“I’m so lost. I have to keep going. I can’t stop.

If there's 100 floors I’ll climb all 100.

If there’s 1,000 I’ll climb 1,000.

Can anyone hear me? Can anyone see me?

Is anyone there?”

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He climbs the dark spiraling stairwell of a tall slender and unending tower. Gentle light from the clear moonlit night sky and the sparkle of the stars illuminates the steps. He’s walked long enough to forget when he started.

He does remember entering the tower. It had huge doors which were heavy to open. They revealed a spacious grand lobby, filled with warm lighting, and open empty space. It had ceilings so high and walls so wide they seemed out of sight. He immediately took the grand staircase in front of him to the 2nd floor, an indoor balcony. There he had less room, but he could look down on the ornate maroon carpet with golden fabric vine like patterns. Above him, many large bronze, silver, and gold chandeliers held countless lamps. Their intense heat and light spread throughout the room bathing it in gentle warmth.

Exploring the balcony, he opened a few doors. They led to rooms which seemed uninteresting or that he dare not enter. Lest he disturb someone space and privacy. In a corner he opens the stairwell.

He entered the much smaller space, still bright by the light flowing in from the doorway. The steps spiral up with a stone brick pillar at the center, and stone brick cylindrical walls. Curious, he continued. Soon he’s higher than the height of the door he left open. He thinks he must have made a full rotation. The light softened and faded as he climbed. With each rotation the stairwell darkened. As did the sky which was visible through the occasional window.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

He climbed for a few minutes seeking a door to exit from. The grand lobby’s glow disappeared and he passed no exit. Looking up he could only see the bottoms of more steps. He wondered if he should go back. Now he wishes he did. But at the time, he didn’t want to face defeat. He kept going up the mysterious stairwell hoping that the next floor is closer to him than the last floor was.

On and on he went. Step by step. When he got tired, he’d sit on the steps and take a break before continuing on. With no end in sight, he began to doubt whether he could even reach the exit before he passed out. Exhausted, he thought:

“How could those who live here ever use this stairwell? What did they use it for? Where is the next door and where does it lead to?”

“Should I turn back? I don’t know if I’ll make it to the next door. But I don’t know if I can make it back to the Grand Lobby either!”

“Well, its easier to go downstairs than it is to go up. I guess I should go back.”

He turned around and started walking downstairs. His feet felt light again. His steps quickened. They hardly touched one step before moving to the next step below it. The drudgery of climbing fell away and every step came with relief that he’ll soon be out of this stairway.

Except the Entrance never came. The drudgery of climbing now matched his drudgery of descending. He tired once again and his steps slowed. The only thing he was sure of, was that he’s closer to the entrance than the next exit. But how far? How high did he go and how much longer must he descend?

Windows were all too high to face from the front. But if he twisted himself right he might be able to look out of one below him at an angle. He tried this to no avail. He could not estimate where the bottom of the building was, from within it. But to his shock peering at the landscape outside it appears he must be miles into the sky!

“I must’ve dozed off and kept walking, not realizing how far I had gone.”

“Should I start climbing again? I don’t know where the entrance is anymore. An exit might be closer up there. I also don’t want to have gone through all this without having at least seen what’s up there. Yes. I’ll collect my strength and keep climbing.”

So on he climbs, in the silent twilight darkness, to the top of the endless tower.

“I’m so lost, but I have to keep going.”