The Bitter Taste

Chapter 1

Lost in an unfamiliar place, Benji's hands were numb from the frigid cold of the long dark corridor he found himself in. He bundled his fists, stuffing them into the small pocket of his worn, black hoodie.

Breathing in and out, his breath could be seen clearly. Every gasp came out in a frosty puff of vapor and filled his tiny lungs while his legs were fixed to the floor.

When he finally was able to move his feet, he shuddered as he walked forward, struggling to take in his surroundings. Dark and cold, the light to the left of him stayed dim.

Through the light, a line of metal doors was positioned on each side of the wall and at the end of the corridor was hidden darkness. A capricious thought erupted from his mind: what was lurking there in the blackness?

A mystery loomed, grabbing his attention, and filled his mind with questions.

Craning his neck, he contemplated with himself on whether he should move forward or head back the way he came.

Even if he did decide to go back, he could not remember how he had gotten there in the first place. His mind went blank.

The only memory he had left was from earlier— standing at the opening of the corridor with the small glimmer.

Benji fought to turn around and flee, but a supernatural force pushed him forward. Invisible hands shoved against the spine of his back with brute force, making him move further down the corridor.

Pulling back, he tried so hard to fight against it but failed. His sole choice was to continue away from the light and into the impending darkness before him.

Fear grew within as he moved. The feeble light behind receded with each step down the dark hall. He paused; halting in front of a door, still, like a statue.

Observing further, the metal gleamed. The door towered over him and curiosity lingered—daring him to discover what lay within.

He could not help himself from moving closer to it. Leaning in, he took his hands out of the pocket of his hoodie and pressed his fingers to it, feeling all it had to offer.

Cold, it stuck to his fingers. A chill raced up his arm and lingered at the joint of his elbow. Tracing the grooves and bolts with his small fingers, he felt each part. They traveled down the door, stopping abruptly when his hand felt a small space toward the middle.

Pausing, his breath still eerily icy, he outlined the lines of the little hatch. Using his pinky, he noticed he was able to reach inside finally.

He was excited, knowing he finally would know what lurked behind the door! A delighted smile arose, pressing further as the hatch opened.

But the smile did not last long and to his disappointment, he was greeted with darkness similar to the one around him.

Unfortunately for him, the mystery continued.

Inquisitive, he stuck his entire hand through the small opening without thinking of any consequences or what could be on the other side.

His small body moved on its own, but his mind begged him to flee.

Stop.

Even though he had a strong cautioning nag in him —advising him to step away from the door, still, he continued.

Ignoring the thought, he jammed his hand into the hatch, dangling his small fingers there, and waited, like bait waiting for a fish to bite.

The air on the inside of the door was warm against his ice-cold flesh. A comfort to him like fires in the winter. He smiled once more, grabbing at the air playfully. Sticking his arm in further, he hoped to discover the wonders on the other side.