'tap'

BING     shrrrrr..... 'crack'

4

Two monolithic metal walls stood in front of Amy. She could see her reflection within them - barely. There is a reason elevator manufacturers don't polish their doors.

'tap'

4

3

2

1

G

BING     shrrrrr..... 'crack'

Amy stepped out of her condominium's elevator. Presumably, I don't want to be making premature judgements here, presumably, she didn't want to go back up along with the lift. That would be... stupid, and Amy may be short, but she isn't that blunt.

Amy looked around. This was all familiar to her. Whenever she came back from school, or when she took her dog for a walk, it is almost certain she will pass by this area. Unless she forgot to bring her security scan card for access to the lift to school, she can be forgetful at times. In those cases, she would be taking the fire escape stairs.

There wasn't anything interesting to narrate about here, (and don't laugh about the onomatopoeia I gave to the sound of the lift doors, alright?), apart from well, there was a huge green roof and a patch of flowers on a small little elevated hedge of greenery. Yellow, red, it all formed a cacophony of hay-fever-inducing madness. She could see a single honeybird, the size of large bees, flying around. The flowers, they are like supermarkets for them. Sweet nectar.

Within Amy's blank stare, there was perhaps, something else? That... caught her eye?

She begins walking up the gentle slope that leads into where she stood. Nothing of general interest sparks neither of our eyes. A giant wall face, slightly curved, surrounded the condominium, and she walks among the egg-white painted borders. She passed by the pool; She passed by short, majestic trees; she passed by the second block of condominiums, and with a left turn, she passed by her condominium's security guardhouse.

T junction. Where to go?

To the left, a literal dead end. To the right, the only road that leads into the condominium. Did I mention how estranged this flank of condominiums is from the sardine-packed city? And how it's situated at the bottom of a mountain, obscured by roads which wind up to 180 degrees? Nobody comes and ventures here, and naturally past structures were left untouched within the accessible parts of the mountain. This mountain, it flanks the city, like a guardian, it shields the city from... wind?

Amy looked around. In front of her stood a dormant waterfall, its face completely dry from prolonged periods of drought. The forest's grasp, even the streetlights, the stone walls that cut off the land below the waterfall, the waterfall cliff face itself, even they cannot escape it. She began pacing towards the right, but it took just a few steps for her to realize the path she was taking is pointless. All of it, jumbled into a monotonous mess, it wasn't particularly meaningful in any way. Today, she wanted to change, after all. What salvation is there in walking past familiar sights?

There was only one path left. To her left, the dead-end lies sinisterly, a dark atmosphere surrounding it. She begins pacing towards the supposed nowhere and was soon met with a cordon blocked off with white, corrugated metal barriers. 

Well, she was here now. What next? Amy begins looking around. There must be a path somewhere beyond these borders. Even if they were closed off for a reason, there must be...

Within the white impasse, she saw a slight opening, just slight. It was a little bit just behind her, besides a fluorescent street sign, without the fluorescent.  She walked towards it. It seemed to be where two panes of corrugated metal met. They seemed to had been forced open, yes, but they have also been boarded off again. She looked around the wooden boards, trying to find a place where she could manage to crawl, climb, slither, or using any physical means possible to sneak past without arising too much suspicion. To her dismay, one of her accidental finger probes collapses the lower portion of the barrier. Looks like it was more or less a symbolic barrier more than a physical one. The lower crevasse seems big enough for Amy to crawl through, and like any sensible person, Amy got to the ground and began squeezing herself into it. Thankfully, with her petite build, it wasn't much of a struggle, more of an inconvenience than a challenge.

Standing up, Amy was stunned to find a dilapidated but intact stone path. The steps were still completely visible and intact, albeit years of neglect had done them bad. It was evident that this once was a hiker's path, closed off to the public for some unknown reason. Nature reclaimed the path inch by inch. 

Amy begins pacing up the stone steps, having her balance thrown around by the uneven stone blocks. There is a certain sense, a feeling of adventure and wanderlust. She was, in one way or another, rediscovering a forgotten path. Even if it was discovered before her, even if foundations were built to facilitate higher traffic of visitors, she was the first one to tread on the dirt and stone once again. The greenery around her, serenity and peacefulness fills the air, mixed with the scents of a once-secluded forest. Every step Amy makes begins to take on a slower, deeper pace.

The shade of green around Amy grew noticeably thicker the further she went, the path below Amy's feet changing from stone blocks to cement. The further she went, the more prevalent that human presence was all but non-existent. There couldn't be a well-made cement path if there were to be no one using them after all. Not only that, but the path was also in remarkably good shape, a sign of regular maintenance. The further she went, the more she walked, she uncovered more questions that ceased to satisfy her heart lusting for reason, a heart that is also lusting for adventure. Hand in hand.