Surreal Surroundings pt.4

(Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction)

I have come a long way, squeezing each of the ladder rungs tightly on my way up. The climb is getting progressively worse, some kind of breeze is swaying the azure ladder aggressively, at times all I can do is hang on and look at the surrounding void. Will I make it to the top? The breeze calms down once again, I have to continue this never-ending climb.

(upward struggle)

I have reached a point where I can see the dome's ceiling, the black flow curves along the walls to meet the center. I hold on to the ladder tightly and look directly above me, it seems like a huge duct with sharp teeth surrounding its entrance. Like a mouth of larva or some kind of monster sucking the stream in.

(climbing even closer)

I'm very close to the entrance now, my head can almost dive past the teeth. The black ooze's pungent acidy aroma quickly fills my nasal passages, despite that I try to glance up the duct. The liquid drips upwards from the pointy teeth. Millions of small black droplets almost suppress the blue glow of the walls on their way up. I didn't hope to go through such a passage but it's inevitable now. I descent a few steps to be able to breathe normally for a moment. Uncertain of the duct's length I inhale deeply and start the ascension.

(black sludge and a weary being)

The droplets can still form putrid clouds, no matter how high I climb the acid burns my retinae. Grinding my teeth I push higher and higher. My face is that of determination, of wrath and of hope - one twisted facial expression. I grab rung after rung, willing to go through the madness. I think to myself, that this is the survival of the fittest. There must be light at the end of the tunnel, there must be light for my soul.

(frenzied last mile)

The curtain of droplets starts evaporizing out of blue. My innards feel filthy, I spit out the slime and horror - self-cleansing act. I look up once more; I can only see the whitest of white glow, it invites me in. It purifies my body; no hunger, no thirst, no pain - feeling of enlightment. It pulls me into the sea of white, there is no ladder, there is nothing else than me and this feeling.

The all-encompassing purity makes me fall asleep.