Hallway
He was observing the night sky from the only window in this hallway, the moon was shining with it’s full strength. For the first few days he had found it quite charming but now it felt lifeless. You can look out of this window at any time this is the exact same view you’ll find. The moon shining and nothing else, there were no clouds and his window was too high to see anything on the ground.
First thing you’d notice about the hallway was the darkness. It embodied the absence of light. No matter how hard he tried, not matter how close he got to the window he was not even able to see his own reflection. Not even the light of the moon entered the hallway it seem to stop at the window. He had forgotten long ago how he looked or what his name was. All that remained was the darkness.
At first glance the hallway doesn’t seem so bad. After all you never feel hunger or thirst or any other physical desire. You’re locked behind the great door the key to unlock it is always in this hallway, you just need to find it to get out.
He thought he’d be happy here, in the outside world he couldn’t even ensure his next meal and here no such worries plagued him. He sat in front of the window and watched the moon not sure for how many days.
“It would be cruel not to explore this place. So what I can’t see anything I can still feel what’s here”
With this thought he started walking in the opposite direction of the gate. The hallway could be miles long or end just after five feet he’ll need to walk and figure out for himself.
After what seemed to him like weeks worth of walking, he couldn’t find the end of the hallway he decided to return. On his journey he had found nothing there was no other window in the entire hallway or even if there was he’d never be able to find it.
What surprised him more was that he did not feel tired physically,he felt that he could go on walking forever. He turned back to the exact same view “Pitch Black”.
On his return journey he felt a slight anxiety how could he know if he was walking in the right direction. He walked faster this time even ran for some of the journey.
“What am I running for? The other side is no different from this one.”
“The window you idiot, at least you have a window there.”
Gasping for air after running for what felt like miles a loud bang he banged his head against the gate and dropped. He was out of breath but he felt no pain. He stood up and frantically searched for the window and was pleased to find on his left after just ten steps.
That was a long time ago he thought to himself. A cruel smile curled up on his face.
He walked back from the window and looked though the keyhole of the gate he could see a bright light.
“It’s probably day outside” he said aloud to no one.
Then sat with his back against the wall staring at nothing.
Just after a few months in the hallway he had forgotten all the faces he had ever seen. Slowly he forgot what it felt like to stand in the sun. He forgot what hunger felt like. He thought he felt content but now he knew it was just emptiness. His soul mirrored the hallway, a never ending darkness lingered in both.
Looking at the moon frustrated him even more it reminded him that he was still capable of feeling, just not allowed. Freedom was only a few inches away.
He decided to start looking for the key. On all fours like a rat in a sewer, crawling through the hallway trying feel every inch of the ground. Banging his head on the occasional piece of furniture. This was the farthest he had been from the gate or at least it felt like it.
He wakes up in a frenzy still sitting with his back against the door. He gets up and sits down beside the window again. For hours he watched the moon, suddenly two birds appeared on the horizon they were flying fast, intertwined with each other. The birds appeared to get larger with each passing second. They were just a meter away from the window now. One of the birds dropped down in an instant but the other was not soo lucky, it clashed against the window scattering broken glass all over the floor with a thud it dropped to the floor.
He couldn’t believe himself, for the first time he was able to see something inside the hallway. He wanted to touch the bird once just to convince himself that it was real but for some reason he couldn’t even lift a finger.
The bird flapped it’s wings once or twice and then soared out of the broken window and into the night sky.
Still shell shocked, he moved closer to the window. He picked up one of the few broken glass pieces and looked at it. A stranger stared back from the other side. His eyes were barely able to withstand the light. He then proceeded to turn the glass so that the moonlight would reflect on his hand. He had long forgotten what hands are supposed to look like but he knew what he was seeing was not it. Then he turned the glass towards the hallway he saw the table he sometimes stubbed his finger on. Then he looked at the wall and they were painted black, the floor was also covered with a black carpet.
He amused himself with that piece of glass for hours he looked at every corner of the hallway and there was still an infinity to go. When he shined the light in the far right end of the hallway he saw something glint. He kept focusing the light on that object. He felt something in his heart that he had not felt for years, it was hope. He wondered whether the glinting object was the key to his freedom. He kept trying different angles but he couldn’t make out what was glinting. He decided to settle the glass on the ground in such a way that it reflected light towards the general direction of the key and then he started making his way towards the light. At first he walked slowly then he broke into a run and ran as fast as he could. He was scared more than hopeful what if it wasn’t the key. Whatever it was he needed to find out quickly. He came to a halt when he reached the illuminated part of the hallway. He got down on all fours just like he had done hundreds of times in the past and kept looking. He went on like this for an hour and started cursing himself. How could he be so stupid his mind was obviously playing tricks on him there was nothing here. But he still kept moving forward. And after crawling for another hour he felt something under his right knee he grabbed it with his hand and started feeling it long slim rounded from one end and squared from the other it felt like a key. He wanted to give a loud cry of joy but the pessimist in him stopped him.
“Let’s take it to the light and see it first”
He stood up clutching the key tight in his right hand and ran, he ran till he reached the window again. Completely out of breath, barely able to stand he opened his fist and looked down. A single tear dropped from his eye and fell on the key.
This was it, he was holding his future in the palm of his hand, he dashed to the door and tried to jam the key inside the keyhole. Imagination of what lies beyond the door completely occupied him. His face was full of tears. He would face the heat of the sun the chill of winter. He would love again and lose again. He would be able to feel the warmth of a hug and the sting of a slap. He would know once again what it feels like to be alive.
He realized the key was still not inside the keyhole he kept pushing but it wouldn’t go in. He quickly turned it and tried again. This time it went in. He twisted the key to the right it didn’t budge then to the left still nothing. He felt his heart sink to the ground. But he kept trying shuffling the key and twisting with his full force but within a minute he realized his attempts were futile.
“NO NO GET ME OUT OF HERE. THIS CAN’T BE. THIS KEY IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN THIS DOOR. YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME”
“LET ME OUT”
“LET ME OUT”
“LET ME OUT”
“LET ME OUT”
he was shouting at the top of his lungs banging the door with his full strength. Soon blood started trickling from his fists he had banged the door enough. He was on the floor his face against the door still full of tears. A hushed voice still cried out
“let me out”
but he knew he was not getting out. He sat up once again wiped the tears off his face. He looked at the broken glass pieces near the window. Freedom was only a few inches away.