"Doors Led To Your Nightmares" (Original Short Story)

Chapter four

Alison tugged at her pink shirt, glancing around as if that man was going to pop out at her again.

"Okay, is something wrong, Ali?" Tiger said. "You've been glancing around a lot like you're scared. I know this is a lot to take in but let's just focus on the emails. Okay?"

Alison shot her eyes at Tiger, looking straight at them and then at her phone.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just a little freaked out,"

Tiger nodded. "Yeah, me too. But let's read the emails we got from that mystery person. Maybe yours and mine are the same."

Alison nodded, taking a deep breath. Slow down, Al. You're home safe and now he can't get you, so stop worrying about it. She opened the Gmail app and found the mystery email.

"Hey, where's your backpack by the way?"

Alison winced. "Um... I uh, left it at school by accident. Oops," But she was lying, she really left it behind on the sidewalk back there. Oh no, what if the man took my backpack? Oh God... this is getting worse and worse...

"Alison! Are you listening?" Alison snapped back into focus. She looked down at her phone again. "S-Sorry. Was faded out for a moment."

Tiger sighed. "Do you need rest? We can continue tomorrow if you'd like, if you aren't up to it or are just not ready today. I know it's four-thirty right now."

"No, I want to get to the bottom of this. And we don't know if we have enough time anyway."

"Okay, whatever you say," Tiger said in a sarcastic tone. "What does yours say?"

Alison sighed. She looked at the strange email. She read it out loud.

Do you like games, Alison? Click this link if you want to see Gabriel one last time, and to play a game that would let you see him. If you accept the link, you will get your greatest fears off of your back. Choose wisely because you only have two days to click the link and go to the Three Door Curse. What are you waiting for, girl, click it!!

Alison looked up at Tiger once she was done. "So?"

Tiger winced inside. "Uh, mine says that too... except it says my name and 'kid' instead of girl,"

Alison held her breath. "How did they know you're non-binary... trans?"

"I think it's on my profile, I don't know." Tiger was starting to question everything.

Alison said the thing she has thought about for three days. "They have Gabe, Tiger."

Tiger's eyes were wet, agreeing with her silently. "How do we get him back?"

Alison sighed. "Click the link, I guess,"

Tiger shook their head. "No, what if there's a scam! Or we die or something?"

"Would you rather die trying to save your friends, or not trying? If uh, that makes sense."

Tiger nodded. "I get what you're saying. But I don't know... What if it's a scam and—"

"Tiger, this email is already a scam itself. It looks like a scam, sounds like it. This is the probably only chance we have to saving Gabe. Die trying, or not trying at all and then dying. Trust me. It also doesn't have an email to it that the person has sent it from, so that's odd too."

Tiger looked into their friend's eyes, a big amount of heart poured into the pupils. "What if we end up like him?"

"Tiger. Trust me, okay? If we die, you can blame me, okay?"

Tiger smiled at that. "Sure, I'll blame you when you die and I'll survive,"

Alison snorted. "Hey! Stop!" She laughed.

"Okay. Ready?" Tiger said when they both stopped laughing.

Alison nodded. She sighed. "Let's save our friend."

They both hovered their fingers over the light-blue-colored link and looked at each other. They smiled and pressed the link at the same time.

Then they felt sick after—them regretting the choice for a second—and then they both fell into a deep sleep. Their last words were nothing, but their phones said something for them.

Welcome to the Three Door Curse, Tiger and Alison. You've made an excellent choice. Let's see if you can get past the horrors this adventure brings as you claim to save your beloved friend... Good luck. Welcome to your worst nightmares.

Alison and Tiger's phones shut off and off they both went into the mysterious Three Door Curse.

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