Stairwell

Prologue

Might as well... I've made it this far. I'm just a step away from the long hike that awaits me. Torches flickering fire poorly illuminates they stairwell. There are few and far between. Maybe to scare us back down...

I take the step. Total silence. Even the stone stairs made no sound against my aged shoes. At least it wasn't a sticky, sap-covered stairway. That would be an incredible pain to hear the arms of sap loose their tight grip all the way up.

They certainly didn't want us to leave. At least there weren't any kinds of guards. As far as I knew. It's been so incredibly long since I've seen sunlight and felt a warm breeze wrap itself around me.

Banished to a cell of my own horrible universe. Not just a burning land of fire and endless shrieks of fear. Not a place frozen for eternity, my own personal place to be hated. Everything I ever hated in a cell.

* * *

     Upon the end of this seemingly endless journey, I come across what I'd presume is the portal. Etched in rock are small, strange symbols. Some began to glow gold as I approached. One is a wolf, another, a slave being whipped. These mean something, like the carving of the sun- it glowed, too.

     The glossy, obsidian ring began to sparkle as I got closer. A marble swirl of navy blue, forest green and cotton-cloud white grew and seeped light into the abandoned cavern.

     I took a step, sinking into the cloud that smelt of something so familiar, yet so old. My eyes shut gently as I was embraced by the droplets of the fog. Morning dew, grass, rotting bark of old trees. Memories...

     Joyful shouts of young children and playful teases of the not-so-young children. A rushing stream and glorious warmth of the sun, illuminating the muddy forest floor.

     This is a park, isn't it? Just outside one...

     A boy ran through the trees, he looked about fourteen. His hat was backwards, and he wore a smile. I froze in place, locking eyes with the stranger. I didn't care who he was really, more so if he was intentionally looking at me.

     I then realized that I was squinting my eyes in the bright light. I also did in my cell, but this was a little different.

     "Who are you?" He asked sternly, throwing a shock of fear through me. I held my hands up as to surrender, backing away slowly.

     He took several steps closer, quickening with each step he took. It'd probably be a bad idea to run. Just don't move.

     I remained frozen as he paced around me, scrutinizing each and every feature of mine. His cloths were vibrant, like the nature around me, they were clean, too. My cloths are black and disheveled, though I like having black clothes.

     "Who are you?" He asked again, glaring into my eyes.

     My name, what's my name? Do I have a name?

     Might as well be blunt about it. No. That would be a terrible idea.

     "Umm... Sam?" I said, less sure of myself than I should have been. That could be my name- Sam. Short for Samantha.

     "What are you up to out here?" He asked gently, standing up like a normal person. Like the people I used to know.

     "Aren't you curious? How about you answer that same question for me, eh?"

     "Hikin' around," he replied.

     "You were runnin' quite quickly for a hike. I'm not one to judge, though," I shrugged, glancing up to the hidden sky.

     "Fine, I'm trying to find my older brother. My dad is waiting by the park for us, and I'll tell you, he's in some hurry for no reason," The strange boy chuckled.

     "I can help you find him... If that's cool with you."

     Gee, it's so hard to talk like him. I don't know if he'd understand what I said if I spoke naturally... Like I used to. Not afraid of my voice. Different place, different time.

     "Thanks, that would be super helpful," He said cheerfully.

"No problem."

* * *

We had explored a little bit more of the forest by the time I heard something from behind. The stranger still hadn't introduced himself, nor did he notice the sound.

There was an energy that got closer and closer. I fought my curiosity, letting it build like the heavy, slow energy that approached us.

I turned my head, opening my eyes more to see the figure as I spun around, meeting with their eyes.

They took a stumbling step backwards, then I noticed how he resembled Stranger. Same dark brown hair that was somewhat thin and wispy. His eyes were equally dark and his skin was tanned. They both wore nice cloths. Is this Stranger's brother?

"Howdy?" I said shyly, again, it sounded more like a question than a greeting. I let out my left hand for a formal shake, but to my surprise, Stranger's brother backed away.

"Who are you talkin' to, Sam?" Stranger asked as he spun around and saw the fifteen year old visibly shaking.

"Dude! Is this another one of your jokes?" The fifteen year old panicked.

"N-no. What is it?" Stranger replied, leaving me dumbfounded.

"Let's get out of here."

"Well, we were lookin' for ya' I guess," Stranger sighed.

"We? You mean, you were with her? Look, let's just go," Stranger's brother said as he rushed to his feet, ignoring that I was willing to help him up.

"Yeah, um, bye, Sam. I'll see you latter, I guess."

"Bye," I replied with a nod.

     Stranger's brother glared at me, walking away nervously back to the park which just had to be at the top of the hill.

     I smiled at them as they left, eventually returning to my excursion of the living world. The birds that fluttered overhead and a a couple spiderwebs neatly knit between tree trunks. It was incredibly reliving that a constant pain finally lifted itself my my chest. I felt lighter, more agile, quicker than I ever was in my cell.