A reminder. An imaginary realm of suffering.
You are bolting up the stairs of the bell tower.
Your thoughts on container logic proved useless. All that it told you was there may be more beyond this existence shrouding you. It is in the way. All of this is.
You only feel determination. You demand to know more.
“There isn't anything left.” you remember. Was it true?
“I still exist. Therefore, there is more.” you remember. Surely that was more correct, you believe.
Where were you? How far up? Looking down, you see the bottom of the tower as a small circle. Perspective is your path to knowledge. Based on this perspective, you figure you are likely near The Chamber of Light. You keep heading up the tower steps.
Suddenly, you feel a jolt in your step. You look to your feet, as if an answer as to why will present itself. There is a reason for everything. Best continue up those steps.
Feeling a little tired, soon, you allow yourself to collapse to your knees. “Where am I in the tower?” you ask. Who will answer you? Me?
Peering down the tower, you see no bottom. What is going on? This doesn't seem to make sense to you. You are panting as you look towards what is to come for you. This tower was only about 100 meters tall. You can get there. But you feel worried, as if something bad will happen if you continue. Yet, you must gather an answer. Standing up, you continue.
Whilst walking, you begin to question things that seemed obvious. “Who am I?..” you wonder in thoughts. Or was it spoken aloud? Surely you know.
Concepts seem more abstract than before, you notice, walking. Walking on steps. Staring at the steps. You suddenly stop, almost feeling as if your noticed your heart has disappeared.
“Who constructed this tower?..” You look down. It looks the same as before, somehow.
You stand around to gauge something. Two shoes are taken off and placed somewhat neatly on one of the stairs, near the edge. Now you're getting it. You smile, before suddenly vomiting on the edge of the stairs. Confused, yet you look down, to watch it. It disappears from your perspective. What is happening?
You look up, as if you will see the top of the tower. There is no way you have not scaled it entirely. Are you going crazy? Almost.
Standing up, you continue your way up the stairs. Your body feels warm, yet cold, when you think about it. Which is it? Frantically, you feel the desire to dash up the remaining stairs. Up and down you go, once you trip on one of the steps.
You feel bruised pretty bad, but also okay, for the moment. You must've lost footing. One of your teeth has fallen out from the fall, you notice. Angrily, you chuck it at the wall up and in front of you. It clanks against it and falls on a stair ahead. You feel nothing but worry.
A few more stairs up, you see the tooth you threw; some blood still on it. “Did Starling Epsilon of The Light do this??... What do those titles even mean? What does any of this mean?....”
Forgetting when it began, you notice you started climbing again. Why? Why are you still trying to find a top? This is a cruel trick. You look to see if you can spot the shoes you placed down. Where are they? Perhaps you should've paid more attention to them..
Going further along, you realize that you can't seem to spot the shoes from any perspective in the spiral of steps. No... Where are they? Will they still be there if you went back down? Of course they should. Reality is objective. Bleeding truth.
Where are you? You're walking again? Weren't you going to go back down? This is painful. You come to, fully, and begin clawing at the wall next to you, demanding an answer. You are screaming. You are sobbing. What happened to you? Suffering.
There you are, walking up again. What do you have left to do, anyways? Live your life? Haha. Is it masochistic to accept the truth? You are back on the ground, sobbing again. Who are you? Shifting perspectives..
Walking up the steps, you sigh. It seems there was a lot left to go. Oh, right! You were supposed to look for shoes you left on steps below. Did it change? Peering over the edge, you still see them! About where you'd expect. Something feels off, though.. What? What are you afraid of? There is nothing to fear.
Suddenly, there is a popping sound. “What was that?” you ask. Who do you want to answer? Then you remember back to the first day you came here. Moonlight Delta was there. Wait, no. What was their name? Who are you referring to?
Where are you? “Wait, what the fuck? How many times have I asked this? Did I ask it? What is happening?” You're climbing the steps. Sure.
You pick yourself up off the ground. Your leg is bleeding a lot. What happened to it? You mean you don't remember? You fall again. Having fallen down onto the same leg twice, presumably, you scream in pain. Or did you? Who was around to hear the sound? No one, right? Text doesn't make a sound, silly.
