Hush

Hush: What lurks beyond the talking door?

I felt the hands of all the shadow beings that had dragged me like sand in an egg timer through the ash suddenly let go of me, and once again I was falling to the unknown. I couldn't help but shout out in the darkness for help that I knew wouldn't arrive.

I landed unceremoniously in front of a door and glanced around. It looked like I had landed back at the orphanage, the room familiar with its dank walls and unnatural, eerie stillness, I was distinctly aware this was a different version of reality, noticing the way the room visibly pulsated and faded in and out briefly as though the place I was in was glitching. I tried to climb the door with my claws, failing. They had shrunk back to what now felt like useless stubs. I felt my mind enter into a strange and heavy tranquillity, like I had reached a state of surrender and nothing mattered any more. Forgetting about Jack, and no longer seeing the room's glitching, I was filled with curiosity, I had to get in that locked room, but I had no idea why. I sighed taking a few moments to curse my height before rushing off for the sudden chair that had appeared at the end of the long hallway, I could barely contain my excitement as I pushed it half way across the room when I heard a voice.

'It won't work.' The door said to me in a deep echoing pompous tone. Startled, the chair I had struggled to get this far had all but been abandoned as I hid moronically behind a bookcase that wasn't there moments ago, peering around for the owner of the voice.

'Don't be afraid little bear.'

I looked up at the door I had been hoping to get a glimpse beyond and mused over the idea that it was talking to me. I was just about to make a comment on the unbelievable amount of magic lurking within the orphanage when the voice spoke up again.

'Come closer little bear, I cannot see you from where you hide.'

'What are you?' I asked as I stepped aside and into what I hoped was the view of the door.

'I...' the talking door began, 'I am....somebody.'

My ear twitched, 'well that's a blatant answer if ever I heard one.' I said, 'what I meant was what are you, are you a talking door?'

'A what?' The door sounded dazed and somewhat annoyed. I could almost imagine it looking down at me as a rich snob to a tramp.

'A talking door.' I replied.

'There are no such things little bear.'

'There could be, this place is magic don't you know.' I nodded at the door enthusiastically.

'Magic you say?' The door sounded as though it was amused. 'Fancy that.' It said doubtfully.

'It's true.' I pressed, 'it really is.'

'There is no such thing as magic, little bear.'

'But you talk, and I talk.' I pointed out, my shoulders were firm and I wasn't going to let this door get away with thinking it was something else with a voice.

'Nonsense.' I was sure if the door had arms it would have shooed me away like I was some impudent child.

'Well what are you then?' I asked.

There was a long silence before the whatever it was decided to reply. 'When you open the door, I will show you who I am.'

'Well you distracted me from-'

'The door little bear,' the voice interrupted sternly, 'is locked. You need to find a key.'

'Do you know where it is?' I asked patiently.

'I do not, this door has been locked for a long while.'

A moment passed. I was sure I had found a key at some point. It opened something and let out bad things, the memory was hard to grasp but I struggled against the hazy relaxation in my mind. 'The girls' dorm.' I was about to turn and run to the dorm when the key appeared in my paw. I was too aware of what I was about to do, curiosity gave way to fear of the unknown, but once more the feeling of peace washed over me. The chair I had been pulling to the door slid across the room into place for me to climb, I stood in the silence of the hallway, creepy and unnerving.