The path was incredibly treacherous. She wouldn't make it easy, no not for me, not for anyone. How long has this path gone un-weeded? Broken cobblestones assault my feet, almost piercing my soles or soul even. I want to hate this girl, because she does this on purpose. She locks herself up here on purpose.

I can hear wind eroding everything and a tune on the wind that reeks vaguely of Collective Soul or some such forgotten music like that. 90's bards. How so like her. Why does she make it hard? Some of the neglected stones in the tower are crumbling. It looks like she's replaced some stones while I was too busy with myself. 

There's only demons here, no dragons. The demons are not necessarily seen ones, even if they have left their marks, deep ugly scratches with a sadly abscessed smell. I keep toying with myself, wondering if I should climb it, or just leave her there. If you stop beating on the door, she eventually comes out.

No. Not this time.

How do I know this?

Because I am her and she is me. If the roles were naturally reversed she would likely edge closer, contemplating the source of every mental brick. She would find the stronger footholds and she'd climb, because she is stubborn like that. But I can't. I can't because I am a coward, and a selfish one. Why would she have me? To which the wind answers almost sardonically: She would not.

This pisses me off, and I want to hurl rocks and scream at her, because I understand her being difficult, but misunderstand her words altogether, if she had even said them, which is frankly enough to make a man like myself angry. What a bitch!

But here I am. I hate myself for this. She can save herself but she won't. She already told me that, and it is enough to make a rational person run screaming into the distance. Why do you do this to yourself? You get nothing from it but a broken heart for your trouble. I would plead with this mad woman, who thinks I am a knight when I am not.

Are you a knight or are you a toad?

I want to tell her neither, but she is busy, not listening to me. Blocking out everything I say, and why? 

"Because I want someone that would make the effort to let me know I am priceless."

I find myself looking up, and there she is. But if she is going to come down again, she is not telling.