Beyond the Gate

A moment. A single moment is all it took. A moment to step through the gate and into another world. It was something from a dream, and as I took a few tentative steps forward I really began to see what was around me. It was the vibrant green grass along the rolling hills far off into the distance that first caught my attention, I could feel the softness under my bare feet, it was like walking on a cloud. Colours, so many colours. The trees kept changing colours, the leaves on them anyways. From red to blue, from pink to yellow, all the colours of the rainbow and more. I could barely believe my eyes.

That's when I ran.

I turned around, like the coward I am, and ran. Back through the rusted, old rotting garden gate. Back through the gardens of my backyard, all the way back to my house, right through and up the stairs to my bedroom. I shut the door and began pacing.

It was all so overwhelming, what I had just found. For so long my siblings and I had been told to never go beyond the gate. To stay away completely. To never even peek through the lock. "It is dangerous," to quote my father whenever my siblings and I would ask, "beyond that wall, beyond the gate are unspeakable horrors." Is what he'd continue with, refusing any further comment.

But today was different, I thought to myself, today I swear I heard singing coming from behind it. Not only that, but now that I think about it, the gate had been slightly ajar, not locked like usual. And then I recalled the joyful conversation I'd had with my 8 year old little brother. I was helping him get ready for bed and we were discussing the possibility of different worlds or universes. This is when he made the comment of how maybe that's why we don't go beyond the gate. How tomorrow he was going to steal the key from fathers study and finally discover what lay beyond the gate.

Oh damn him! The cheeky boy must have gone through with his plan! I must find my mother and tell her, she has to be around this house somewhere? Five minutes later I found her in the kitchen, baking, like usual. But it did smell delicious, so I steal a fresh made chocolate cookie off the tray on the bench.

"Mmm..." I murmur aloud, the chocolaty goodness melting in my mouth; it tasted like heaven.

"I knew you'd do that." My mother smiles as she turns around from the stove. Giving me a knowing look. "But something is wrong," her smile falters," what is it?"

"He stole the key, disappeared beyond the gate." I may have been vague but my mother knew exactly who I was speaking about.

Then it was her turn to run. Right outside to find the gate wide open and the thickest purple fog I had ever seen filtering through. It was unnerving, and sent shivers up my spine. But on the other side nothing had changed. The grass was still vibrant, the trees still changing, but my mother was frozen. Her back rigid, her hands covering her mouth in disbelief and shock, and her eyes slowly tearing up.

"Quick. We must close it!" Her sudden movement startled me and I jumped, before quickly gaining composure and rushed over to help my mother.

It took us far longer than it should have to close a gate. But once we had, my mother pulled a small key from around her neck, and right before my eyes, the lock changed size to fit the key. "Follow me, we must contact your father." Were all the words she said before heading back towards the house in dead silence. A weary look upon her face.

And as I found out later on, just because something looks wonderful and whimsical, there must always be a hidden evil, a temptation. And that these discoveries, although may appear good, are not always what they seem.

A/N: Thanks for reading, and thanks to @XoXAnnabethXoX for the cover