The dry earth rustles underfoot like a pile of cut paper, this sound is everywhere, filling the whole emptiness around me with ease, spreading for kilometers. I reach the corner of the wall, slow down, before looking behind it. As if preparing for the fact that I can wait there. Just mechanically, without thinking about their actions. But a surprise was waiting for me there. There was no horror in him, there was no danger. I saw steps running along the wall. These steps allowed to go up about ten meters along the wall. Where they ended up, standing near the corner of the wall, I could only make out a dark rectangle that looked like an entrance. The steps were just plain rectangular stones glued to the side of the wall. Well, this seems to be what I was looking for. I did not hesitate. I realized that I could wake up at any time, so I wanted to be inside faster. Where does my desire come from? Before, I was afraid of this place. Now, I am overcome by curiosity and desire, more likely to deal with everything. I caught myself thinking that I perceive it more as a game. Simple, harmless and interesting. But how harmless was that? My Self inside seemed divided into two entities. One that ruled my body craved for continuation, especially when changes began in this world, when I broke the deadlock of my previous dreams. The second essence was shaking with fear of the unknown. Outside, near the walls of the citadel, it was quite safe, at least, so it seemed to me. I reassured myself that it was just a dream that could hardly lead to something bad. I decided to calm my second essence, mentally promising her that “I will only go to look”. I believe that I will always have time to come back if I encounter danger there.

Slowly I walked along the stone slabs that had been pushed out of the wall. The higher I understood, the more I wanted to cuddle up against the wall, my body, as though it were sticking to it itself, obeying the instinct of self-preservation. I always disliked the height, especially since now between me and her there were no obstacles, only a meter of the flat surface of the stone. If at the beginning of the road, it seemed to me that it was quite sufficient to climb confidently to the end of this ladder, then from every step the width seemed to diminish. I did not look down, I pressed my chest against the wall, spread my arms to the sides, and slowly climbed further. From the side, I think it looked stupid, since I had quite a bit of space on the steps behind my back. When I got to the end of the stairs, I got into a wide fit, hanging in front of a black rectangle, which was the entrance to the inside. But it was much wider than the steps, but despite this, it was not easy to overcome the fear of heights and detach from the wall. Before the entrance, I slipped along the same wall as I did when climbing. I grabbed the corner of my hand and pulled myself towards him. In front of me, there appeared about twenty meters deep darkness, at the end of which there was a light rectangle, as if cutting out the outline of a room that was at the end on a black sheet of paper.

Only now, peering into the dark corridor, I lowered my head down and noticed an interesting peculiarity, which consisted in the fact that it began with darkness, which was separated from the outside world by an absolutely flat boundary. External light seemed to hit the invisible transparent wall and did not penetrate into the corridor. It looked unnatural, somehow like a toy. But I saw it, I was standing near this corridor, not daring to take a step further. Although what am I surprised again? This is a dream. In this dream, any nonsense is possible.Although this dream looks more real and more logical than all the dreams I have seen, however, it does not exclude such unreal phenomena. I put my hand into the corridor, and she seemed to be drowned in a container with thick inky water. Having gathered air in my chest, I took a step inside, carefully testing with my foot the floor I had stepped on. Despite all the caution, I wanted to go this short way as soon as possible.

Taking the next step, frantically I look back, then I go further. Of course, I understood that I was going to a completely unfamiliar place, that there could be anyone, there could be hostile people, beasts, traps. Yes, anything. But nevertheless, I did not feel fear. Most likely, I was moved by the inner conviction that it was not by chance that I was here. Indeed, in the first dreams of this rise and entrance was not on the wall. And now he has appeared just now. I sincerely believed that if they killed me there instantly, then all this made no sense. I, as if the only actor of this play, in the arena of an odd theater. I smiled when I thought about theater. Everything seems to indicate some basic things. Here is the wall, here are the steps, here is the dark passage. Everything. The play of light and shadows, the blinding sun, the shadow cast by objects. Why all this, if the main thing is action? You only need to outline the boundaries of the world, put a couple of objects in it and everything, you can play at least drama, even comedy. Really, can I just go and die? I do not think. And if so, then I need to play this role. In any case, it's better than just sitting down and waiting for a revival. I don’t know how many times this motivation in my head thundered “it's better than just sitting.” I repeated it myself or had so few thoughts in my head that my brain constantly ran across it? But she acted, this thought made me rise here. This thought makes me go further. So simple and uncomplicated. But she forces to act, she forces to do important things. It is a pity that in the real world such motivation is not enough. I wonder why? Maybe in the real world there are more empty unnecessary actions that you can do and drown out this ringing in your head, imitating actions, although in fact you are treading water. And here, either sit or go upstairs. No choice. No empty classes, no hundreds of options. It's simple. Therefore, such an elementary motivation works. Never thought about it before.

The corridor is over. Still standing in it, I looked at the room into which he led. If I had taken a step, I would have been on a large balcony that stretched along a wall above a large hall. I cautiously, looking around, took a step out of the dark corridor. It was quiet. Insanely quiet. I have never heard such silence. Perhaps this silence made a huge space special. Where else can you be in such a huge room in absolute solitude? At least, I made such a conclusion without hearing a sound, except for my watchful scuffing on the soles of the concrete floor. I was afraid to move away from the wall to the edge of the balcony, although I do not know how the wall could save me in case of danger. But next to her I was calmer, especially when I touched her hand. I took a couple more steps along the wall. At the end of the balcony, which was at least fifty meters in length, I thought I could see a staircase leading down. Such corridor spiral staircases, as in old houses. Curiosity overcame my fear, and, tearing myself off the wall, it was as if the man, who had first found himself in the pool, was breaking away from his wall, stepped to the edge of the balcony. Taking five steps, I found myself at its edge and looked behind a high stone side. Before my eyes there was a huge hall with a snow-white-white floor, which was poured throughout the hall by thick milk, my view, slipping along its surface, and in the center snatched some person who was quietly standing on it. From this height, it was difficult for me to see it. He just stood there and didn’t even notice me. Outwardly, his appearance did not look threatening. In any case, he should have known about my appearance here, or to hear.If this person is here, in the citadel, then he clearly represents a certain part of it, which means that he must carry his own specific meaning. Once, at the very beginning, I decided that this whole citadel, its staircase leading to the entrance, represent some kind of meaning, then this person ... Read more →