Grant

As I turned around and saw the door, I was freaking out. I had this feeling that there was something behind it, and as I went towards it, I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I reached for the brass knob and noticed how cold it was. Although it was nearly 60 degrees, the knob was as cold as ice. I open the door and am suddenly looking at a whole other world. As I looked back, I saw Allan and Elizabeth standing as they were. Allan was standing in shock as he saw me open the door. I turned back around and started moving through the door. When I made my way through, I was immediately engulfed in darkness. I wish I could see, I thought to myself. Then, as if by magic I suddenly saw everything around me. Still confused by the situation I was in, I turned around to go back and realized that the door was no longer behind me. I searched frantically, but it was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, I heard shouting from all around me. The whole world went white and I begin to panic when I felt as though I was in a free fall. Hysteria set in and I wished I was home, safe and sound. Then, everything went black.

I woke up the next morning and went down the old oak stairs to find my Mom in the kitchen speaking to an officer in a hushed tone. Considering I was 16 years old at the time, I was curious. So I stepped ever so quietly towards the doorway. As I get closer, I hear the officer say something about Allan and Elizabeth's parents calling the Greenville PD about their children never coming home the night before..

"Mrs. Sunn, are you sure Grant doesn't know where they are?"

"Listen officer…"

"Johnson."

"Officer Johnson. I have already told you: Grant has no idea where they could have gone."

"Well, if he says anything that tips you off to something or acts out of the ordinary, be sure you give us a call?"

"I will."

"Thank you for your help Mrs. Sunn."

I heard the footsteps recede and the back door swing open and shut, I snuck past my mom into the mudroom to get my worn out sneakers. I slipped them on and walked out the door, making as little noise as possible. Once I made it to the street, I sprinted to the woods, trying to remember where we found the door last night. When I neared where I thought we found the door, a smell like rancid meat seemed to surround me. As if walking into an abandoned slaughterhouse to find the animals long deceased.

"Allan? Elizabeth?" I called out. I heard branches snap behind me and picked up the nearest stick I could find.

Then I saw something that chilled me to my core.

A creature, with the legs of a goat and body of a man. With arms reaching to its misshapen knees, and the worst feature was its head. It had the skull of a deer, with antlers spanning 4 feet across. As it looked at me, I felt pure panic course through my veins. Then it spoke. In a raspy tone, demonic and guttural, it sounded like it was trying to mimic me, "Allan...? Elizabeth…?" I turned to run and found myself facing the door, and I stepped through.

Once again I was enveloped in darkness, but remembering what I had seen the night before I thought, lights on. Suddenly, I could see, and I saw Elizabeth and Allan, sprawled out on the ground.

"ALLAN! ELIZABETH!"

They looked up and seemed terrified, and they both asked where I was. I was standing right in front of them, and they couldn't see me. That's when I realized that whatever that place was, it affected one person at a time.

"Guys, I know this will sound crazy, but I need you to say 'Lights on'."

They do and immediately burst into tears when they see me.

"What happened to you guys?" I asked them.

"After you went through the door, we followed you, but when we did we only saw darkness! We screamed but nothing happened. We held onto each other and waited for something to happen. We fell asleep and then next thing we know, you're here."

"Damn, you guys. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have gone through that door without you. What matters now is I think I know how this place works. You know how we said 'lights on' and we could see?"

"Yeah?" they answered inquisitively.

"What if, just follow me for a sec, we control everything that happens to us here? I mean, I went home last night just by wishing I was home." At that moment, I remembered the events of that morning. "You two need to go home immediately! I just remembered, this morning there was a police officer, Johnson was his name, at my house. Apparently when you didn't come home last night your parents called the cops. They think you're missing!"

They looked at each other wide eyed and screamed, "HOME!" Then they were gone.