The Stairs

 Peter took another step and tried not to look down.

The stairs were old and made of steel long ago etched by the rain that streamed down them. Silent brown tear stains flowing across its face. The sounds that it made were unnerving. Groans that seemed to come from the bowels of the mountain itself. Creaks that flowed down, down and down to the bottomless depths that he had crawled out of.

How many steps had he taken?

How many steps to go?

Looking down anyway Peter felt vertigo crawling up from his gut to his brain. He grabbed tightly to the two cold rails and closed his eyes as he waited for the feeling to fade. Pushing down that lump building in his throat. Holding it from spewing forth the contents of his stomach.

He wanted to sit down. To hold his chest to his knees and just rest his weary body. To feel the cool breeze wash over him as he drank in the sunlight that occasionally slipped between the folds and breaks of the clouds. The journey had been lonely. It had been long. Deeply breathing in and out Peter gathered his strength to carry forward. Another step. Another. These steps took greater concentration. More effort. He hesitated and he ventured a look skyward. Looking for his ultimate destination. The sun shining into his eyes. He dared not release his grip from the brace of the steel rail that held him steady in his mount. Squinting in earnest he searched the mountain for the summit that he sought.

He could feel that he was getting closer but he found only shadows in his view. He continued on. It was the only way. Step by step. Feeling the burn in his legs and the ache in his lungs as he drew in another breath. The air was thinner up here. It took all of his lungs to gain the oxygen that his blood screamed for.

As laughter settled down upon his ears he thought that he must be hallucinating. The song that it made was joyful. It was playful. It was female...

How could this be?

He had long past that barrier meant to allow only men beyond. His climb continued. He was climbing for his birthright. He was climbing to obtain the place of command overlooking the entire valley of man. The thought gave him strength and blocked the bursts of laughter drifting from above. Another step and Peter saw a flash of flesh. A dangling leg. No, two legs. More. A series of legs kicking over the edge of the mountaintop. The laughter became more pronounced. Peter hesitated as he approached the last few rungs and then holding his breath, pushed forward.

His gaze like a magnet to a massive iron bar snapped to the 6 girls laughing and pointing at

him. All smiles. One girl winked at him and playfully pointed to the pink sign plainly planted at the entrance to the mountaintop. It read;

Corporate Ladder - Under new management. No men beyond this point.