-This World
The roof.
House stood there leaning against the half wall overlooking what should have been the town, but everything was immersed in darkness. The only light came from a paper lamp on the wall at the entrance to the stairwell. It was strange to look and see nothing beyond the wall, but he could almost feel the light and warmth of the roof falling away just beyond the edge. If he reached out his hand, he could touch the bitter cold.
He didn't need to look to know he wasn't alone. This other person was silent for as long as House stared out into the void. It wasn't until House looked over at him that he spoke.
'Isn't this it?' He said, not turning his own gaze on House. It looked like the man he had known closely for almost nine years; the same clothing, the same hair, same atrocious plaid tie, same face, yet somehow it couldn't be him. House was unable to put it to words.
'The roof? Yeah, this is about as exciting as it gets up here.'
'No, life.' He said simply.
'Only if I'm allowed to bring a hammock.'
The light flickered.
'You know this roof; you know what things look like from here. You don't know what they look like even three feet from the edge. You can guess, but you don't know, you've never seen it.' Same blue striped tie.
'Not keen on jumping.' House said looking back out into the dark.
'You know what we're talking about, right?'
'Not particularly, but that's as far into it as I want to go.'
'This is important.' He said.
'I'm asleep.' House countered.
'Then do what you always do, and brush him off.'
'You mean you?'
'I mean him.' He said. He went over to the paper lamp and removed it from the wall, carrying it with him as it continued to give off light. He sat on the half-wall and swung his feet to the other side.
'You shouldn't sit there, you don't know where it's been,' House said, and took the lamp from him. He sat on the wall with him, but with his back to the unnerving void.
'Do other people have problems or is it just you?'
House turned the lamp over in his hands, looking at the spot on the wall where it came from, now bare. 'Some certainly do, but I really don't care.'
'Then it doesn't really matter.' He said, and took the shade from the lamp, leaving the still-glowing bulb naked in House's hands.
'It's about time you agreed with me on that.'
'He doesn't.'
'Then that's his problem.'
'And so you don't care.'
'Now you get it.' The bulb flickered.
'You should be careful, that's in your hands. It's dangerous up here.' As if to demonstrate, he let the shade slide from his hands and it was almost instantly swallowed by the darkness. 'Long way to fall.' Same red tie with grey cheerios.
House hopped off the ledge. 'It's getting cold, I'm just going in.'
He said nothing as House made his way to the door to the stairs. He put the bulb on the ground below where it used to hang whole. He shrugged, and opened the door.
'Do you know what's down there?' He asked, looking over.
'Yeah. The rest of my life.' House said, almost with a laugh. 'The roof hasn't been my place in years.'
'I see.'
Looking down the stairs there were no other doors, but that gave it a warm solitary feel. Colours were bright but stark. House looked back to him out on the roof ledge. 'There's probably nothing, but it's something to do.'
'The light's gone out,' He noted before looking away from House, back out into the void.
'There's light down here.' House said, and turned towards the stairs. Even though it was well lit in the stairwell, he couldn't see the ground floor, but knew it was a long ways away. He looked back, invitation in mind, but the void had climbed up to the stairwell door. The only way for him to go was down…