Manifestation
You were a seeker, and you had found the path. Your own breathing seemed loud in the sudden, profound silence. You continued to walk, one foot in front of the other, your shoes making no sound on the strange, yielding floor.
Slowly, the shag carpet turned to dark stone, cobbled and uneven. A chill seeped through the soles of your shoes.
Then, the sobbing started.
Faint at first, a sound so quiet it might have been the settling of the house, a whisper of wind through a crack. But it grew with every step you took. It was a raw, ragged sound, full of a pain so deep it felt ancient. It became the wet, ragged gasp of someone struggling for air, the guttural hitch of a throat convulsing with sorrow. This was the sound of lungs burning, of a throat raw from screaming, of a heart breaking and re-breaking with every shuddering gasp. It echoed down the corridor, a beacon of misery leading you onward. It wasn't just heard with your ears; you felt it in your chest, a sympathetic vibration that made your own lungs ache.
The floor beneath your feet darkened. The beige carpet, now a dark, polished stone, reflected a sky you couldn't see. The sobbing intensified, a physical presence in the air, pressing in on you. You could feel the vibrations in your chest, a discordant rhythm to your own frantic heartbeat. You saw the door in the distance.
Slowly, the shag carpet turned to dark stone, cobbled and uneven. A chill seeped through the soles of your shoes.
Then, the sobbing started.
Faint at first, a sound so quiet it might have been the settling of the house, a whisper of wind through a crack. But it grew with every step you took. It was a raw, ragged sound, full of a pain so deep it felt ancient. It became the wet, ragged gasp of someone struggling for air, the guttural hitch of a throat convulsing with sorrow. This was the sound of lungs burning, of a throat raw from screaming, of a heart breaking and re-breaking with every shuddering gasp. It echoed down the corridor, a beacon of misery leading you onward. It wasn't just heard with your ears; you felt it in your chest, a sympathetic vibration that made your own lungs ache.
The floor beneath your feet darkened. The beige carpet, now a dark, polished stone, reflected a sky you couldn't see. The sobbing intensified, a physical presence in the air, pressing in on you. You could feel the vibrations in your chest, a discordant rhythm to your own frantic heartbeat. You saw the door in the distance.