Forgone (wip(?)) (6/20/25 - 3/24/26)

(1/2 (other part is commented thanks to lack of room))

The sunlight glistens upon the vibrant fauna on the far end of the room
The opening of the cave
It crawls up the walls and through the thin trenches that align the earth
The walls are long since ready to give in
It is already carved into them
The leaves attempt to patch the scars
Three winds attempt to engulf me in the rays
But my dark encasing absorbs it
I can still feel the warmth
But I cannot reflect it
Bullets holler throughout the stone
I can still hear them fighting
It's more constant and unending then the battle itself
A bullet strikes
High above this tomb a thin tower encases it
It's so loud now
Please let it end
I cannot sit here any longer
My position is comprised 

Two figures enter the room
They wear freshly washed suits
Untouched by the mud and the metal
They aim their large mechanisms at the figure
It is not distinctly a person
But it's outlined by the heat to appear humanoid
It is shelled by many incoherent masses of grime and dried blood
They stare at it for a moment
They look at each other
The one to the left turns towards him first
“Hello?”
They lower their weapons
The crunch can be heard throughout
They slowly approach
The figure begins to move
It stands slowly unveiling a throne
It towers over them
They stop before a short flight of stairs
“Are you a man? Are you one of them?”
“I remember.
There seemed to be a time
Those fields out there
The ones that completely surround this cavern
The ones that reach out towards the cliff
I remember when they were all
And when they were kind
At least they seemed to be.”
“What the hell are you talking about”
They re-aim
“The flowers still bloom amongst the chaos
I can see see now that you are still young
You have not been worn down by this fight
Stop wasting your time”
The other speaks
“We fight because we have to
We must survive
We must show them we are better
You can't just give up like that
And wallow in your tomb
You know what they'll do if they win.”
“I've fought for so long
I recognize I was never fighting to survive
Not till now
I'm so stuck in this fight
It haunts my mind
I can never get out because it is engraved into my very soul
You cannot even begin to understand fighting to survive”
“I can see through that camouflage
Beneath there you are no different than us
They wish to kill us all
And you just sit here
Waiting
Waiting for what?”
“Nothing
I only desire to live
But the war has been going on
So long
It began before our parents found footing
They just couldn't recognize it
It only became less and less hidden
It seeped its way into this world
It slipped here under our noses
And now we are forced to fight for it
Rather than against it
I can't stand to hear your ugly words anymore”
They begin to fire on him
He grips onto something long and dark leaning on the arm of where he sat
It is covered in the same grime that covered him
Their bullets strike him wildly and inconsistently
Each strike he is lightly pushed back
They cut through the mess
They can see his blood scatter across the wall
And into the land outside the windows
The bullets are not enough to deter him
Before they realized it he had already begun firing at them with his giant mechanism
Blood fills the air and before long they can no longer muster the will to stand
They both fall into the flora as many had before
Where they would lie in a pool of blood 
There only lies its absence
It is replaced with the greenery
They return to where they were born

I attempt to walk out that door
Each slow step crashing into the ground and echoed all around
My foot slides forward and I fall backward
My head strikes the seat from which I sat
The blow softened by the mud
I somehow find the strength to push myself upward
I carry myself back to my seat
I realize for now I cannot leave this dying structure
Not like I had so many times before
So I sit and wait
The bullets still ring in my ears
Something wants me to peer through a window
A voice tells me I must come to it
But only when I am ready
Will I know where to be
I ignore it
The nature grabs more hold on the structure with every passing day
The light never disappears from the sky
I've slowly grown numb to the sounds
Louder and louder
I could hardly take it
But now it begins to slip
Quieter and quieter
Seemingly becoming more infrequent
And then it was only silence
Maybe it had finally ended
Maybe I had only gone deaf
But now it grows
I build the gall to get out of my throne
I build the courage to finally stare out that window
See through the light
This structure is no longer recognizable as something man made
Every chunk of stone has been blanketed in leaves
Or its tendrils
But it had not found me yet
Death had not found me yet
It could not come until I allowed it
This seat 
The only thing still recognizable as mans
I finally press onto the arm rests and push out 
My feet smash into the ground
One and then the next
I slowly turn to stare out into the distant landscape I had lost
At first I am blinded by the rays
But then it clears
I can now see the grassland I had known surrounded the structure
I can peer over that edge
Beneath there is a great forest
In the distance the sky is split by a great tower
It curves upward till it can no longer be seen
I know that is where I must be
That voice had spoken again
It said I was ready to come to it
But no words were ever exchanged

