ever growing feeling of heat or anger in your body as you approach. Just know what it is you really want, and you'll have no problem finding the turn.
Once you're sure you've found the revealed path, take a deep breath, and walk down onto it. At this point, you have officially started down the nameless path which brings you through 11 miles, leading to whatever it is you seek. Each mile will test your desire, and will expose if you really do want what you're searching for. Before you go any further, stop the mecha and be wary of a few advisement's:
Do not turn on the comm systems during this voyage.
Do not open the canopy windows during the hike. Make sure they are closed before you continue. If you are riding a vehicle without windows or a top, then prepare for the worst, as the odds are heavily against you.
Do not attempt to leave your mecha at ANY time.
You'll never want to exceed normal walking pace, unless you're desperate to make it through a section of the path.
And most importantly, as with any mission, strap in.
Feel free to prepare and make sure you're ready. Once the path has been entered, time has stopped so you don't need to worry about losing the night. Though you may not notice, you're not actually in your own world anymore. Take one last moment to realize that once the first mile is over there is no turning back. If you ponder turning back at all, know that you shouldn't even be on the journey in the first place. Once all is done, continue on the path.
On the first mile, you won't see much change. The road passes through mostly woods with a few miles being an exception. The air will turn a bit colder, in which you should turn on your heating system if the mecha has one. You won't want to take your eyes off the path later. Take some time to calm any uneasiness by admiring some of the night sky. You'll see it completely lined with stars, more than what you would ever believe possible. If the weather was cloudy beforehand, you'll also notice that the sky is now clear.
On the second mile, the air will become even colder. This is primarily the reason why traveling in an open vehicle is very difficult. With each mile, the air will drop in temperature even if the season should be warm. If the air is too cold to bear, even with the heat on, your only option is to speed up. With each mile the path also becomes more complex, taking more turns and showing an increasing amount of hazards. Be sure to always keep focused on the path in front of you in order to avoid as many bumps or obstacles as possible. Hitting a few rocks and potholes won't hamper your progress too much, but you'll want to keep in the best condition for as long as possible. If your mecha is forced to a stop because of damage, then there's nothing left you can do but eventually freeze to death.
On the third mile, you may begin to spot silhouettes of human figures in the linings of trees. Pay no attention to them, even if they seem to get closer. It will be hard to resist peeking at their unnerving, distant appearance but know that they will reveal themselves later. At this mile, the path will become dirt if you weren't walking on it in the beginning. Keep to the center of the path as it will become narrow and wide at random intervals. On a quick side note, should you ever attempt to turn around (despite the previous warnings) you'll be left on a path which never ends. You would simply run out of fuel eventually, and be left to freeze in the cold conditions.
On the fourth mile, you will not only see more of the figures but you will begin to in a sense hear them. In the back of your mind, a very faint unintelligible whisper will echo. These will come and go, but you can't stop them. If they become bothersome or distracting, try and tune them out by thinking of what it is you desire. Attempting to listen and determine what the voices are saying will only attract them to you, and you want to be as far away from them as you can. They'll be closer later, so there's no use bringing them near you this early.
On the fifth mile, you will come to a clearing. The lining of trees to your left will disappear to reveal a lake with no end with a beaming, great moon over the water. The illumination from the moon will be so spectacular that the mecha search lights will no longer be required. Restrain yourself from gazing at it. If you look at its light for even more than a few seconds the path in front of you will end, throwing your mecha into the water in which you will freeze in mere minutes. The voices will be gone for this mile, but don't rejoice yet. They'll be back.
On the sixth mile, take into account that you are more than halfway done. Despite the progress, you may lose hope here. The stars will have disappeared at this point, leaving the sky an empty, black abyss. The clearing will have ended, leading you back into the woods. The only light you will have will be provided by your mechas lights, but they will flicker from time to time even if you're sure they're in perfect working order.
Your comm system which you were advised about earlier to shut off, it will turn on here automatically. If you didn't turn it off beforehand, it will produce an overwhelming screech that will send you off the path. A calm voice will then begin to speak about your greatest fears, what it is you are horrified of in your life. It will speak in a way that will cause you to visualize the words in your mind, so don't listen to it. If you begin to comprehend what it's saying, the horrors will prove too much for you to stay on the path safely. Attempting to turn off the radio will prove no use. Speed up if you need to; just keep your mind off the voice as much as you can. As you approach the end of the mile, the voice will fade out of the speakers, leaving your ears at peace (for now).
On the seventh mile, the voices from the figures will return. It won't sound like a whisper this time, but more like distant screams, growing closer with each second. At some point on this mile, you'll hear one of them in your ear, as if one of them were right behind you. This is because one of the figures has found their way into your mecha. Do not turn around. Their faces will shock you to a paralysis, leading you off the path. If you don't draw attention to it, it will become uninterested, and hopefully leave. These beings are said to be ones who have travelled down this path before, but were not successful. They live the remainder of their existence suffering, in the darkness with their only goal being to bring other travelers down with them. It has been said from experience that these beings can't physically harm you, so as long as they don't cause you to wreck, you should be fine.
