I woke up in a strange house. I didn't remember where I was or why I was there. There was no furniture in the vast, dark room, and I was lying in the middle of the floor. There were no windows, and therefore no light in the room. I could make out the shadows of an open door to the left and right of me. The one on the left was a vibrant red color with plant like designs all over it. The one on my right was a neon green color with circles embroidered on it.
I clenched my hands into fists, awaiting something of the unknown to grab me at any moment when I suddenly felt something small and sharp in my right hand. I rolled over to find a small silver key in my hand. As my eyes adjusted more to the darkness I could make out an engraved angel, a skull, and fire on the top of the key. I had never seen something so magnificently designed. As I starred at it, I realized that something was in front of me. I jumped, thinking that it was a monster coming for me, when I suddenly realized that it was a closed door. This one was black with a deep red painted on the edges. It looked as if the room behind the door was filled with blood and it was beginning to pour out through the cracks in it.
I stood up slowly and carefully approached the door. The red paint seemed so real, so enchanting, yet scary at the same time. I reached out and put my fingers on the paint, and then violently pulled back......the deep red paint was wet. It was then that I understood that it really was blood. I looked down at my fingers, which were now freshly coated with the sticky scarlet substance. I was beside myself with fright, but I reached my hand back out. Shaking as hard as I ever had I finally managed to place my hand on the door handle. I turned it and........it was locked.
Up until now I had forgotten the key still in my hand. I looked down at my shaky fist and thought, "No, it can't be". I was confused and scared, but I knew what I had to do. I slowly raised my hand, and placed the key into the lock. I twisted it and heard the clunk of a bolt opening. I could feel my heart beating so extremely hard that I thought that it would jump out of my chest. I reached my hand up slowly to the handle......and pulled the door open.
I felt my eyes widen as I looked down into a fiery pit. It looked like the inside of a cave with many walkways. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness I saw many figures wearing black cloaks. But it wasn't just any black.....it was a black of suffering.....a black of death. I was in complete awe as I realized that I had stumbled on another world. As I watched the cloaked figures doing work I was unaware of the pending danger around me. I was too busy watching one figure to realize that I had been seen. That is until one pointed towards me and yelled in a strange unidentified language.
As I began to back away from the door opening something began to emerge from the fire below. I reached for the door, and realized that it wasn't there. I began to panic as a dragon completely made of fire began to lunge towards the door opening. Its mouth open, ready to devour me at any moment, it jolted forward. There was a loud roar as its enormous jaws came flying at me. I screamed as I finally caught the edge of the door. With all of the energy and strength within me I closed my fingers around the door and thrust it forward. With a great slam the door closed. All that could be heard was my loud breathing and the bang of the door echoing throughout the lifeless house. I kept seeing images of the figures, the fire, and the dragon. I had never been so petrified in all of my life. Still a little shaken, I backed up away from the door. There was nothing behind me so I walked backwards for quite some time. After what seemed like forever, I collided with something. With dark, evil, scary images swimming through my head, I screamed. I threw myself away from whatever was behind me, landing in a very graceful pile on the floor. I could see a figure coming towards me with his bloodthirsty dragon. I could see myself ending up in the same disturbing fate as the other cloaked figures.
I opened my eyes and turned towards the.........wall. I sighed a desperate sigh of relief and stood up. My imagination had gotten a little bit carried away. It was then that I realized that there was another closed door in front of me. This door was like none of the rest. It was a pale cream color with gorgeous gold etchings covering the entire thing. The sight of such a magnificent object took my breath away. It wanted to make me cry, yet it filled me up with so much joy that I couldn't help but smile. I wanted to open it with such an outburst of passion. This was when I noticed that the key was no longer in my hand. I felt my eyes extend as I began to look for the key. I walked to the other side of the other side of the room, filling up with dread as I got close to the door. There was no key by the vile door, or by the radiant one. I finally began to believe that I had lost it in the fiery place, when I thought of another place to look. I walked over to the spot where I had collapsed. My soul aching with the heart-wrenching pain of not being able to open the door, I spotted the key exactly where I had fallen a few moments earlier. I dived like a deep - sea diver finding a long lost treasure. I picked up the key and scrambled to the door. Admiring the awe-inspiring woodwork, I inserted the key, and wrenched open the door. I had anticipated a paradise, a place where there was no evil, and there was nothing but good. I hadn't expected this.
