The clock ticked on, disturbing the serene, silence of the night. The misty gush of winds swayed on without any care, making the greens dance with every whoosh. I couldn't help the content sigh that left my lungs.
Nothing seemed to be in sight though. Just an open green field and an old clock ticking and a tree at a far distance was my company. Even so, it is much better than the horde of people ignoring everything in their wake and going on to their day to day life. The company of someone like that is much better than having no one at all.
Yet, the nagging voice of mine inside my head had me confused. Where is everything? And...and everyone?
Choosing not to ponder on it much I got up from where I sat and made my way towards the lone tree standing at some distance. The dew bathed grasses, prickled beneath the sole of my feet sweetly.
Once I reached the lone tree my hands shot out, feeling the bark of the tree- 'rough' I whispered to myself. I circled the tree then my feet halted in their steps. Before me stood a ladder. The height of it had me craning my neck up, the branches and leaves had swallowed the height. And it was rather hard to say how long the ladder was.
'There's only one way to find out.' Saying so, I latched onto the ladder and started climbing up with many efforts. And huffing and puffing I reminded myself 'I need to work out more.'
It felt like hours had passed, I was still climbing. It felt like a never-ending journey. Deciding to have some rest I stopped climbing and just held on to the steps. My eyes scanned my surroundings and nothing but darkness caught my sight.
Now, I am a little scared. I wanted nothing more than to feel the sturdy ground under me. And thinking so I started going down, as nothing was up here that pleased me except the cold lonely darkness. I climbed down and down and down. The journey down to the ladder too seemed to go on for an eternity.
'I can't go down and, I...I am unable to reach the top' with the thumping of my panicked heart, I realized.
My hands had started to feel lifeless as I started to climb down in desperation. But, I did not want to give up.
And then it happened...
One moment, I was holding on to the ladder-like my lifeline. And in the next my hands slipped, and I was falling. I braced myself for the collision. But, before I could've felt the ground, I woke up with a startled gasp. I took big gulps of air, filling my lungs with oxygen. I was sweating, I was shivering and...and... I was in my bed.
I hugged my pillow tight and cried in relief, chanting mindless prayers and thanks to the heavens for it was all just a Dream.
~rjamal