Journey Through the Door

There was only one rule: don't open the door.

I have seen that door since I was a child. It haunts my dreams, but my grandmother warned me of the danger it presented. I never understood what she meant since she never elaborated on the dangers. My thought was she had gone through it at some point and knew firsthand. My feminine intuition told me to forget the door, but my stubbornness drove me to the threshold. I stared at the wooden surface, trying to sense what was beyond. I grabbed the handle and opened the door a crack and peeked through it. Seeing the same clearing I stood in I opened the door further and stepped inside. Everything seemed normal and I wondered why my grandmother warned me of the door.

When I turned to go back through the door it was gone. I dismissed its nonexistence and walked home. On my way home I ran into my neighbor who always asked me out, but this time he just politely acknowledged me and went about his way. I found it curious but didn’t think too much about it. Moments later, outside my door, Katrina from next door approached me. I kicked myself for forgetting I was hosting lunch today, but she merely asked for my help as she caressed my arm. I stared at her hand as she touched me and wondered why she was flirting.

I let it go as I responded that I needed to freshen up first and she happily returned to her place. I opened my door and the odor that greeted me was off somehow, but I rushed to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and my flowing hair and feminine features were replaced by a stern looking masculine face and screamed.