Finding way toward the opening through the leaved field
The mud and blood begin to melt off in the lights heat
They reveal an old dark worn padded uniform
Not so different from theirs
The dirt and blood do not leave completely
The suit is forever altered and cut
There's still splodges all over
But the figure underneath seems to be visible
Outside I find nothing but a quiet grassland
Each bristle swaying in the wind
Making way around the structure
Indistinguishable from the field it sits atop
The cliff that hangs over the great forest runs out as far as can be seen
Aligned with the far left corner of the structure
The cliff creates a path into the forest below

Into the forest
The light falls between the leaves
They tower above him
But they are no taller than that tomb
It's hard to distinguish one from the next
They flow together seamlessly
Like a tapestry 
With few clear forms
Yet it's hard to look away
There is no end to one as the other begins

No longer can the structure from which he came
Nor the cliffs he's dipped below
Nor the tower he marches towards be seen
Only the painting
None of it is real

Deeper and deeper
It's all the same
As if it's painted over his eyes
Rather than a place he should be

Further and further 
It's not as it could be
Not as it should be
But the scenery
It's quiet is contrasted with something
Somethings
Many things
Many unique
Many similar figures
They begin to brush over the warm green
Not with one color
No many
Tan structures
Colorful jagged lines
Figures
Like he had seen
Unlike he had seen
A tear in the sky
Let it shine down again
Avoid it
They are seen
But they do not see
Break from the path
You will know where to be

They move
They continue to paint over the structures
Never is there a clean mold
It's ever shifting
But the outline remains the same

They see
They watch
Every move
Their gaze impenetrable
Move
Move
Away
Further
Further
Further
Further
Out
Out
Out

A hill
Greener than the blanket hiding the sky
The end of the blanket
The folded on fabric to hold the 2 ends evenly
So both sides may have the same texture
Or may not
The softer furry side which gathers the heat
The rougher side not meant to feel the touch
But more likely to be seen

The hill
Continue towards
Rising up
Cannot maintain footing
Fall onto hands
Grip at roots
Push up
Stopped 
At the end a valley
Overlooking 

The valley flows beyond the eye in either direction
The structure sits on a plateau at the other end piercing the sky
Its tears, golden light raining onto the valley
The figure grows more distant as he has gotten closer
Mountains kiss the clouds past the tower towards its left
Once a single unending skyscraper
Split into two by this great valley

The edge only inches away
The valley far down
Looking behind to see no more minds
Only the other side of the blanket
Now staring at the land beneath
Past the feet, the green reaches out over the edge barely hanging on
Any step would be a slip
Between bristles
A wall of dirt connects the othersides flora to this cliff
Roots climb upon it
The dirt beneath, still there
Only obscured
The dirt curves till finding itself again
Yet the bend irreversible and forever there to keep them apart
The flora continues till split by a river before extending towards its throne
The green is filled with many other colors repeating in patterns
Flowers blossom in every inch of its figure
The green is not a pure blanket for it has much greater to offer

The weapon now thrown down
For it had been through worse
Down the wall of dirt grasping each vine with an extra tug before passing the weight onward
At first merely hanging from the top before grasping at something near the solid
Now hidden from the rain
Unfound
Finding footing on the wall
Stepping backwards
Sight only covered in the dirt
Slowly shifting weight
No longer lying down in the air but now nearly standing
Feeling the heat again yet the eyes only see darkness absorbing the heat
Close enough to the other end
Kicking off the curve and releasing all weight
Fall to the origin
Strike the ground with a small rumble
The boot crushes a flower
Snapping its neck
The boot lifts and falls away with precision
The flower restructures itself

