The Open Door

My footsteps echoed through the halls as I ran in a full sprint. An alarm rang. The Enforcers barked orders at each other and small groups began to search, most marching towards the origin of the wailing siren. I heard a squad of Enforcers coming and ran to the nearest door. I dove through it as soon as it opened. I held my breath until they passed. The clamor of Enforcers waned, the pounding of my heart slowed, but still, I waited.

I turned around from the door to see what was in the room. The entire room was musty and covered in dust. It appeared to be an old janitorial closet, or a closet for supplies. I couldn’t be too sure though. Ever since the 947th Amendment, banning all employment not chosen by the elders, janitors had become obsolete. My eyes drifted over all the items in the closet.

There was a strange circular object with even stranger symbols on it. When I looked closer, I saw the object had two arrows, one longer than the other, each pointed towards a different symbol. I was so fascinated by the object that when the big arrow moved I jumped. There were also bottles that housed blue and clear liquids that I deduced were for cleaning. I was lost in the wonder of discovery. Never before have I seen so many artifacts in one area. By the time that I had searched through all of them, the short arrow on the circular object had moved from one symbol to the next.

Since I wasn’t sure how many Enforcers I would encounter, I took a wooden pole from the long dried bucket and snapped off the end that had a bunch of fabric attached. I swung it around a couple of times to make sure it was balanced. The stick wasn’t ideal, but it was the best I was going to get.

Right before I was about to leave the supply closet I caught myself. My locket wasn’t around my neck. I frantically turned around to search for it and saw it laying on one of the racks. The heart-shaped silver and gold piece of jewelry reflected the light from the ceiling causing it to appear to glow. I rushed to pick it up. Upon tying the locket around my neck I was overcome by an urge to open it.

The lock was released, and the picture of my family stared at me. I ran my thumb across the image. Tears fell.

You died for this, I thought to myself. You sacrificed everything to leave this home of ours. Well, I’ll finish what you started. One way or another, our family is leaving.

With new resolve, I pulled the door open and went through it. The hall was clear. I sprinted down it. The once pure walls and floor I now saw scuffs and stains on. Electricity flowed through the ceiling unevenly, leaving some of the LED lights flickering. It felt like the entire shelter was dying. I kept turning corners, and with each new hallway, my eyes opened more to the taint of seeming perfection.

“Halt!” A strong deep voice yelled as I rounded another corner. A lean figure dressed in all black stood in the middle of the hallway. He had a pair of small matte grey handguns on his belt and his hands hovered over their respective weapons.

By the Council, an Enforcer. I need to think fast. I silently thought. If this doesn’t work then I’m done for!

“Please sir. Help,” I squealed. Applying the visage of a scared child I continued. “He just came out of nowhere. His weapon broke so I took a piece to defend myself. What is happening?” I ran into the Enforcer’s arms and began to sob.

“I’m sorry. Are you ok? What happened? Who was it? Where did this happen?” The Enforcer relaxed a bit as he began to barrage me with questions. I just stood and kept sobbing until I saw the perfect opportunity.

When the Enforcer finally closed the small gap between the two of us I brought the pole up right between his legs. A small thud came out quickly followed by whimpering. The Enforcer fell down to his knees and clutched his injury. He went to say something, but before he could, I slammed his head with the pole, knocking him out.

Adrenaline rushed through my body. I didn’t even hesitate. I ran at a breakneck speed to get as far away from the scene as possible.

What have I done? I thought to myself.

A sudden realization hit me. I stopped right where I was. I’m a criminal now. I can never come back without facing Penalty. Never had I intended on coming back if I escaped, but now the choice wasn’t even mine.

The freedom to do how I pleased left. Instead the feeling of hopelessness and fear practically punched me in the face. Before, I had the safety net of having a home to come back to, but now that net was pulled away from me. There was no going back.

So I started back up, slowly building speed, quickly returning to the full sprint I was at before. I ran into more Enforcers. With the advantage of surprise and speed, I was able to take them out without slowing down.

The white halls grew abandoned and visibly worn down. In the dust, a set of footsteps appeared. They led through a hallway where all electrical currents ceased. The familiar buzz disappeared. It was a complete blackout. I could barely see anything.

Slowly I was able to track the footprints. Once they went through a door I began to hear a faint humming. I went to open the door but realized that without power they wouldn’t work. With all my strength I wedged the door to have a small slit to fit my fingers through. I then threw it open.

Cautiously I stepped through. The humming grew louder and louder. Suddenly it stopped. “You’re not supposed to be here,” a childish voice said from behind me. I whirled around and saw a young girl.

She couldn’t have been physically older than six, but her eyes held the wisdom of an ancient being. Short blond hair reached down to her shoulder; piercing blue eyes stared seemingly into me. Again she said, “You’re not supposed to be here.” Her tone implied a question, a demand, and a suggestion all at the same time.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“You are in the room where it all ended, yet all began. You are where the darkness met the light. This is where everything happened all those years ago...” The girl’s eyes began to water. They looked like they were about to burst out into tears. Seconds later the look was gone and she said, “That information is irrelevant. You’re not supposed to be here.”

I was desperate to stall. The girl appeared to be normal, but something felt off. “Why not?”

The girl reached out her arm towards the door across the room. “Allow me to show you,” she answered.

The door flew open. “Your people threw away the desperate warnings that were given to them.” She began to stride quickly to the opening, and I rushed to catch up with her. “Your people bought these shelters after they were built by those who deserved them. Climate changed yet by the time governments made attempts to reverse the damage it was too late. Your people broke the world. Now nature is back to the way it was meant to be. Go through that door. Find out what the real world is like.”

A breeze went through the open door. It was cold and entrancing. A soft breath on skin. “Does the room out there have air conditioning?” I asked, amazed.

The girl let out a toneless laugh, then realized I was being serious. “Out there, air conditioning doesn’t exist,” she told me. “Nothing you are used to exists in the real world. You are going to be left to fend for yourself.”

I stood in the doorway, unable to decide whether I would leave or not. I thought about all my friends and the life I had lived for fourteen years. Everything that I would be leaving behind flashed in my eyes. But then I thought of everything that was being kept from me; I thought of the Enforcers I encountered along the way to get here. I knew I wouldn’t be permitted back without having to feel the wrath of Penalty.

This is for you Mom... Dad, I thought to myself. I went through the door and crossed the hallway out to go into the real world. I heard the door in front of me close.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” the little girl asked.

I steeled my resolve. “Yes. I’m absolutely sure.”

She opened the door in front of me.

“It’s… it’s just another hallway.” I looked at the girl, dumbfounded.

“Yep,” The child gleefully said. “But I’ll open the real door now.” She waved her hand and part of the hallway slid into the floor.

I was struck by a realization before I turned to see the world. “Wait. How did you open the doors? There isn’t any electricity here!” I demanded. I turned around and saw the girl smiling at me. She waved her hand again and the door separating the two of us closed.

I sighed and walked to the doorway. I stepped through and saw the landscape before me. I opened the heart-shaped locket and stroked the picture of my family. I thought one thing. We did it.