the doors

A soft and silent walk on a slippery floor. With each step comes another painful beat of your heart. You don't know where you are, but you're scared and so you keep moving.

A brilliant light ahead of you divides a thick grey fog that is settling around you. The closer to the light you get, the more shapes in the fog come into focus. You're in a room with more doors than you can count. Each door is unique in size, shape and function. Above each door seems to be a sign that might indicate what is behind it, but you can't make out what is written on each sign.

You're so busy looking at all the doors that you don't see a stranger standing behind a podium in front of the doors. He's staring at you from the tops of his eyes and his smile seems devious and untrustworthy. There is the slightest crooked smile on his face. He has one blue eye and one brown eye.

You don't say anything to him and he says nothing to you. You keep walking around, exploring, examining the doors. They are all so different. The four that seem to catch your eye and captivate you the most are four dynamic doors; One made of gold, one made of mirrors, one made of velvet and one that is made of iron.

You're very nervous and the smiling man is patiently staring and waiting for you to decide.

You're not sure what to do and it's not until you stop moving that the smiling man raps his knuckles on the podium. When you look over, he waves his hand behind him in a "please choose one" suggestive way.

Take a good look at the doors and pick one. He doesn't say, it but you can tell it's implied. You just know that you only get one choice. As soon as you turn to look at the doors, all but the four you noticed earlier are gone.

The closest door to where you stand is the biggest door of them all. It's made of solid gold that shines like the sun on a clear day. The door itself is transparent and you can see a comfortable path on the other side. The door frame is decorated with elaborate symbols, images, shapes and faces. All of which seem friendly and pleasing. You step closer to the door to examine it and you can hear the faintest noise coming from the other side.

It's people speaking. You have no idea what they are saying but their tone is pleasing and their dialogue is only interrupted with soft bouts of laughter. Behind the voices are simple noises that sound like music that has no beat.

The choice pleases you.

You are about to reach for the doorknob when the smiling man raps his knuckles on the podium. When you acknowledge him, his smile gets more sinister and frightening. He again waves his hand behind him to point out that you have not looked at the other doors.

You walk to the next door and you see that it is not one big mirror, but millions of tiny little mirrors. The door has no definitive edge and you can't tell where the door ends and the door frame begins. You don't like this door as much, but the closer you get to the door, the more familiar you feel with what lies behind it. You can't see through it but you can hear something coming from the other side of the door.

It's the sound of your friends. They are talking to someone. You can hear them and make out which words they are using but you don't understand their organization. There is music behind their voices, but it's hidden behind the speech pattern and is lost to you.

You're excited and you want to reach out for the doorknob, but you can't find it.

The familiar sound of knuckles rapping.

You turn and you see the sinister man smiling and this time he is laughing without making a single sound. He, again, waves his hand at the remaining doors.

You're not as excited now. You're frustrated and confused. You just want to open a door and go. You're uncomfortable in this place and it's time to go.

The next door is made of red velvet and is barely big enough for you to crawl through.

You get closer to the door and you hear wonderful noises coming from the other side. They sound like moaning, and people in ecstasy. It's the sound of pleasure. Of exhilaration. There is music behind their moans and sighs. It's driving and hypnotic. It calls to you like a siren and you scramble to open the door...

Rap, rap, rapping...

The sinister man has finally shown his nature and his laugh is booming and unescapable. You try to cover your ears, but it does little to stop the echo. He laughs louder with each passing second. The louder the chuckle, the worse you feel inside. He, again, waves his hand behind him and this time he points at the remaining door...

It's a heavy door. Solid Iron. Rusty, cold grey iron. You can't hear anything behind the door. It just stands there like a truth that never gets spoken. Instead of a doorknob there is just a key hole.

You peer through the door knob and you can't see anything, or hear anybody. It's uninviting and screams, "go away".

You back away from the door and your breathing gets heavier. Your heart feels compressed to half it's size. Your stomach is twisted and knotted. Your legs seem void of strength or support.

You turn to run back to one of the other doors. When you turn, you see the man at the podium. He is no longer laughing. He is no longer smiling. His hands are gracefully crossed behind his back. He seems to ease your pain and calm your mind. He sees your pain and softly bows in front of you.

Your heart slows, your legs regain their strength, you begin to breath normally again.

You look down and see the key in your hand.

You place the key in the keyhole.

You turn the key.

The door opens without a sound and on the other side is.....