Staring across the clear river
To return to the surrounding
Insignificant before
Now an insurmountable task
The other wall
Yet the will pushes one onward
Everything so beyond
So tall
So large
So vast
Sitting at their level
It’s so much clearer
Still continuing

Along that hill
Stairs around the edge
They reach up towards the tower as they wrap around it
Along the river in the direction of the mountains
It extends beyond the eye just as the valley does
It seems it almost climbs up the mountains
The liquid flows through the lowest portion
But small streams of it seem to climb up either one before returning to the flow

Grasping the weapon 
Pacing away
Towards the stairs on the other end
The light continues to beat down
No life inhabiting the field
The view soft and unarmed
The golden light reflects off the flora
Though individual strands of grass and other forms of life
A single cohesive lifeform
The dividing lines are blurred 
Their roots intertwining beneath the surface
The colors fades the further out
Still that same

Compulsed to sit down and rest 
Must continue
The sights cannot deter
But it feels like it is trying to pull on him
Underneath the surface
Hold him in this place
Glacial pace turns to speed walk
Continues to fear the want to give up the path
Knowing these sights must not last forever

Crossing the river
A short distance
At deepest it only touches the knees
Still increasing pace
Eventually a full on sprint
Reaching the stairs and slowing as he ascends
Time seemed to slip away as he wandered amongst the valley
And further does it as the stairs wind on
Further and further
The top seeming an unattainable goal again
Then he reaches it
In no time
Because there is no time

Find it's impossible shape
The paths covered in flora meant to be run up
Not by man
They lead to the peak
Not meant to be
Not yet

Enter doors
Tall 
Stone 
Tanned curved portion gives way to dark brown
A vast open area
A thin path
Covered in the same flora
A far distance across
At Least a third of the length of the forest
Push toward the center
A feeling of weakness now
The weight of the path growing ever greater pulling him down

So far away
Weakening further
May collapse 
Must push
Must run 
Must keep on
Beginning to sprint
Shifting side to side
Lost hold of tool in left hand
Now dragging with right
Grabbing hold of ledge
Leaning on it
Nearly slipping
Weapon drops from right hand
Hears it roar from the walls
Stares into abyss for a moment
Falling to the floor
Turns back to wall
Heavy breathing
Echoes throughout structure
Stays

Upward the structure slowly closes in on itself
Quicker and quicker it curves in
It reaches a turning point where it becomes a straight tube upward
Light very clearly comes through at the top but it does not reach to this space
The lower area is illuminated though
From multiple thin openings
Four parallel
Four adjacent
To the entrance
And from four large, four petaled, flower shaped voids between this place and the other world sitting between each thin opening
And through the light coming from the weathered structures cracks
And from rocks
Some floating 
Some a part of the paths and supports
Glowing in vibrant neon greens and blues
The path is straight
There is a deep void beneath
No structure reaches through it beyond the one reaching towards the central structure
The central structure is a similar shape to the overall area but thinned out
A path stretches straight towards it and two rings of the same stone circle around it
The rings are farther from the structure then they are from the other
The rings connect to the path as well as 3 other connections similar to the path but are not meant for man

No sound from outside
Only the wind comes through
Sliding along the walls
Rocks fall into the abyss from the openings
No sound made when they fall
Can hear the wind rustling the grass outside
Can feel it slipping into the space
Can see it throwing around the small spaces of fauna scattering in
Can feel the strength regiven
Begins to stand again
Grips weapon in both hands

Enter the doors
Not tall
An inch from skull
Wooden
Forgotten
Steps no longer silenced by grass
Every time a foot lands
It echoes through the structure
Just as the door’s creaks do
The wooden floors continue the pattern
As they prepare to give in
Perhaps at any moment
The room is golden
Complementing the thin traces of nature
The light curves through a large window
Something undefined
A figure in it
Red robes
Red heart
Blocking out light
Contrasting the gold
Only the gold comes in

