Testing the Limits of Time

Chapter 2: The duel-door mechanism

On her way home to her neighborhood in Hansville, Skylar couldn't help but think about the enigma she had just discovered.

"Does it even exist, or is it just a product of my imagination?" She wondered, questioning its existence.

She had never been entranced by anything to the extent that it led her to question her own sanity. This was borderline scary, but she was determined to discover further what lay behind that door. Being a daredevil, Skylar had always shared a rare alliance with unpredictability. However, this time, she found herself stuck between curiosity and fear. She did not want to trespass and get in legal trouble but could not leave this mystery unsolved.

Returning to Hansville already felt alienating. She took this as a sign. Some unseen and unknown forces were calling her, and she could feel it. She couldn't wait to share her discovery with her friends. As soon as she got home, she did not even sit down to have dinner after a grueling day. Pulling out her phone, she set up a conference call with Jamie, Kody, and Tyler.

"Hey, everyone, thanks for joining the call.  Guess what happened today? Okay, wait—there's no way you can guess it. Please hear me out carefully! I need you all to pay attention, okay?" Skylar said, her voice high-pitched with the thrill of excitement.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down, Sky! You might get a heart attack!" Tyler said.

"Let her spill the beans. You know how she is. Skylar, tell us what got you all hyped?" Kody asked, shifting the focus back to the main topic.

"Okay, so you guys know my daily routine. I was out scouting for new properties, as usual, but this time, I teleported to a different realm, I suppose. There is this street—no—wait— wonderland, yes wonderland, that's the word—that just spawned out of nowhere, I guess." Skylar blathered, stuttering as she paused to hold her breath. "I am pretty sure I have never seen this one before. It's called Time Street, and it's got these abandoned houses which I'm pretty sure are as old as time itself. They look like they've been untouched for decades. They all had a strange vibe to them. But so far, one house particularly has caught my eye. There were no voices inside, but I could feel the house calling me. I could feel it pulling me by the hand toward itself. I knew I was the chosen one and—-"

"Sounds like a scene from a horror movie. Don't tell me you're making things up again, Skylar. We get it. You're a realtor, and you see houses differently, but don't you think you're going too far with this one?"

"I know it sounds crazy, Jamie, but it's far from spooky. Mysterious would be the correct word to describe it. The architecture is magnificent, and there's something almost... bewitching about it," Skylar said, trying to make sense to Jamie.

"Hmm...bewitching? That's interesting. Please elaborate, Miss Skylar," Tyler said, intrigued by the description.

"Guys, how do I even explain it? I just can't! That's why I want you guys to come with me and see it for yourself. In simple terms, I just feel like there's something special about this place. There are secrets beneath those thresholds that are waiting to be revealed. And if you guys agree, we would probably be the pioneers of this adventure!" Skylar insisted, struggling to put the experience into words.

"Sounds fun. I'm in. Plus, I trust your instincts, Sky," Kody said. "What about the rest of you?"

"I don't know... This sounds a bit too risky for my taste," Jamie responded. "I think danger is still secondary. The primary concern is to avoid getting arrested for trespassing because we wouldn't want that, would we?" Jamie raised a valid concern.

"I get where you're coming from, Jamie." Skylar began. "But think about it—this could be our chance to discover something amazing. This isn't the first time we're stepping out of our comfort zone. We'd be cautious of our surroundings, and if anything seemed off, we'd leave immediately. Please, just trust me on this."