Upstair(1).mp4

At first, everything was mundane. The concrete steps were chipped, the handrail was cold steel, and the walls were a flickering shade of hospital beige. By the time he reached the landing marked , he felt a slight cramp in his calf. By landing 12 , his breathing was heavy. By landing 42 , he stopped.

Here is a story inspired by the unsettling atmosphere of that footage: The Infinite Ascent

The door behind Elias clicked shut, but the sound didn't echo. It was swallowed by the heavy, stale air of the stairwell. He didn't remember why he had entered the building, only that he needed to get to the top. He began to climb.

He looked down the center gap of the railing. The stairs spiraled into a black throat that seemed to have no floor. He looked up, and the view was identical—a repetitive, rhythmic geometry of steps and landings vanishing into a dim yellow haze.