Collapse Of Another

I awake to the great halls of a mansion, their height stretching infinitely and endlessly, a sight that makes my head dizzy and my face pale. An unexplainable reality I have woken to; pure madness almost stuns me in place.

Its luxurious decor blinds my eyes as its ever-expanding walls break my mind; I've been thrust into chaos... A minute goes by as I try to regain any sense of normality, yet, the creaking wood sends a shiver down my spine, breaking my trance.

I look behind me to see the same endless hall; nothing of note here.

My gaze swivels onwards to a newly formed T-Junction ahead; it wasn't here a second ago; I guess forward is my only option.

I walk up to the split path staring at the ornate painting on the wall; a familiar face looks down at me, disappointed and ashamed.

I can't recognize who they are; they're blurry and – ashy?

They feel faded, yet their presence is everpresent and looming.

Still, it's just a painting, that's all...

I look to the left to see another hall; although it isn't abnormally tall, it twists and turns in place like it's bending reality.

The hall to the right is overgrown with dangerous spikey plants, prickly leaves, and all sorts of foliage.

I stand here confronted by two seemingly bad decisions...

So I close my eyes and dig deep into myself to find the right path,

I feel a strong and almost insidious draw to the right, and the longer I linger, the stronger the pull gets. I glance over the back to the hall filled with the dangerous wilderness; its once menacing spikes and needles have grown smaller like it's inviting me in...

I'm torn between these halls; something tells me it's an important decision, and the painting's ever-growing gaze doesn't help.

I just have to make a move because deep down I know the hall to the right will kill me – to the left we go, down the ever spiral...

I walk into the hall with its flat floor beginning to veer off; trekking this is going to be a pain. I step forward and pull my arm out to press against the wall. However, as I do, I become weightless and float above the floor.

My body gets lifted and recentered to the middle of the hall,

at first, I naturally wave my arms around in confusion and the feeling of being in free fall, yet, as I realize that I'm wholly unmovable and stuck in mid-air, my attention goes to my surroundings.

I check left, right, up, and down – albeit nothing is found, except,

I notice the painting looks content; have I made the right choice?

My pondering stare breaks up as I feel my body being drifted forward,

I look ahead to the spiraling hall – it's more lively than ever.

Vibrant colors soothe my exerted eyes as memories flood the catacombs of my mind, memories of life, filling me with rejuvenation.

Memories of loved ones and all the time we spent together,

even our somber times are touched with light; every minute was a blessing.

The once melancholy-drenched recollections of the people I've lost have turned into bright reminders of the time I got with them and the appreciation of being able to remember them still... It's beautiful...

Tears roll down my cheek, like the ones that would fall when the night entraps me, and reality hits me in the chest. However, the tears come from a different place, not from sadness, but from the light shining upon the gray of life... A genuinely freeing sight indeed.