He tripped somewhere near the top step. With a sound which came out like a yowl, he barrelled forward into the door. Instead of smoothly opening it or the like, instead he bashed his head into it. He took a few steps back, shaking his head. No one saw it, it was fine. Just a reminder.

“Is this the way out?” he called back behind him.

The emptiness behind him said nothing. Yet he felt the void in front of him, not from the nothing from behind. Behind was comfort, behind was where he came from. Sent forward for…

The void was ahead, clawing out everything he had been told.

“This is the way out.” He said it aloud to reaffirm himself. As if to agree, the door opened. He walked forward where the future waited.

Then the door shut behind him.