The Rainbow in the well

The old house stood on a small hill. It looked empty and sad. Four friends, Maya, Sam, Leo, and Chloe, loved to play near it. They were always looking for adventures.
One sunny afternoon, they were behind the house. They saw a strange glow coming from the old well. It wasn't the normal dark hole. This glow was soft and colorful, like a rainbow hiding inside.
"What's that?" Maya whispered, her eyes wide.
Sam, the bravest of the group, slowly walked towards it. "I don't know," he said, his voice a little shaky.
Leo and Chloe held hands, watching from behind. The glow got brighter as Sam got closer. It pulsed like a heartbeat.
Suddenly, the air around the well shimmered. It looked like heat rising from hot ground, but it was cool to the touch. The colorful glow swirled faster and faster.
"It looks like... a door?" Chloe said, her voice full of wonder.
Sam reached out his hand. As his fingers touched the shimmering air, it felt soft, like touching water that wasn't wet. Then, his hand went right through!
"Wow!" he exclaimed, pulling his hand back. "It's really a door!"
Maya, Leo, and Chloe rushed to the well. They peeked inside. Instead of dark water, they saw a bright, swirling tunnel of colors. It looked like a painting that was alive and moving.
"Do you think... we should go in?" Leo asked, a bit scared but also excited.
Sam grinned. "Only one way to find out!" He took a deep breath and stepped through the shimmering air. He disappeared into the colors.
"Sam!" Maya cried.
After a moment, Sam's voice floated back, sounding far away but happy. "It's amazing here! Come on!"
Maya looked at Leo and Chloe. They nodded at each other. Holding hands tightly, they stepped through the strange door.
The moment they passed through, the colors surrounded them. It felt like floating in a warm, bright cloud. Then, suddenly, they were in a new place.
It wasn't like their world at all. The sky was a soft purple, and fluffy pink clouds drifted lazily. Tall trees with leaves like silver coins swayed gently in a light breeze. Small, round creatures with big, friendly eyes hopped around on the soft, green grass.
"Wow..." Chloe breathed, her eyes wide with amazement.
Sam was already walking around, looking at everything. "Look at these flowers!" he called. They were glowing with a soft, inner light.
The air smelled sweet, like a mix of honey and flowers they had never smelled before. A small, furry creature with wings like a butterfly landed on Leo's shoulder. It chirped softly, and Leo giggled.
"This place is... magical," Maya said, still a little bit in disbelief.
They started to explore. They saw rivers that sparkled like they were full of tiny diamonds. They saw waterfalls that flowed upwards, defying gravity. Everything was strange and wonderful.
They met some of the creatures that lived there. They were called Floofballs, and they were very friendly. They communicated with soft chirps and gentle nudges. The Floofballs seemed happy to see them.
The friends spent hours in this new world. They played with the Floofballs, explored the strange plants, and marveled at the purple sky. It felt like a dream they never wanted to wake up from.
But as the strange, colorful sun began to set, casting long shadows in shades of orange and blue, they knew they had to go back. Their families would be worried.
They found the shimmering door again. It looked the same as before, a swirling mass of colors in the old well.
Saying goodbye to the friendly Floofballs, they stepped back through the portal, one by one.
The moment they were back behind the old house, the colorful glow faded. The well looked like just a dark hole again. It was as if the magical door had never been there.
They looked at each other, their hearts full of the wonder of the other world.
"Did that really happen?" Leo whispered.
Sam nodded, a big smile on his face. "It was the best adventure ever!"
Chloe hugged herself, remembering the soft fur of the Floofballs. "I want to go back someday."
Maya looked at the old well, now just a dark circle in the ground. "Maybe we will," she said, a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Maybe we will."
From that day on, the four friends had a secret. They knew that behind the old, sad house, hidden in an ordinary well, was a door to a world of purple skies, silver trees, and friendly, hopping creatures. They often went back to the well, hoping to see the colorful glow again, ready for their next amazing adventure. And sometimes, just sometimes, they would see a faint shimmer in the air, a promise of the magic waiting just beyond.