Inside My Head

All my childhood, there was a forbidden room at the end of the hall. It was locked, the keys whereabouts unknown, and has never been opened.

Whenever I became curious, I would quietly sit and stare at the door, letting my imagination decide what was beyond the doorframe.

Once, when I was ten, I sat in front of the door and, as I always had, and imagined what secrets it held. This time, I felt something strange. Like a tingling warmth pulsing through my veins, making the images in my mind clearer, as if I were actually there.

Then I felt a sudden coldness fill my lungs. My eyes flew open and... The door had opened.

I felt afraid, like I should run away and pretend like it hadn't happened. At the same time it stood open, begging for me to go in and discover it's secrets. I had dreamed of this day, in so many different ways. Closing my eyes, I steadied my heartbeat and gathered my thoughts. Then, I ventured in.

It was pitch black, not helping my growing fear of what I would find. I groped around in the darkness, trying to find a light. I had circled the room, but still no light. I slowly made my way back to where I thought the door was. Halfway to my destination I felt something small and cold hit my forehead. I froze. Then slowly I reached my hand up to investigate. It was a chain of some sort, thin and cold to the touch, obviously made of metal. I realized it could be a light! Ignoring the voice inside of me telling me to leave, I gently pulled on the chain, and a flicker of light appeared above my head.

The dim light had illuminated the room. I had a crushing sense of disappointment as I looked around. The room was bare, a thick layer of dust covering the floor, a trail of my footprints circling the room. Wooden panels lined the walls, the smell of cedar overpowering the musty smell of years without circulation. There was nothing, not even box, or a chair. I sunk to the ground a sudden anger washing over me. Why had my parents kept me from entering this room? What were they hiding? Why had I wasted so many hours of my life sitting in front of this door? From that moment on, I promised myself to never let my imagination control my life, because I knew it will only bring me crushing disappointment.