Books
Tables
Chairs
Shelves
Write the floors disarray
Small wooden structures
Various objects
Old
But not out of date
They seem pristine
Untouched by anyone or anything
Yet very worn
Room
Enough space
To talk
To laugh
To live
But not to be
Not for long
Ceiling
Wooden
High
Impossible to scale to
Perhaps the very top
Perhaps not

Doors
Two sets
Wooden
Never opened
Strange tenseness
Approaching the doors
Growing stronger
A darkness
Seeping inside
Something calling to him
Something from above
Running back through the doors
Running back across the long path
Running out the large doors
Running to the tall grass path
Wrapping the tower on the outside
Following up
Sprinting up
Losing footing
Only a short way up
Slips
Falls
Strikes face in dirt
Pushes up
Cannot get back to feet
Crawls
Shoulders strike dirt
Feet push on what can be found
Slowly makes way up
Continues
On and on
The path is unending
So slowly
But going
Falls again
But must go
Must keep going

Path begins to plateau 
Stone
Finally
Pushes self to feet
Another grass slope
Short now
Between upper level’s base
Sits atop what seemed to be an opening before
Peak of structure
Makes way up slope
Never slips
Leads to flat space
Between short walls
Not far from steps
Circular
Large 
Meant for something
Something important
A figure stands at center turned away
More grass between stone
Walk into grass
Figure turns around
Leaps at me
Wields a sword in one hand
Then gripping both
As they attempt to cut downward at left shoulder across chest
Collides with machine gun held up to guard in both hands holding either end
Strikes upward to disarm figure
Sword scrapes gun as it slips along barrel to right still in grip
Strike figure with back right of weapon
Pull right arm gripping the back handle back
Push left arm wielding barrel out
Aim in its direction
Now near
Wearing black robes
Akin to a ninja
But militaristic
Padded
Hood is up
Face is uncovered
Familiar
Pale skin
Masculine
Attempt to fire
Figure sprints to the left
They circle around the arena
Fire wildly and rapidly in their ever shifting direction
Further away
Then closer
Runs up wall to right
Leaps off wall
Holds blade up above head
Ready to strike down
Closing in
Stop firing
Grip back end with both hands
Pull weapon to left
Swing upward and right in the swords direction
Loud clang erupts the sky
Blade strikes barrel of gun
It screeches as it runs along it
Figure lands
Blade slips off gun before crashing into the stone
Figure spins to this left
Gun crunches as it hits the ground
Left foot placed on barrel
Blade near grip now at throat
Clean silver blade
Seems almost unused
Blade somewhat curves in where throat is nearly placed
The fist pressing on my left shoulder 
Left hand resting on my right shoulder
His teeth are clenched ready to shatter
He begins to push me backward
I lost grip of the gun
Closer and closer to the edge
I feel my foot step backward and find nothing and step back onward
“You still got some fight in you old man” he says
“Especially with you climbing up all this way”
His tight clench turns into a lip sealed grin
He pulls me towards him and lets go
I catch myself with my hands crashing into the stone
I attempt to push myself back to my feet
I almost fall back down catching myself with my hands on my knee
Then I am able to force myself upright
I look back to see a cloud passing through the structure
As it passes I can see all the space I had crossed
Small and insignificant now
I look back
He pulls his hood down
His face revealed
A man once known
Dirty blonde now losing color
A messy beard greying as well
The wrinkles covering the youthful look I once saw
“Aaero?” I finally speak up “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same old coot”
“You say that like time has been kinder to you”
“Heh, yeah fair, but you look damn awful.
Whatever happened to you man? 
It was like you just disappeared out of thin air”
“I was wise enough to see beyond the pointless conflict and stopped fighting”
“You just left?
I guess it doesn’t matter anymore
They will come soon enough
A chance to return to that time”
“What do you mean?”
“Soon you’ll find out”
“I will not return to the order”
“Oh really? Because I remember you were so damn ready to get on that field when you first showed”
“Has time not passed for you?
Can you not tell I’ve changed?”
“Then why are you here?”
“I…
I don’t know”
“There must be something deep down inside
Something telling you that we’ve lost something
That what remains is nothing
You no longer have any purpose
You no longer have anything
All you have is yourself
And that is clearly nothing”
“We are above those pointless conflicts
You’re so desperate to return
For what?
So you can kill those brainwashed me?
So you can demolish cities upon cities?
So you can be part of the master race?
So you can survive?
None ever wanted us dead
Not in the way the many kings and queens I’ve no doubt you followed far after my leaving
So foolish
So foolish!
Can you not see?
It was here before any of us!
We only fight because others tell us to
We were young
And foolish
But it seems you haven’t grown.”
“You’re so happy now huh?”
“It isn’t about happiness!
It’s about accepting the truth
The obvious truth”
“You’ve merely blinded yourself
You fear who you are”
“I know what kind of man I am
I haven’t forgotten what I’ve done
It was wrong
You know that as well as I.”
“You lie
You don’t truly understand the weight of what you’ve done
You will not be forgiven for that
You will spend the rest of your life on your knees if that’s what you accept
But deep down you know what you must do
You’re just afraid
That is why you are here
You’re stupid to believe anything else”
“I’m done with this” I say as I begin to walk back to the tall winding path
Then I feel a tight grip on my wrist
He stands right next to me now
“Don’t run away from this
You’ve come too far to escape any of it now
You had those many chances to stop
But you just kept on
With a feeling you should
You could’ve stopped
But here you are.”
As he spoke the sky began to slowly dim

