The Hallway

Introduction: Real

I felt paint soak my clothes as I pressed my bloody, tattered, and bruised body against the sky blue wall of the hallway. I had died, not once but three times. I had died multiple times on numerous occasions. Three times in total, if you count this time. This time my gray hoodie was stained bright red as I pulled myself upward and waited as time slowly drifted and pulled me closer to the edge. There is no finish, I think to myself. There is no way out of here but death. I felt a pain shoot up to my chest as I lifted my shoulders to stand.

My breathing became heavy, quick, and panicked. The more I moved the more it hurt, the more my body tensed and quivered. As my body sunk into the wall I didn't struggle. Struggling makes it worse. It makes it unbearable. I had to accept my fate. There is no way to go forward. You have to stop eventually and when you do—if you can even do so— it'll be better to rip the band-aid of life off quickly. While I grabbed at my wounded stomach I started to wipe away the blood, as if it'd run out before my time ran out.

There was a sense of desire within myself to try harder. A strong one that compelled me to keep going, to live, and to continue. It wouldn't last. Creatures with deformed figures, colored shadowy black, limped forward. Their yellowed teeth clenched as drool spilled down their scarred cheeks. Their fingernails were replaced by threatening long claws that scratched the carpeted green floor, while their deformed bodies continued to step near where I lingered.

I couldn't run, I couldn't die forever at last, and I wouldn't fight. You may be wondering why I said that thing about this being the third time I died, perhaps the last I would die, in fact you might be very confused. I'm a bit of an immortal mortal. Or at least I think...Time is weird here, in fact, reality is weird. This is the first time I've died here to say the least...To be honest I won't be surprised if this is the last place I'll die. However, I won't be dying permanently for now. No, nothing is easy here. Nothing can ever be easy here. Not even something like death.

No matter how hard you can cry, scream, beg, and fight. It'll never be enough anyway. My eyes darted up as the creatures surrounded me. You can't die, you can't live, you can't move, you can't succeed. They came closer. I flinched with both anticipation and fear.

My eyes fluttered open and shut. Something was off about the whole thing. Even if I did take into account the fact I hadn't died, time had not passed as it should, and that nothing works as it used to before, something else was off. Even though I hadn't eaten in days my weight and stamina stayed the same. I stood up. I turned a full circle around the room and only one thing stood out. Only one thing never changed.

The strangest thing about all of this was no matter how far I seemed to go. How many times I found myself wishing I didn't have to continue this journey. No matter how hard I tried to grasp a sense of similarity to my past life and a sense of reality. No matter how impossible the circumstance. The hallway seemed to have some sense of logic and maybe even rules along with that fact. I was shaken, truly flabbergasted. It never had occurred to me once that there might actually be a logic to this. I was choking on my words and tripping on my own feet as I cried at the fact. I felt a need to scream. "I'm back where I started..." Only I wasn't. Sure this is the same stage but it's not the same place. I'm back where I started but I'm not. Laughter broke out of my mouth. "I'm back where I started. Again, again, again. Don't you see the pattern? There is no end to this." I wiped my face of tears and grinned.

The monsters vanished in thin air. My vision went black. When I woke I found myself in a strange place as a strange voice rang through the air. The eternal torment may question your morals. Will you go forward? You can't go back...You clearly can't go up or down. I pull myself off the floor as red eyes glow around me. A rush of adrenaline rushes through my veins.

You can run. You can do nothing but run. It's what everyone expects you to do in this situation. It's what inspires you. The idea of escaping, of a finish line, drives you. Even so, who is to say this ends? Who is to say it's not a losing battle. My feet move but my mind will always be in the same place. There is no way but forward. You are not the last, you are not the first, you are not the only who remains. Make it to the finish line and watch as it all falls in place.

Welcome to the Hallway, you'll never leave...