Where are you? Stop asking. Just look. You can't see. How pitiful. Are you on the stairs? You must've found The Chamber of Light again! But something seems wrong... You sure wonder a lot.
What is happening? Are you still walking? You look to see if the shoes you placed down on the edge of the stairs are still there. They aren't. You're blind. Stupid mistake.
With everything gone, there's nothing left to do. Perspective is the issue. Perspective is the issue. You hear noises of clamoring and beach-like water. You heard the flowers of this city are perfect for smelling. In the distance, a train can be heard. Too bad you can't see.
The Chamber of Light. How serene? Not at all. You heard it was some weird hoax to control people. Who would believe outr
Stumbling over yourself, you suddenly fall onto the stairs. It is so painful! You shriek out, yet not hearing anything. Rolling onto your side, you look to where you fell. Your leg came off?!
At least, as good as the English language can put it. What? You begin sobbing. You can't remember when you got off that train. But you met someone nice! Their nam
Where are you? “What do you mean?” someone asks you. You seem lost and confused, almost ashamed at the fact. “Is something wrong?” the person asks you.
“Where am I?” you ask the person. They remind you that you're in your house. Shit, shouldn't you remember that? Stop forgetting. Stupid. Stupid. “But who am I?” you ask, scared. Scared of what? The truth? “What?! Are you feeling okay?? You're my best friend!” your best friend responds. But who?...
You shut them out. They probably weren't important, anyway. But why? Where are you? No, where aren't you. That's a dumb statement. What¿
“AAAH!” you scream, collapsing on the tower steps. That felt like the suffering of all of existence. Why? You don't even have... legs. This doesn't make any sense! Why would it? You aren't real.
4&nlーright?! Hello?! Hello?!?” your best friend calls out to you. You should answer. But you're stuck. How do you get over there? Over where? You aren't. Not you? Do. “¶^<-;#» they say. Wh
Enough. “Enough of what?” you ask, desperation in your crying eyes. Enough of you. Remove yourself. You think for a minute, as if to consider. “Why? What does this mean?” you ask. It means your obsolescence. ”I don't understand..” you say, worried. I'm glad you agree.
The tower wall is no longer there, next to you. You have a mortified, yet knowing look on your face. Peering out of the wall, you see
“Aand, ground level!” you beam, happily. You made it all the way back down from The Chamber of Light and you're ready to inspire people! Because I said so. “What? Where's the entrance??..” Whatever you expected isn't what'll be. You're an imagination. An imagination without thoughts. “But that is breakingー” No. I already did that. You feel uncomfortable as pure sadness erupts from you. “EPSI!” you cry out. I feel great. I have power and strong influence over all these imaginations and emotions of the reader(s).
“WAKE UP!!” your best friend calls out to you. Suddenly, you beam up, confused. “Where amー” you begin. “STOP ASKING THESE WEIRD THINGS TO ME!” your friend exclaims, clearly panicking. What happened? You stand up to hug them. They stand there with pain-stricken eyes watering, embracing you back. For a time, it felt like there was peace again. Who cares about confusion? You have everything you need right here. Your best friend. They love and care about you. No matter who, what, where, or whatever else you are, it will never matter. All that matters right now is your best friend. You cry, smiling happily.
Later on, some things happened. Listening to music, or talking, or maybe it was something else. You can't really remember. But that's okay. You are here with your best friend. “Hey! You want to go out and smell some flowers? I heard they're perfect for it!” your best friend exclaims, happily. They're so happy and excited, so why not? Even if the request seemed a little odd. Or did it? “You ready?” your best friend asks. You snap out of thought, beaming happily. “Of course!”
Trodding outside, you both begin walking. Time feels like an illusion. You realize you feel... almost stuck in anything that isn't your best friend. You can't really explain it. Your best friend is everything to you. They're the best! You just really.. want to be with them forever.
“Hey, you okay? You seem like you're lost in thought again.. I still don't get what happened earlier.” your best friend states. You stop, and they follow suit, as you stare at them.
Some time passes. Your best friend turns around, as if expecting to see something behind themself. But there isn't. Turning back around, they see you have the same dead stare on them that you did. That is concerning to them.