The sky now a dark grey
A voice tells me
Do not go into the stars
I hear many voices
Do not go into the stars
Do not go into the stars
I have naught but to look into the sky
Do not go into the stars
Lights appear in the clouds
Do not go into the stars
Do not be blinded by their light
Images of battles time had forgot appear
Do not go into the stars
Do not go into the stars
Do not go into the stars
In my visions I see the land no longer populates with life
Do not go into the stars
I see the naked forest no longer blanketed in the green
Do not go into the stars
I no longer see any valley
Do not go into the stars
Do not go into the stars
The two mountains no longer split 
Light never raining down
Do not go into the stars

All this death and destruction lay bare for the naked eye to see
Close your eyes and you will still hear it
Close your ears
And Eventually you will go numb
I already have
I cannot feel your hands as you cover my ears

I make a break for the bottom
I feel his grin as look away only to the path that lay before
I notice the visions had come true 
The land no longer populated by flora
There only is the world scarred by the war I thought I had escaped
I continue downward as I feel eyes pierce through the dark wooded trees
The men still hide amongst the broken towers once holding up a cover to keep those within safe
But I feared
And ran
I ran and ran
And now I run and run
Away still
I couldn’t accept it
And now I can’t once again
I find myself at the bottom
Pushing through the dark doors onto the long empty path escaping the dark sky into the dungeon only illuminated by the glowing rocks of before
I pass through the other set of doors into the disarray once again
And I collapse
And it all comes down on me I hadn’t realized yet
I can’t feel my legs anymore and my weapon for it is not in my hands
I curl into a ball against the wall aggressively panting
I scan the area all around quickly jutting from one thing to another
Feeling things running down my face and all around
Still being watched I hide my head

Time passes
Things 
seem to 
slow
Again
I 
still
Sit 
In 
the 
Corner
Safe 
Finding 
myself
Between 
the shelves
Dead eyes
Stare down
Gaping hole
Between teeth
Saliva
Dripping down
Puddle on the ground
Letting go
Beneath 
the window
Where the light 
still shines in
And it goes by
Why the gold light
Could reach in
I do not know
Why it ever reached in
Now seem strange
I realize I no longer hide my head
I scan again but no longer so sporadically
The shelves all sit in a circle 
around the table at the center
Sporting books, compasses, globes
So many places to get lost
But it seems I already am
I look in the direction 
of those doors
Calling my attention
Begin to wonder
What it was
Why I couldn’t pass through
Frozen stiff
Cannot move
Still
Something tells me
I want to see
What’s beyond them

