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.
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Hush
FantasyWhen an old hag gives Jack a creepy looking enchanted bear named Hush, his luck goes from bad to worse as he soon finds himself being dragged under the floorboards of an eccentric orphanage and into the realm of Requirden. Jack must face his repress...