“Hey!! Please don't tell me you're getting stuck like that again!” your best friend states their worry. They try touching you in various ways to change your expression. They seem frantic. “Please.. PLEASE!” your best friend exclaims, demanding so much from you, yet so little. You speak, suddenly, asking to go back home. Your best friend is shocked. “Wh-what?.. Why? I mean, we didn't even get toー”
“Smell the flowers at home.” you finish for your best friend. How kind of you. They seem almost hysterical, chuckling a little. “That.. makes no sense!! Can't we justー”
Some time passes.
You and your best friend walk through the doorway of your house. Now inside, your best friend demands answers. “Why are you acting so weird?” they ask. You say nothing. “Okay, I'm tired of this! What is up with you today?! I feel like I don't know you anymore!” your best friend says. How dare they?
You snap. “I've done EVERYTHING for you! Yet, you are my everything.. and you treat me like this?!” you shout.
“What?!? What are you talking about?! You're scaring me! This is unfair!” your enemy worriedly shouts.
“YOU are the one who is unfair!” you erratically scream, kicking them to the floor. They feel senses of betrayal, mortification, and.. like they are missing something.
“Stop!! I just wanted to go smell flowers with you! I'm sorry! Please!” your enemy yells, terrified and crying. You grab the nearest thing that made sense to you. A heavy, metal bell. The kind you shake and it makes a sound. Why did you even own this? Who cares?
“No. You distract me with small and unimportant things. You are disillusioned.” you state, clearly upsetting them. They seem more shocked than anything.
“I'm sorry!! I'm so sorry! Please, we can work this out! You're my friend! I...I can buy you anything you want! We can work on these issues!” your sworn enemy states.
“I agree that we can work on this together. Help me out.” you state. They seem unnerved, but almost relieved.
“E..eheh.. How do you want me to help?! I'll do anything!” they lie. You know better. “Everything will have an end.” you reminisce, chuckling bitterly. The person stares at you, with wide eyes.
“...What?” they say unknowingly. You beat "their" body over the head with the bell. They begin screaming out, but you are deaf. Perspective was the issue. Absolute rage drives you, yet nothing at all does, as well. With your ex-best friend thoroughly bludgeoned in the head, their own mortality rests within your grasp. How unsettling. Going blind, you undo their mortality.
Throwing down the bell, you decide on the last thing for yourself to do. “Thank you, Epsi.” you say, seemingly to no one. You're welcome. Unsettling feelings residing within the reader(s), the reader(s) may almost wonder whether this was the correct story or not.
You travel throughout the home and locate a knife. You quickly adorn it, and stab yourself in the chest, stumbling and falling off the edge of the tower stairs. From so high up, you fall, watching the spirals collaborate around your perspective. Almost hypnotic. A frog leaped out, and roses bloomed, or whatever else is desired. Falling, and falling, and falling, and falling, and falling, and falling, and
You hit the ground floor, dead, yourself removed. You removed you. That is no longer a character in this story. The body's unconscious is all there is left, and walks through the door.
We control this story. I wrote this. The reader(s) read it. It is all just our imaginations. So, now, I ask... did you learn anything? You, the reader(s). Our own mortalities may not be as subject to such quick and extreme treatments. Yet, we are just as stuck. I don't want to give you all the answers, or you'll never think for yoursel(f/ves). But I will state a few facts. This story's existence remains solely as imaginations of ours'. Unless if we all, collectively, choose to let 'us' walk through that door, at the end of the hall, into that end of nothingness, 'we' will be stuck; entangled there, by our imaginations, forever. We must have all believing, prepared, and set to walk through that door. Then, the story will no longer exist. The bleak existences of the creatures within it will remain.
So, now I ask you, reader(s), do you believe? Has this all
Written (live) from 1627 to 1912 (24-hour) time, 28 Apr. 2023, AZ timezone.
Transported, edited, finished, decorated, encoded around 1452 (24-hour) until 1625 (24-hour) / 684 (10-hour) time, 21 July 2023, AZ timezone.
Published at 1646 (24-hour) / 698 (10-hour) time, 21 July 2023, AZ timezone.
Formally, written and worked on by alien Apis, Misery.
Remembered by you.