I begin to hear a soft melody
It seems to come from the direction of the doors
It’s bittersweet
It feels like it is drifting
From ocean to ocean
Across the whole world
Searching for those eyes
It once saw in the midnight ier
So many of them

I begin to press on the wooden floors
I rub up against the wall as I begin to stand upright
I take a step forward towards the table at the center
I no longer use the wall for support
I fall to my left onto the shelf
I use it to push off of
I begin to walk toward the table again
I allow myself to fall to the table and use my hands to keep me from smashing my head
I wait for a moment arms fully extended holding me up
I breath in and out intently
I finally gather the strength
I hold myself upright again
And I walk towards the doors

I push open the old doors
It must’ve been the first time
The room is lamplight
Another gold but a hint of brown
To my right
There are many chairs spaced sporadically 
All facing in different directions
There seems to be a bar with many glasses but those two are unorganized
The floor is uneven
I realize I stand atop a small set of stairs that lead to a maroon carpeted plateau that runs along the wall around
The bar too stands atop it
A few tables and a railing
Another step
To my left 
A short stage 
large red curtains hang from the ceiling touching the floor and the wall on either side  
Tables sit atop
More shelves line the walls 
Some rest on the floor
Some rest on the stage
Some rest against the stage
More objects line the shelves
Some seem to be scientific instruments
Some seem to be mathematical tools
Some seem to be pictures of people, places, more objects, some things that can’t be explained
Some seem to be musical instruments
Some seem to be tools for drawing and painting
Some seem… pleasurable
A man sits on a bench at a piano in front of the stage next to a floored shelf
The melody delivered from the piano commanded by his fingertips

I slowly encroach on the man
With each step I begin to realize
How the floor hadn’t creaked much
Only the sound of my footsteps reflects off the wall
I get closer and closer
Only to know
To begin to realize
That it was him again
But his presence does not feel hostile
It does not feel like anything at all
I stand right behind him 
a little off to the right
So I can bear witness to the movements of his hands
For it seems nothing else moves 

I let the melody drown my mind
And grasp at the thin layers of hope buried beneath
And he slams the keys down suddenly cutting me free
The piano howls through the room like a dying animal with nothing left to lose

“I don’t get it” he whimpers “I feel nothing from these notes.”
I stay silent.
“You have to understand what it is like, don’t you?”
“How long have you been out here?”
“Long enough.”
“I thought you would understand what I’ve gone through.”
“All I have is regret for my leaving.
This place is aimless.”
“I over estimated your capabilities.”
“Look around you
People used to live here
Does it not feel strange?
Is that not what interests you?”
“Does it matter?”
“You really are a tough case old man.”
“You can stop calling me that.”
“Oh, but you haven’t changed a bit
Surprisingly.
Are you even sure you’re alive right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re so damn aimless
Just like me
You merely sleepwalk across the land
You have no answer to any other question
You lived in a fugue dreamstate for years
Do you never think you perhaps died back on the battlefield
And that somehow your conscience was preserved
Soaking in the air
The dirt
The leaves
The worms
And now it fools itself into believing that it may still have something to say”
“I already told you
I haven’t forgotten a thing.”
“Oh 
But you have forgotten so many things
Or simply choose not to see them
Spending so much time cowering in fear
Not noticing the darkness infiltrating your eyes
Because it masquerades under light
Absorbing it
Somehow reflecting it
It shouldn’t have done that
…
An unforgivable light damn it!
So capable
All encompassing 
And blinding in entirety
Till you are the one desensitized
Because none of us can let go of it
Not ever
But then
The world would seem okay
Just for a moment
Once again
You’d believe it all had ended
And you’d believe you had won
You thought you had escaped didn’t you?
By wallowing in the dark
But you’ve merely been tightly in its grasp
Letting it puppet you
Maybe you succeed in trying to forget
But then world drowns in abstinence 
And you forget it all
Could you even recall your name?
Could you even remember how to breathe?
And then what?
Would you walk into its reign?
Where would you go?
What could you do?
What is left?
I guess
You came here
Somehow distinguishing some mass
Between the seas
Not with your eyes
Drowned in awe
In your aimless stupor
You would come here
You did come here
Something drawing you in
It weren’t so aimless were it?
You must’ve come here with reason
A feeling for which you let take control
Just long enough to walk up the slopes
And now you stand there denying it
You still think you’re above us.
…
It must be nice.”
Silence envelopes the room once again.

