The Last Door

Into the After

I walked around the gate absorbing the scene. What was to come of my life. In place such as this. The house looked dull the grass a shade away from gray. The house looked unused and the garden which only bloomed of morning glory and weeds trying to strangle each other down was very unpleasing. The only sign of life was a single crow cawing at me as if I was a stingy fox looking for a good tasting bird.

The lighting was certainly unsettling even as the sun shone down on the ragged path it seemed more of a smoggy brown that would remind one of a desert in the dry season. The only color that seemed pleasant was the small morning glory flowers blooming on the run down weed bed. I walked the barren path of what was left of a sidewalk. Stopping at the porch, I turned around and looked back on my past one more time before I stepped out of the before and into the after.

The house looked abandoned and consisted of 4 windows edged with broken shutters 2 of which were only hanging on by a screw. Inside, the windows were blocked off with yellowing floral pattered curtains. The house had two roofs one covering the top floor and one sticking out of the bottom floor slanting towards me. The porch lie what seemed to be untouched for fifty-years. Two crooked rotting stairs led up to it that were uncomfortably small. To top it all off the entire house was gray with chipping paint and traces of yellow which either referred to mold or the color the house may have once been.

For a minuet I forgot what to do when an tall old lady stepped out of the screen door. It creaked when it opened which averted my attention towards her. I thought if it wasn't for that single creak she would have to come over and shake my shoulders or I'd be there all night. Mamma always said I zone out easily. It made sense the house was so run down an old lady like her wouldn't have the strength or stamina to keep up with time. She looked down upon me like a rock she was getting ready to kick. "Hello June"

"Hi Grandma" I said hopefully not looking to intimidated.

"Well" She said

"What am I gonna do with you" she tapped her foot.

I would've walked up the porch but she was uninviting and the idea of stepping onto those stairs seemed impossible. She turned around and walked inside. When I didn't follow she walked back out and nimbly walked down the old crooked steps grabbing me by the arm "Come on girl or the wolves'll getcha" I knew she didn't mean it but I'd rather those wolves eat me. It'd be better than this.

Surprisingly the inside of the house didn't look as run down. All the furniture was polished neatly and everything was very old fashioned there was a grand staircase leading up to the top floor. A giant cabinet with glass windows looking into a collection of stoneware plates and cups but oddly their were no bowls. Lining the wall were boxes of silver wear. They looked fancy and were most likely silver I did notice some of the spaces were empty maybe she was cleaning them. I can imagine her house is so run down outside because she spends her time indoors cleaning silver wear and plates to perfection. Then putting them on display for whoever dared look inside.

She lead me through the house hurriedly like I might look at and it would all shatter under my stare. She had a hand on my back pushing me along as she showed me through the giant house. It was brief and as we got through with it my head was all mixed up. Then she pushed me to the Grand staircase and handed me a key. She turned and walked away leaving me mixed up and clueless as to what the key was for.

I decided to head up thinking about the map I had to quickly put together in my head to the bathroom. The stair case was long and wide and swirled around. When I got to the top three doors were revealed. They surrounded me in a circle. Each had a gas lamp beside them. I stood their thinking what to do with the key. I looked at the doors then the key. "Hmm" Then like anyone would do with a key and three doors I tried one.

The key fit in perfectly and unhinged a brilliant blue room with one bed in the center behind the bed was a window. A very big one in fact and it lacked the yellowing curtains which was strange. This room faced the backyard which was just as bad as the front but I wondered where the front rooms were. Possibly behind one of the other doors. I noticed hanging on the wall was a photo of Mamma it was hard to look at her face so I set it face down on the ground. On each side of the bed sat two nightstands. The room also had one empty closet and a ceiling fan. I set my bag of stuff on the bed assuming it was my room from now on.

I put my hair up and went back to the three doors. "Grandma?" I called down the stairs. "What is it now child" She said huffily with a Scottish twang hidden in her accent. "Is this blue room mine?" I asked "Well yes what else would it be" I heard her heavy footsteps come up the stairs and noticed how stiff she was as she rounded the last few steps. She looked at me unpleasantly. I could only look into her eye's for so long before looking down at my hands. Out of the top corner of my eye I could see she was holding something.

"Here I don't want to look at this anymore." She handed me a small tin box.

"what's in it" She ignored my question and instead looked heavily at the other two doors

"Did you try those doors yet?"

"Not yet"

It was odd to feel so unwelcome at your own grandma's house. I also didn't know what to do or say really. I was normally good with people I didn't know so well. "You're not aloud in the backyard" She said causing me to lose my train of thought. "Oh O Ok" I said but she was already rounding the first corner of the stairs.

I wanted to explore the house more but the way she pushed me around. I felt like she probably didn't want me there. Instead I walked to the other two doors and tried the handles. The first didn't open The second jiggled in my hand as if someone else was on the other side. I let got immediately and took an uneasy step back and walked back into my room eyeing the doors.

I set the box on my bed and looked at my shape in the mirror lined with dull wood that could have once belonged to the waves of the sea. I started going through the room. Looking under the bed, going through the closet, looking in the side table drawers. Then when I found the entire room was completely empty I lay across the floor and fell asleep thinking about the handle jiggling. What if their is someone else out their. I thought as I slowly drifted off.