Nothing

"What do you see up there?"

"Nothing"

An old man replied to a young boy who asked curiously.

"What do you mean nothing?"

"Nothing"

The old man repeated what he said.

But the boy who asked wasn't satisfied with the answer.

Wanting to quickly get up there, the little boy asked, "How can I go up there?"

"Don't"

The old man's reply was as simple as always. There is no deep and profound meaning behind it.

"Why can't I?"

"It is not good."

The little boy scratched his hair and left but he didn't give up. After a moment or so, he came back with a heavy ladder, "I'm tired and bored down here. I really want to know what's up there."

"Don't, just ignore that you know this place."

"No way! I'm always sad in here. I always got angry and mad. I don't like many things here."

"Don't you have things that you like? Something down there that is making you happy?"

"Yeah, there is but I still like in here. It looked big at first but when I try to look at it; there is just...", the little boy's face and voice became distorted, " MIRRORS"

"That is your world."

"I still don't like it.", the little boy then placed the heavy ladder that with hardship he set it up.

The old man was silent as the little boy came up.

After climbing up, the old boy was amazed by what he saw. However, it was all but a glimpse. The old man refused the little boy and shouted so loud that it became a screech.

This is the first time the boy saw the old man's face, it was normal, as the old man grabbed the little boy and got all of its attention to him whilst screaming screeches, "AHHHH!!!!!", the pitch was high and thin.

The old man then pushed the boy back down. The little boy fell and was hurt. The old man then kick the heavy ladder and shouted, "Never come up here again!", but it was no longer a screech.

However, the little boy didn't give up, " That was the first time that I saw something like that! Why are you keeping it all to yourself?!"

The old man ignored the little boy and looked far away from where the little boy didn't see. The little boy only caught a glance and haven't seen what the old man was looking at.

Down there, he only saw himself in his own little world at four corners. Even if there is someone there, that someone doesn't have a reflection on any of the mirrors. There is happiness and sadness, everything is equal. It may look unfair and unjust but it is not. But the boy wasn't satisfied with this and was persistent to see and know what the old man was looking at.

Every now and then, the little boy would pick the heavy ladder back and tried to come up but only glimpse per glimpse could he see and then the old man would shout at him and push him again, leaving him hurt.

The glimpses he could only see were blackness, but there is something far away that the old man was looking at. That is what the little boy wanted to see. So he did not give up and whenever the old man pushes him down, he will get the ladder and come back up.

... . . .

After countless times of relentless tries, the old man gave up and let the little boy see what's up there.

The little boy was excited and immediately put the ladder up again.

The old man looked at him with pity.

Step by step, the boy climbed up in excitement. This time the old man did not push him down.

He saw the blackness that he always caught a glimpse of then he looked at the old man who was looking far away. With excitement, he followed this old man's sight and there he saw,

Nothing

It was another blackness.

He stood beside the old man and asked, "What do you see up here?"

"Nothing"

The little boy shivered. He looked down and saw blackness. His complexion worsen and tears came out of his eyes as he looked at where he came from, it was just a little box, floating in this unending abyss.

"Ignorance is bliss.", the old man slowly said.

The little boy's lips quivered and then he turned around and with desperation, he jumped down. There he only saw himself as he cried.

"There is nothing. The only point is to pleasure oneself till the end of time - which doesn't exist - Now, knowing the truth, you will never able to pleasure yourself because your world is just a drop in this nothingness.", the little boy while crouching, covering his ears and eyes, clenching his teeth in his own little world, could clearly hear the words of the old man.

"If nothing does not exist. What will happen?", the old man laughed while the little boy shuddered in despair.

While the little boy's eyes closed, he could only see the blackness again so he opened his eyes out of fear of remembering what is up there and there, he saw himself once more.

True Terror