The night is starting to spread swiftly as me and my friend matched its pace with a hurrying stride on our every move. How can she suddenly pull me into something unusual? She just picked me up from my house only to tell me that she will be introducing me to someone and that specific person would certainly put a smile on my face.

It was that time when she started to climb the stairs directed to one of the tallest building that is mightily standing in the middle of this cemented jungle. I divorced with stairways from a very long time ago ever since I dislocated my right knee. I can’t climb – my strength will fall short of course in the middle of this venture.

“Hey! – I can’t do this!” I shouted at her who’s now on approximately ten flights away from where I am standing.

“NO – I won’t accept that excuse. Crawl if you should but he’s been waiting up there for hours already. Don’t disappoint me.” She said cheerfully and left me with her own accord.

I was left with no choice. I think I should at least try until my limbs can’t handle it anymore. It’s purely insulting in a way. I can do this. I need to. Whoever it is who’s at the top should be worth it. I know my friend, she knows how much I struggle when I deal with stairs and to put me in this hellish situation is one of the last things that she will ask me to do.

I took the challenge.

I can feel my knee screaming in pain. I held it tight and whispered hope for it not to fail me when I realized that the floor is moving higher in every step that I make. We are so far away from the ground level now and I almost collapsed when I saw the view below.

It’s like we are on a labyrinth. Every step elevates us and right now I am breathless to see how those gigantic trees below became small dots in front of my eyes. The wind is becoming cold and my palms are becoming sweaty. This scenario activated my fear in heights. I can’t look down – I SHOULDN’T PERHAPS.

My friend called me from where she is and I almost slipped from the tile. I almost fell without anything to say when I saw her hands pointing to the man waiting at the end of the line. He – he was blind folded and was freely moving around with no barrier to prevent him from – from falling down.

The depth of the height alerted my senses. If I cannot find the courage for myself to reach the end, I definitely find him as a reason to rush to the top and put him somewhere safe – I dashed to his direction without having second thoughts. I almost lost my balance briefly but his life is at stake and there is no room for mistakes.

“Andy Oppa!” I tried to call out before he set foot on the edge of the building’s rooftop. He was that young gentleman living in our neighbourhood.

What I did confused him. He carelessly turned around and made his position more vulnerable than before. He turned to my direction and now facing back from the edge of the high rise structure. Any slight movement can be crucial. I was still gasping some air when I reached the edge of his shirt and pulled him to safety.

We both fell on the ground and I noticed a smile on his face while I lay there on the ground with his arms under my shoulder. He managed to protect me even if his sight has been covered. I wanted to tear up – that was a very close call.

“At last I can take this off. Thank you for coming for me.” He said with mildness in his voice. He steadied me with his right hand while his left took off the blind fold.

“Are you crazy?!!! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?” I was furious. I wanted to punch him but he caught my weak hand. My joints suddenly loosen up because of the tension. He brushed up my hair and wiped the sweat on my forehead.

“It must have been hard for you.” He acknowledged. I looked at his perfection once more. It is his puppy hair that reminded me the last time I saw him. The only difference was, his eyes were surrounded with dark circles during the building construction and now, his skin is brighter, healthier – smooth like that of a baby. From his looks, it’s his usual white shirt and ripped off denim pants that I always about. It was like a uniform whenever I saw him walking on our area. He always wears this going home from his work.

“It was the last day of the construction and decided to sleep here at the rooftop for the last day. I – got trapped when they launched it and you’re the only one whom I can think of who can find the way to get out of here.” He confessed.

It finally made sense. This is one of the buildings that I designed before. More of a building it is a volt. People can go up but they will never be able to go down once they reach the top if they will not be able to decode the puzzle of the maze. People can only step on the edge one at a time. I glanced on my friend’s direction and it is only but natural for her to be lowered to the ground since I already stepped on the finish line. She stopped on a distance with a purpose. She’s been shipping us since the beginning of the world.

“I can’t contact you directly that is why I asked her. I added you on facebook but you haven’t accepted my friend request yet. So I sent her a message. More like an SOS. Her condition of letting you know is putting a blindfold until you come and get me.” Andy pointed on his phone and now, it is occupied with a black screen which tells that it’s already out of battery.

What could have happened if I refused to take a step? What could have happened if I quit halfway?

“She is cruel. Maybe this condition equated to the pain on my knees that I got form climbing the stairs. Come, let’s go home now.” I told him as I stood up with confidence and walked around while still limping.

“Wait how?!” he asked me with a bewildered expression.

“You know what, I hated stairs. This maze, I designed it like snake and ladder. Right now, we need to find the tile with a snake printed on it so we can reach the ground. But the bad news is – only one person can stand on it.” It was something that was meant for survival to be honest. I can’t also understand why it has to be this way – why him? Why me? Why both of us?

“I’ve been wondering what that special tile is for the first time I saw it. I already found it to be honest.” He told me with calmness. I can’t even read his face.

That was the time when he shoved me off the ground and carried me with his powerful arms before he jumped on the tile with a snake figure on it and I – I woke up.