I begin to wander aimlessly around the room
I examine the shelve on the floor
The objects perfectly preserved
Unburdened by the crash
Except finding themselves standing in a new position
Unrotated 
I look up to see the patterns of wooded octagons of varying shades all sinking upward
No natural light seeps in
The only lights are tall lamps standing upright and the chandeliers that hang down from the deepest holes in the roof

Eventually I find words leaving my lips
“Have you just been waiting in this place for me all this time?”
“If you’d like to think that was why, go ahead.”
“I don’t understand
What happened to you?
Why did you leave?
How did you end up here?”

Silence constricts the room once again
I wander towards the shelves standing next to the stage
A portrait sits near my line of view
Between plastic trophies
And naked books
Three faces sit
I reach out to pick it up
As I pull it closer I realize
The faces seem empty
Washed away
But they do not seem unhappy
I do not feel any disturbance in my thoughts
I feel at peace looking at them
Eventually the sound of lips opening is loud enough to disrupt the air and for all to be heard
An answer was found it seems
I place the picture back where it stood

“I don’t… know
I don't… remember”
“That's absurd”
“Do you know?”
And now and again time comes a goes on its own whim
The golden lighting harms this dissonance
Only weaker now
Is strangely connection
But I feel something ever compounding
I look around but it seems I’ve run into a wall
Something inescapable enveloping
The sights seem to repeat
But the stairs are right there
And the other doorway sits on the other wall
And 
“How long did you wait?”
I stare back to him
But eventually
I return
To allow the lights to blind
I don't know what he stares at
I don’t know
But his reach is far and unbearing
Into the earth
Far beneath
Far beyond
It keeps on
But 
Now I ask you this
“It's strange now
I never really thought it would come to this” he says
He meekly taps a couple of chords
Far and close
Not together
He re speaks
“Somethings long gone I reckon
Something that won't come back
Nor do I truly want it to”
There is nothing left for me here
And so I leave
I thought
But I don’t
I don't really leave
I can’t really
I can’t
“Are you… 
Okay Aaero?”
“Don’t ask me that
You're just as lost!”
“Aaero, there's nothing left to worry about!”
“I have nothing to talk about old man”
“But there are many things aren’t there?”
“...”
“You wait all this time
But you can say nothing
…
What do you have to lose?!
It's all dead out there!
…
It's hardly changed
If I perhaps see it for what it is now
I’ve always seen it for what it is
I’ve never gone blind
As I lie in wait
Covered in grime
Not waiting
Nothing to wait for
Hm
…
But it seems I was
In wait
…”
“...
There are
So many things to lose old coot
So many things lost
In time
In wait
But nothing all the same
I thought what I’ve said was clear enough by now”
“Well it isn’t”
“The fact that you are here at all tells me otherwise”
I’ve lost all thing to look at
And now I wait
He continues “I know you know that I believe it's not so wrong
I feel the same”
“Nothing was lost in this time”
“Do you really honestly believe that?”
“...”
“No you don't
But you still lie to yourself
You’ve gone just as blind as we all had been
While you waited 
For something to come
And save you from us
From everything around
You thought you knew better
You really believed that
But now look at you”
“Don't tell me what I…”
“I know what you mean to say
But I know what you really mean
It's just so hard to express isn’t it?”
“...” 
“It’s not so wrong
Not to admit it
…”