On the eighth mile, slow down if you're going too fast. The path here takes very sharp turns, which if overshot will throw the mecha into a pit through the trees. The cold is near fatal here. If you were to have a glass or bottle of liquid in your mecha, it would be solid in seconds. The heating system will have become completely obsolete. Your search lights will flicker more, sometimes shutting off for a few seconds. You should break if this happens, but do not completely stop. The figures will be following you at this point, and should you stop for too long, they will surround and trap your mecha, dragging you screaming from it. More of their screams can be heard from outside your canopy, sometimes even sounding of maniacal laughter. Their hands will claw at your view screens, desperate to reach in and feel something living. Do not look at them. They won't block your main line of sight, and the last thing you want to happen is to crash and be trapped with them. If you don't make it from here, pray that it's the freezing that ends you.
On the ninth mile, your mecha will stall. The search lights will shut off, as will all other systems inside. There's nothing you can do to prevent this. What you will need to do is close your eyes and immediately attempt to restart the vehicle. Keep your eyes closed, as the figures would have surely surrounded you at this point. The starting of the mecha will frighten them, and they will all back away temporarily. This will give you a chance to start moving forward again. If you begin to hear the canopy crack from their struggle, don't lose focus. The beings can alter the mehas reality slightly, but remember that they still do not have the strength to physically affect you. You will hear nothing but their voices rampage in your mind, as there could be anywhere between a dozen or a hundred after you now. Once you start the mecha floor it. Floor it so long as you can stay on the path. When the mile's done, the beings will retreat.
On the tenth mile, the voices of the beings will stop. If you were to look in your rear-view screen (do not actually do this), you will see them following you but not as if they were chasing. They're watching you, as if they were seeing you off. As you go down the tenth mile, the path will be smoother, as if you were back on the first mile. The figures will be lining the sides of the path ahead of you. They won't be after you, but they will watch you as you pass. Some have theorized that the beings are impressed here, that you have come a long way on the journey to what you desire. This is false. They are not impressed, but they are happy. They are happy you are about to approach the next mile. They are happy because you are most likely going to your death.
On the eleventh and final mile, everything in your mecha will lose power, as it did on the ninth mile. The mecha in question would normally be immobile, but you will still be moving. An unknown force will be pulling you forward. In the darkness, you will see a glowing red light up ahead, as if it were a light at the end of a tunnel.
Close your eyes, and cover them. Do whatever it takes to make sure you do not see what you are about to go through. Covering your ears would also be helpful, but keeping your eyes covered should be a higher priority.
The red light is another clearing, but there's no moon or lake this time. Once it's entered, unrelenting and inconceivable noises will sound from all directions. No amount of bravery and conditioning will spare you from these sounds. The cold will turn to a merciless heat, burning all parts of the mecha. You will feel the illusion of the flesh being burned off your bones, that every part of you is being destroyed as you travel through screams and audible suffering. As long as you keep your eyes closed, and resist the urge to see where you are, you will survive through the suffering. This will last a total of 31 seconds but many fail to keep their vision closed during that time and are left to the worst fate of the path. Where is this path located? Those who have survived do not know. Some have named it "the transmission from hell" but whether its part of hell is debatable.
After the final mile, power will return. Stop the mecha. Take a moment to possibly regain some of your sanity. Let the screaming in your ears begin to fade and know that you have nearly completed your journey with the hardest task overcome.
Breathe, and begin to move forward once again.
After only a kilometer, your mecha will arrive at a dead end. Stop here and don't attempt to move again. Nothing will happen right this second but do not be disappointed. Relax and close your eyes. Imagine in your mind what it is you've desired the entire time. It will most likely still be the same as when you entered, but with some this desire may actually change through making this journey. Think about what it was that you went through such terrifying and difficult means to acquire and imagine possessing it in your hands.
Once you have completely visualized this, slowly open your eyes.
You will then find yourself at the beginning of the unnamed path, where you first began. This may confuse you, but know that you are finished. Your task is done.
Your mind will then turn to your reward. If what you desired was material, check in the back cockpit section or in the storage compartment if the object is larger. If the object was small enough it might already be in your pocket. If what you desired was nonmaterial, then do not be disappointed if the change is not immediate. Turn back to where you came from, and you will find in your life that what you wanted is there. You may have found the love of your dreams. You may have gained unnatural, unimaginable power. You may have put your most hated enemy to the most satisfying revenge possible. You will have no doubt gained what you deserved.
So now that the task is done, what's the catch? Is your mecha cursed? Is there something you're about to lose? Is your death imminent? The answer to all is no, of course. You've done the challenge. You've proved worthy of what you desire. As stated before, the sounds of the eleventh mile will continue to exist in your mind, potentially causing you some vivid and unusual nightmares but these should prove as nothing compared to what you've gained.
Now, one last question: Is there something else you desire? Are you not yet satisfied? After all, you're left right back where you started. The path's right in front of you, so are you up for another hike?
If so, strap in, and just move forward.
(Authors note - based on the urban legend 11 Miles also known as The 11th Mile, author uncredited.)
Submitted by Pat Willis#224534