The Mysterious Door

Chapter 14

The sound of birds chirping has never sounded this beautiful. I Open my eyes, my face flat against the ground and the wind lightly brushing blades of grass against my cheeks. I can't believe it, I'm home. I'm finally home.

I sit up, cursing the ducks under my breath. I watch as they float silently while I wait for the fog to clear inside my head. It's almost too hard to believe that a couple of weeks ago this pond took me so far away.

I get up slowly, my feet unsteady underneath me and make my way to the main road. I can't wait to see my parents again. I hope dad's making his bolognaise tonight, I could really go for like seven bowls of it right now.

I reach the top of the hill, climbing over the wooden fencepost and make my way to the main gate where a fluttering poster attached to our mailbox catches my eye. The paper is rough to the touch and it crumbles instantly, leaving me just enough time to make out my face with giant letters reading 'missing' on the top. My parents must still be looking for me. I knew they'd never give up on me.

I open the gate and walk inside. After two minutes of walking I pass the animal pens, the sight making me sick to my stomach. What had once been a flourishing collection of some of the country's best cows, chickens, pigs and sheep, has now become nothing more that a collection of bones in a variety of sizes. I can't believe my parents let this place go this badly.

Across a trench is the greenhouse where mother grew the most delicious fruits and berries. I still remember how I used to eat my fill and then played army in the trenches, the water not bothering me in the slightest. The mere thought of food makes my stomach growl. Even though I want to save space for dad's food, I don't think a few berries would make much of a difference.

I take a step back and with a running start I jump halfway across the trench and disappear into the teleportation field, arriving exactly as I planned on the other side. Unfortunately, all the berry bushes have been replaced by shriveled up bunches of brown and grey mulch. I take every step in the greenhouse with care, trying to avoid the fallen shards of glass as I examine the vines that have taken over the walls and ceiling. I wonder if anything is still standing in this place.

It's only now that it hits me. Before I left my parents were facing eviction. I don't even know if this is even still our farm. I step out of the greenhouse, taking a slight sprint the rest of the way to our house, passing what was once glowing fields of gold and yellow, but has since become overgrown with grass and weeds again, the land reclaiming what was its.

Two of the three silo's next two our house has been taken down and the third is completely empty. It's clear no one has worked on this farm in a while. Luckily, the house is still standing, but by the look of the dust and cracks al over it, I would say only just barely. There is no movement inside and unlike my dream my father is nowhere in sight. I start to lose hope, but if they moved there must be some clue inside giving me an idea where they might have gone.

I turn the doorknob and push the door open, causing it to fall in on itself, transforming into a pile of dust and splinters. I put the doorknob down amongst the rubble and step over the threshold. The house is completely empty and the smell of mold is overwhelming in the dim rooms.

I walk upstairs carefully, scared that the steps might give way underneath me and enter my room expecting to find it empty as well. Instead my blood starts to boil when I find the Instructor inside, between all my belongings, completely untouched. My parents must have left everything behind when they moved. I can't blame them, it must have been hard on them.

"Hello Jake," she says, "I hope you had a pleasant trip.

"What are you doing here," I ask. I was stupid to think that I was finally done with all this.