he stood at the doorway and paused for a moment. he never looked back but in his pause he left himself behind. he walked out the door to a place different than the one he had left behind. a place where the person that he left behind could never survive.

a few steps in the muddy streets made him wander off onto a road less traveled; a road not deemed worthy to be put on any map. days went by as the road narrowed slowly; in the end he found a ladder.