A room: My Power at the Face of Nothingness is Nothing.
"Where am I?"
"What was I like?"
Are questions many people would often ask themselves time-to-time, however, there's a man who asks these questions by the minute while staring at the endless void of white around him. A brightly lit white room.
He feels trapped yet not. He can remember but also not. He can move but gets no where. He can scream but no one can hear. Any action he does is meaningless. Easy to say, he doesn't like being in here. It's irritates him. It's like an itch that I can't scratch. Or it's like sneeze that stopped mid-way.
Strangely, he can't feel hunger nor thirst... Sometimes, his mind has doubts on whether or not certain concepts exist, like hunger and thirst. The sensation still harbors in his mind, although it's faint, it could easily topple over by a slight gust of wind. This could be said to many things the man used to know; he used to know what different colors looked like but now he only knows them by their names.
He's done extreme things in the heat of moment. Ripping my nails off was the first. Then gouging his eyes. Eating at his own skin. He felt sensations... pain, or perhaps a sick enjoyment of it. It was only for a while but that soon was also taken away from him. He "wakes up" at the same room with no changes to his body everytime he harmed himself. After he wakes up, he can't harm the same area as before. He deems it as "reset". He can't even do any harm to his body now, had he knew this would eventually happen, he would've made it more painful. So painful that even the mere memory of it burns his soul. Regret only comes in the end I suppose.
Sleeping to him is the only solution to past time. He could probably sleep for days. He can't exactly count days here, time here is limitless but nothing at the same time. Like every human on their wits end, he resorts to hopeful salvation. Salvation from a higher being. Perhaps the hopeful salvation isn't truly one but a mere scapegoat to avoid utter despair.
"God, if you're listening, please grant my wish and set me free from whatever this place is, I'll do anything, I'll even give my soul. " He closes his eyes, desperately gathering the hope he had left. He doesn't even care if the God his prayers reach is evil or not.
...
...
He opens one his eyes to check but nothing changed. He lets out a sigh of disappointment.
This was a futile attempt, even he knows. It's quite pitiful, really.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
When did this place have clock here?
A Staircase: Where Else but Up?
I look behind me and see a small intricately carved golden-rimmed clock. The clock is placed near me. I tried reaching for it but it's a lot farther than it seems. I tried getting closer but the distance just keeps getting wider. Eventually, I just gave up.
My head feels clear. It feels as if all the noise earlier just disappeared. I could've sworn there was a voice earlier, maybe that was my imagination or me being delirious.
I didn't notice it earlier, but the room is a lot darker than before. I never liked how bright this place was anyways, good riddance.
Looking behind me, again, and there are muddy stairs that lead upward. The whole place is now completely swallowed by shadow, well maybe except for the light at the top of the stairs. Is this a stairway to paradise?
Anyways, I could've sworn I was stuck in that void for all eternity but I guess the prayer did work? Or maybe this is all a dream? Did I fall asleep while thinking? I don't remember.
No point in just standing here and pondering about questions no one answers so I climb the muddy staircase. Each step feels a lot let less stickier than the last. I did try pinching myself a few times on the arm while climbing. Strangely, I felt a different type of pain concentrated at my eyes. Not where the place it was supposed but it's still pain nonetheless. A pain that keeps changing from a burning warmth and bitter cold.
On my tenth step, a brown spotted white bunny appears before me. Just before I could approach the bunny, an echoing voice rings in my head, "Where are you?" The voice sounded alot like it came from a distressed child. Did I know whose voice this was? It seemed familiar though.
Suddenly a hand made out of a dark gooey substance blindfolds me from behind. I tried grabbing it, but it's pointless; my hand just phases through. I can't shake it off. This is freaking me out. While I do say that, I'm kinda excited what surprise is in store. Fear sure is a fun feeling.
...I woke up?
No.
No.
No.
No. No. No. I don't want to open my eyes. I'm scared. I'm scared of my hope being crushed. I take back everything, fear is NOT fun at all.
Despite it all, I slowly open my eyes anyways.
However, I woke up not to the void of white, but rather different hues of azure plants. I can smell the fresh, earthy wind. I can hear the chirps and roars from afar. I can feel the grass poking out between my toes. To top it all off is a spectacular emerald sky.
Oh. This is forest.
A Forest: An Auspicious Reimagination
To the man's left were twisted trees with a crooked pathway; the bark of the said trees were carved with unnatural-looking markings. It doesn't look man-made though, it was more like it was carved using claws. Many would've guessed these were territorial markings but he wouldn't know that of course.
To his left, was a tall waterfall, the water harshly colliding with the rocks below. The water seemed fresh and clean enough to drink. However, as a foolish as it is, the dunce man went to his left.