The gap ***

I paused. Second thoughts. But the experience always assured an adrenaline surge. I looked around. Nobody. Swiftly I entered the space. It was about 2 feet wide. The floor was strewn with rubble and debris. I gingerly stepped over the rubble, heart pounding. I stopped and glanced up. The blue sky appeared like a slit, startlingly bright against the bleak unplastered walls. As I looked, the wallls appeared to move closer. I quickly looked down, taking a few moments to readjust to the dark gloom. I moved slowly forward. The gap was not much more than a foot now. I had to turn sideways to get through. My shoulders were scraping the rough walls. Now the walls were touching against my body. Almost coming together to crush me. Straight ahead the gap narrowed, the walls converging about 20 feet away. The feeling was at once exhilarating and excruciating. I breathed a sigh, and squeezed a little forward. Just then, a scrambling sound. Panic. Just as i started to move backwards, all of a sudden, a hand pressed my head forward. My heart beat thunderously. “Dey, vidura.” A frantic scream. But the hand pressed relentlessly. I was close to hysteria. The claustropobhia was overpowering. I strained backwards. And suddenly he let go. I fell backwards, scraping against the rough walls. I tried to regain my footing. Several times the walls seemed to be enveloping me, pushing me down again and again. At last I clambered onto my feet and moved backwards, and after what seemed like an eternity emerged into the sunlight. The relief swept over me like a wave.