Golden Moments

Golden Moments

By: Caleb Fuery

“Through the storms of today, we see the paradise of tomorrow.”

These words begin to echo through the halls as Scott races the clock to save the one he loves. After a long, tumultuous journey, he has finally descended upon the Chamber of the very thing that he has yet to explore.

Himself.

In order to move forward, he must let go of all of the trials and tribulations that got him to this point. He must free himself from the shackles of his past. He must become the highest version of himself, something that the men before him have failed to become.

Upon entering the main corridor, Scott is met by a shadowy figure, reminiscent of himself. The figure is docile at first, matching each and every slight movement Scott makes. But as Scott attempts to move past the shadow, it becomes increasingly hostile. Scott dodges the first attack, as he begins to ponder as to why he is confronted in the first place.

Using his peripheral vision, he spots a singular golden book. Reaching this book is not an easy task, as Scott still has to manage to maneuver through the flurry of punches and kicks that the shadowy figure dishes out. Scott rolls to his left, followed by a series of slides, near misses and leaps as he hides behind a flipped table. He reaches over his shoulder and grabs his golden prize.

The Title Reads:

‘The Shadow Self Reflects What You Are, But Also What You Are Not.'

In this moment, Scott realizes what he must do.

He must accept himself for who he is, and therefore come to love his dark side.

Scott stands up and proceeds to walk towards the Shadow. With no fear in his heart, he embraces his shadow self. The figure begins to fade away, as the reality of who Scott is begins to set. He now sets his eyes on the path ahead.

As Scott walks through the hall to the next room, he sees paintings of his youthful memories on the walls around him. Camping trips, Birthdays, and Slow Saturday mornings are the main attractions. He sees family, long lost pets, and even old friends. In the room ahead, Scott hears the laughter of his loved ones.

Upon entering, Scott is met with a long, empty dinner table. He sits down and wonders why there is food on every plate around him. As he looks around, the ghosts of his closest friends and family begin to sit at the table. He begins to hear the whispers of the people he cares so deeply about, and starts to speak.

“Hello?”

The ghosts keep whispering, seemingly ignoring him.

“Can anyone hear me?” He says.

The volume of the ghosts’ conversations increase.

They say things like:

“When will he learn?”

“Why is he here?”

“He’ll never be one of us.”

Instead of lashing out, Scott goes within. He tunes out the voice that he hears. He knows that they are just parts of himself that must be rediscovered. The whispers that he once heard were those of the critics of his past. Those days are behind him. He is stronger now.

Knowing this, Scott begins to eat his meal of steak, potatoes and string beans.

One by one, the members of the table begin to disappear. As Scott opens his eyes, the food that once graced the table is no longer there, along with the table itself. He sits in a singular chair as he processes the event that have taken place.

The third and final room that Scott encounters is the largest by far. In it there is only one thing. The love of his life who is unconscious and floating high above the middle of the room. The door to exit sits only above her.

“Rose!” He says.

She cannot hear him as she floats lifelessly above him.

In order to reach her, he must forget everything that he knows about the physical space that he inhabits. He has to let go of the concept of gravity. He has to open his mind to the fact that the only thing stopping him is himself.

As Scott begins to close his eyes, he can feel the weight of the world being lifted from his shoulders. When he notices that he is no longer on the ground, he awakens, and falls back to the surface. But with his love hanging in the balance, he has no choice but to believe.

He closes his eyes again as he lets the air lift him off of the ground. He propels himself upwards and proceeds to grab onto Rose. He looks down one final time, only to see the floor that he once walked on, gone. When he looks back up towards the door, Scott realizes that there is no room at all, just space. He has come to the universal realization that he has surpassed a level that even his wildest dreams couldn’t touch.

Rose wakes up in his arms as they fly away to Paradise.