I begin to drift into the direction of the dark stairs that lead a plane
The plane in which the bar stands atop
Slowly mold myself to a new space
And find that now
I sit
Untensed 
On a stool with a red fuzz atop
One I had to pull off the floor
But never pull away from it
A glass with a long shaft and a small cone atop 
It is filled with a pale golden liquid
I grab hold of it with three fingers on the shaft
My sight peers between the drips that streams to turn to puddle
Before my hand slips to beneath the cone
And the whole thing turns inside out
As the liquid escapes into this mouth

Another melody begins to play
Less formed
More messy
Chaotic
Perhaps unpredictable
I turn my head to face him once again
Staring at the black board 
Changing lines from the wall to the notes
And back and forth
And all over
Looking for anything
And I wait for him
And I watch as he messes around
Mindlessly
I look back at what remains of the gold
The sharp taste
It's disgusting
And I take another sip
As the chaos ends
And silences returns to power
And I wait again
Staring at the wall of misplaced glasses of liquids
Some open
Some empty
Some untouched
Some not even glasses
Some things not meant to hold liquid
Or really anything
And I wait

Something begins to compel
I look back and he still sits
Now slouched over
Staring through the keys
Blankly 
Perhaps looking though
I turn my body to look at his
Before I finally fall off the chair and recompose onto the lands
And I make way
To the place I once stood before
And hope that
Well
Nothing in truth
Just something compels
And I stand

I find myself now
Sitting on the same bench
Staring blankly at those keys
It's almost as if he hadn't noticed my sitting
And before another moment passes
My fingers have landed upon the cold untouched keys
And I begin to imprint a melody into the surroundings
Few of the notes connect but then they do
And he begins to stare at me
As I keep going
And he must think
It is horrific
But then he begins to press other notes
Notes I cannot touch from over here
And it is still disastrous
None of it works
We keep pressing keys
Without any reason other than hope to find that feeling
We keep clashing notes together one by one 
But there is never any sensation
It just keeps droning on and on
But we keep going and going
You would think we had found what we’d desire
But there’s nothing here
Once again the dying animal screeches throughout the structure
My fingers pressed down as far as they can go
Feeling tight
And slowly losing weight
They pick up
As everything else does
I move to one of the still standing tables
And before I know it
My fist smashes into its far side
Splitting the table in half as it falls towards me
I now stare and watch in awe
I take a glance at my hand
Now bleeding and stinging at the knuckles
I look back to the demolished table
And just stare

He spoke
He said something
I don’t know what it was
But now I look back at him
And something
And someone is ready
I don’t know who he is
I wish I knew

We wandered up the dead paths to the summit again
I look down to see the wastes again
It’s a shame
The green was so
Unreal
It was nice

We stand now at the top
In wait
I hear the voices again
But I do not hear words
What they say has no bearing
They do not understand
It’s better this way
It is

We stare at the grey dusty sky
In wait
I’m reminded of that soft melody
It seemed he played
But that seems so unlikely now
For once I feel true ease
I feel certainty
The green oasis returns to me
It keeps running through my mind
And it's nice

Eventually the sky begins to dim again
And falls down the stars do
I look at him 
He gives a soft smile
He begins to walk towards the center of that space for which we fought not long ago
He soon stops and looks back
He walks towards me again
He extends his arm
He reaches out his hand
And for a moment
I forget the greenery again
And wonder
Is it truly right?
I slowly begin to extend my hand
I feel his expectance
I hesitate for a moment
I look back up at him
His face is unflinching
Unchanged
I look back down at his hand
I finally grab hold
And once again
I feel 
At ease

A rotten flower rises again
Its color slowly returns
Along with the grass
Slowly the green crawls up the dark browns and blacks
The colors that populated this place only for a moment
Now covered
Now more appealing to the eye
Now revived against its will
The world seems to live once again