There was an exquisite rainbow-colored sunset. It was a perfect temperature and a light breeze blew at my face. It felt like peace......like nothing bad could ever happen in a place like this. I could see mountains in the distance and saw a body of water. As the breeze picked up a little bit I could smell the salt of an ocean.
I was standing on an edge of a path on a hill. I was about to step onto the path when I noticed a man running towards me. He looked a little familiar, but I couldn't place him. As he approached I gasped with disbelief, and almost toppled back into the door opening. As I caught my balance the man arrived on the other side of the path, and just looked at me.
"You've gotten big", the man said proudly. All I could do was smile.......I hadn't seen him in over three years. I grinned broadly as I looked into the face of my great grandfather. I lifted my foot to cross the path and give him a hug.
"Ah", he said suddenly.
"What is it", I said putting my foot back down.
"That's the catch......if you cross the path you can never go back", he said sorrowfully.
"But I just wanted to give you a hug", I said.
"One day you can, but don't waste your youth on me". I watched him shift uncomfortably, and look down at the ground. Then looking back up at me with tears in his eyes he said, "You turned out how I always pictured you would. I'm tremendously proud of you".
I felt my heart swell with pride, as my eyes filled with tears, as that’s what I had always wondered since he passed away. I saw my vision blur and felt a tear slide down my cheek. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. I had missed him immensely, and now saying good bye was going to be extremely difficult. He looked from me down to the distant beach bordering the sea.
"There's going to be no easy way to say farewell, but I must go now", my grandfather said. He turned away from me and began to walk away.
I felt tears staining my cheeks as I watched him leave. I wanted to say it......I'd been craving to say it ever since he left.......I just didn't know how. As he began to close in on the bend in the road, I knew it was now or never.
"Grandpa", I yelled.
He stopped and turned back towards me.
"Grandpa, I love you", I shouted.
He was at least 10 yards away, but even then I could make out his smile.
"I love you too", I heard him shout.
I knew that this time it was my turn to make the first move. I began to retreat back into the room, but my heart was screaming not to let him get away. I knew I had to be strong and walk away but saying good bye the first time was hard enough. Every inch of me ached to run down to him and give him a hug.......but I knew that it couldn't happen.
I re - entered the room, and while listening to the waves of the ocean, and the cry of the sea gulls I closed the door. As I slipped the key out of the lock, I saw a tear drip off my nose. I leaned against the door and let the tears pour out.
After a few minutes, I began to walk to the center of the room. I sat down and started to think of my situation, putting the key beside me. I was in an empty building, and I didn't know where I was or why I was there. I laid down on my back and peered up at the ceiling. It was then that I noticed a miraculous mural painted there.
The part of the ceiling by the devilish door had fire painted on it. In the center was a dark cloaked figure. Directly in the center of the mural was a skull. Towards the red door, to the left of me, was a picture of a dark cloud with a lightning bolt shooting out from it. Near the cream - colored door was a painting of an angel on a cloud, and near the green door, to my right, was a picture of a house.
"I'm never going to get out of here", I thought.
I kept starring at the mural until it hit me.
"A house.....that doesn't make any sense".
I rolled over and walked over to the green door, which stood wide open. I hadn't noticed before, but inside was a scene of my front lawn and house. I turned back around and took in the scene of the extinct building. I looked at the bloody door, and over to the red door, but my gaze held longest on the cream - colored one. I remembered the feeling of the breeze against my face, the smell of salt in the air, and the sound of the waves of the ocean crashing up against the beach. I had loved the feeling of comfort and peace that the place had. I treasured the image of my great grandfather looking so fondly at me, and looking younger than I had ever seen him during his life.
Finally breaking my stare from the door, I leaned down and picked up the mysterious key. Turning back around I took a step forward through the doorway, and fell. It felt like I was being pulled in all directions at once, until a flash of white light brought me standing in front of my house. I turned back, half expecting to see a doorway, but there was none. It was just me standing out in my yard within complete daylight. I felt the sharpness of the key in my hand. I reached up around my neck, and took off my necklace. It had a gold flower pendent dangling from it. I slid the pendent off of the chain, slipped the key onto it, and placed the chain back around my neck. I felt the engravings on it before letting it drop onto my chest.
I would never forget the heat of the fire, the cloaked figures, and the fire dragon. I would never forget the layout of the land, the smells and sounds of it, the sight of the man running towards me, or the sound of my great grandfather's voice.
I would remember those moments for as long as I live.