Hall of Infinite Doors
You force your eyes open against blinding heat. Above you is darkness, penetrating darkness. You blink carefully trying to retain some of the moisture being sapped away by heat. You turn back, prepared to leave, but you find the door being slammed by the strangest little creature you have ever seen. It smiles as it locks you into this place of darkness and of heat. You take a trembling step forward. The surface seems filled with rubble and you almost fall face down.
Using a toe you carefully feel out in front of yourself to determine what you might be coming onto with the uneven surface. You pinch your eyes together- they ache with the heat. Your stomach is grinding anxiously upset with the heat- and filled with something new- fear. You press onward, there's no door behind you now, it seemed to seal after the creature closed it.
A bright light dances in the distance, and you move toward it careful and creeping. Your mama didn't raise no fool. If there are more of those creatures set on keeping you here you can't just go trouncing toward the light and expect to survive. You try for discretion.
Almost too late you step backward, as a flame bursts up from the floor. You had felt the heat more intensely against the soles of your shoes, and you felt compelled to move. Good thing your reactions are quick, or you would have been burnt to a crisp. The flame went higher and higher, continuing up until it was far out of your sight. You move around it careful not to touch the blue light radiating at the base. Far above you hear a screeching squeal, and you throw yourself out of the way as a flaming object descends too fast. There's a resounding boom as the flaming bundle of what seems to be alive hits the irregular earth.
You examine it cautious and turn to leave the charred remains behind you. The creature is much like the thing that shut you in, and you feel no pity for it's death- at least until you see a finger move slowly and painfully. The tall flame shoots back into the earth, leaving you in the dark with the charred- and clearly hurt little critter. After a few moments of hesitation, you lift the thing- no larger than a two year old into your arms. It coos grotesquely burrowing into you- in contrast to the space you are in the creature is cold almost icy- it's a different kind of burning. You walk toward the light now purposeful, you will return this thing to its people in exchange for safe passage.
The light becomes brighter and hotter as you draw closer. You adjust the thing in your arms and it makes a peeping sound as if in pain. You trudge onward until you are standing in a ring of light cast by the largest spout of fire. There are little creatures dancing around the fire, and some are even jumping through it. The flame does not bother them. Slowly as they notice your presence, they stop and turn to you grinning- what you at optimistically hope is welcome, but know deep down is maliciousness.
You lower the creature to the floor, and step away gesturing with a hand that you are offering them one of their own. They don't respond at all, and their smiles are definitely becoming unnerving. Deep down you feel an urgent need to run away.
"Well, well, what have we here?" asks a voice in your ear. Jerking you turn around, and see the most beautiful man in the world. He stands there facing you draped in white and looking as golden and cool as a summer day. "Where did you come from?"
"The stair well," you stammer, feeling way out of your league.
"I see," the man's face becomes darker, as if the answer is not what he wished. "Welcome to hell. No one goes out until someone else comes in. Apparently one of these CRETINS"- he yelled the word for emphasis before continuing, "decided they should escape before me. You can live forever here- burn forever."
"Hell???" you ask frantically looking at the smiling beings for solace. They stare back at you no longer smiling, and offering no remorse. "I'm a good person, I can't go to hell!"
"I'm a good person," mocks the gorgeous man. His face betrays no amusement. His hand moves through the air leaving a trail of fire to sizzle before dying out. "You played with fire- and now you will burn."
Leaving the lighted area, and the charred creature behind, you run away. You stumble several times and get deeper and deeper into the place. You finally realize that there is no grand escape. You will not die, and you will not get away, at least not now. It is possible that you will as he said- burn forever.
Using a toe you carefully feel out in front of yourself to determine what you might be coming onto with the uneven surface. You pinch your eyes together- they ache with the heat. Your stomach is grinding anxiously upset with the heat- and filled with something new- fear. You press onward, there's no door behind you now, it seemed to seal after the creature closed it.
A bright light dances in the distance, and you move toward it careful and creeping. Your mama didn't raise no fool. If there are more of those creatures set on keeping you here you can't just go trouncing toward the light and expect to survive. You try for discretion.
Almost too late you step backward, as a flame bursts up from the floor. You had felt the heat more intensely against the soles of your shoes, and you felt compelled to move. Good thing your reactions are quick, or you would have been burnt to a crisp. The flame went higher and higher, continuing up until it was far out of your sight. You move around it careful not to touch the blue light radiating at the base. Far above you hear a screeching squeal, and you throw yourself out of the way as a flaming object descends too fast. There's a resounding boom as the flaming bundle of what seems to be alive hits the irregular earth.
You examine it cautious and turn to leave the charred remains behind you. The creature is much like the thing that shut you in, and you feel no pity for it's death- at least until you see a finger move slowly and painfully. The tall flame shoots back into the earth, leaving you in the dark with the charred- and clearly hurt little critter. After a few moments of hesitation, you lift the thing- no larger than a two year old into your arms. It coos grotesquely burrowing into you- in contrast to the space you are in the creature is cold almost icy- it's a different kind of burning. You walk toward the light now purposeful, you will return this thing to its people in exchange for safe passage.
The light becomes brighter and hotter as you draw closer. You adjust the thing in your arms and it makes a peeping sound as if in pain. You trudge onward until you are standing in a ring of light cast by the largest spout of fire. There are little creatures dancing around the fire, and some are even jumping through it. The flame does not bother them. Slowly as they notice your presence, they stop and turn to you grinning- what you at optimistically hope is welcome, but know deep down is maliciousness.
You lower the creature to the floor, and step away gesturing with a hand that you are offering them one of their own. They don't respond at all, and their smiles are definitely becoming unnerving. Deep down you feel an urgent need to run away.
"Well, well, what have we here?" asks a voice in your ear. Jerking you turn around, and see the most beautiful man in the world. He stands there facing you draped in white and looking as golden and cool as a summer day. "Where did you come from?"
"The stair well," you stammer, feeling way out of your league.
"I see," the man's face becomes darker, as if the answer is not what he wished. "Welcome to hell. No one goes out until someone else comes in. Apparently one of these CRETINS"- he yelled the word for emphasis before continuing, "decided they should escape before me. You can live forever here- burn forever."
"Hell???" you ask frantically looking at the smiling beings for solace. They stare back at you no longer smiling, and offering no remorse. "I'm a good person, I can't go to hell!"
"I'm a good person," mocks the gorgeous man. His face betrays no amusement. His hand moves through the air leaving a trail of fire to sizzle before dying out. "You played with fire- and now you will burn."
Leaving the lighted area, and the charred creature behind, you run away. You stumble several times and get deeper and deeper into the place. You finally realize that there is no grand escape. You will not die, and you will not get away, at least not now. It is possible that you will as he said- burn forever.
