Climbing Everywhere and Nowhere – A Short Story

All he needed was a quiet place to work.

Yet he ended up losing himself climbing everywhere and nowhere.

He had a meeting whilst on campus, a pretty loud one, and he needed somewhere with it all: quiet, empty, and open for talk. He’d explored everywhere until he made it to the fourth floor of the business school: a deserted loft with horror vibes, but fit his criteria. Not a human, bug, or mouse in sight, as quiet as the woods, and talk painting the paved, yet slightly creaked, walls.

Then there was the ladder, open for anyone to climb, sitting across from him. He was curious, adventure spiked in his blood like sugar, and he figured it’d give him a new story to tell. After his meeting, he figured. Then his meeting ended, and he decided to climb. Make sure no one can catch you, then you’re good. 

His foot hit the metal rail. He had no fear of falling: the ladder was glued shut to the wall and nailed in place, all he needed was a strong grip – which he built from workouts. He climbed, and soon he discovered he was on the roof of the room: pitch black surrounded by wooden framing. High above where he was before. Neat. Who knew work world bring an adventure. He wanted to climb more, the ladder stretched out longer into a black void, but he thought he heard a voice behind him. God knows what strikes in the night, and no one wanted to get lost, so he climbed down. 

Intentions for the next day were far more ambitious than the first: climb higher and for longer, see what else you could find. Adventure, curiosity, and a little greed (what if higher levels brought treasure?) filled him – something now in his history. A turning point. After work, he went climbing.

He once again found himself in the dark room, but he kept on climbing. Adventure was his only ambition. The greed and desire to explore and possible treasure was stinging him repeatedly. He went up high, higher, higher, highest, and to the limits of high.

And then he was lost. The light of the room was no longer visible to him. No light shone at all. He could no longer even see the ladder, nor his hands, himself. Just pure black.

Black on black.

A pure void. 

To the point of being blind, he gulped, and realized if he went any higher, he’d lose himself. He was everywhere and nowhere. Climbing back down proved to be long, but it was the only way to see light. He needed life again. So he began his journey down.

Until an urge to take one final step up, for adventure, washed over him. So he did, but slipped, lost control, and fell back first all the way down. Grueling pain approaching.

He lost himself climbing everywhere and nowhere.

The End