The depth of short stories and micro-fiction 2

The Universal key

Bud had always been fascinated by the old, mysterious door in the abandoned building on the outskirts of town. As a child, he would dare himself to approach it, wondering what secrets lay beyond the rusty hinges and weathered wood. The door was unlike any other he had ever seen, with a single keyhole that seemed to stare at him like an unblinking eye.

As he grew older, Bud's curiosity only deepened. He began to collect keys, trying each one in the door's keyhole, hoping to unlock the secrets within. His friends would often tease him, calling him a fool for wasting his time on a door that probably led to nothing but a dusty old room or a narrow stairway to nowhere. But Bud was undeterred.

One day, while exploring the attic of his family's old Victorian home, Bud stumbled upon an antique key hidden away in a trunk. It was an ornate key, with intricate engravings of leaves and vines that seemed to dance along its length. Without hesitation, Bud grabbed the key and rushed to the abandoned building, his heart racing with excitement.

As he inserted the key into the keyhole, he felt a strange tingling sensation, like the door was alive and responding to the key's presence. The key turned smoothly, and the door creaked open, revealing a room that was unlike anything Bud had ever seen.

The room was filled with a warm, golden light that seemed to emanate from the very walls themselves. The air was thick with the scent of old books and parchment, and the sound of soft, whispery voices seemed to carry on the breeze. Bud's eyes widened as he took in the rows upon rows of shelves, each one laden with ancient tomes bound in leather and adorned with strange symbols.

As he wandered deeper into the room, Bud noticed that the books seemed to be shifting, rearranging themselves in response to his presence. He reached out a hand to touch one, and as he did, the cover opened, revealing pages filled with illustrations of fantastical creatures and far-off lands. The whispery voices grew louder, and Bud felt himself being drawn into the world of the book.

Hours passed, and Bud forgot all about the world outside. He was lost in the stories, the magic, and the wonder of the room. When he finally emerged, the sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the abandoned building. Bud felt changed, as if he had been given a glimpse of a world beyond his own.

Over the next few weeks, Bud returned to the door again and again, each time using a different key to unlock it. And each time, the room beyond was different. With a key he found in an old clock, the room was filled with ticking clockwork mechanisms and strange, steam-powered contraptions. With a key from a rusty old padlock, the room was a dark, damp cellar filled with the musty scent of Mold and decay.

But with each new key, Bud began to realize that the room was not just changing - he was changing too. He was being shaped by the secrets and stories that lay beyond the door, his mind expanding to accommodate the wonders and horrors that he encountered. He began to see the world in a new light, as a place of endless possibility and mystery.

As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, Bud's obsession with the door only grew. He spent every spare moment searching for new keys, trying each one in the door's keyhole, and exploring the wonders that lay beyond. His friends and family grew concerned, but Bud couldn't help himself. He was addicted to the magic of the door, and the secrets that it held.

One day, as he was rummaging through a dusty old antique shop, Bud stumbled upon a small, delicate key hidden away in a vase. It was a key unlike any he had ever seen before - it seemed to be made of a material that was both metal and glass, and it shimmered with a light that was almost otherworldly.

Without hesitation, Bud purchased the key and rushed to the abandoned building. As he inserted the key into the keyhole, he felt a strange, tingling sensation, like the door was alive and responding to the key's presence. The key turned smoothly, and the door creaked open, revealing a room that was unlike anything Bud had ever seen.

The room was empty, except for a single, ornate box that sat in the centre of the floor. The box was adorned with strange symbols and markings that seemed to pulse with a soft, blue light. Bud approached the box cautiously, feeling a sense of trepidation that he had never felt before.

As he reached out to touch the box, the symbols on its surface began to glow brighter, and the air around him seemed to vibrate with an otherworldly energy. Bud felt himself being drawn into the box, and as he looked down, he saw his own reflection staring back at him.

But it was not just his reflection - it reflected his very soul. Bud saw all his hopes and fears, his dreams and desires, staring back at him from the surface of the box. He saw the secrets that he had uncovered, and the mysteries that still lay beyond his grasp.

In that moment, Bud realized that the door had been more than just a portal to other worlds - it had been a mirror, reflecting at him the deepest, most hidden parts of his own self. He saw that the keys had not just unlocked the door - they had unlocked him, revealing the depths of his own potential and the mysteries of his own heart.

As the symbols on the box faded, and the room returned to darkness, Bud felt a sense of peace wash over him. He knew that he would never forget the secrets that he had uncovered, and that he would carry the magic of the door with him for the rest of his life. And as he emerged from the abandoned building, blinking in the bright sunlight, he knew that he would never be the same again.