Wherever You Want

Full Short Story

Sam always thought his name was bland. He was an average boy, but had an extraordinary gift and life others couldn't imagine. Sam was raised in a single room where he wasn't allowed to leave. Despite this, his mother always would bring fantastic gifts from around the world. Sam imagined that the world was a very small place because of how quickly she would always return. He never would know his father or relatives since most had passed away or lost contact. As Sam grew older, his fascination with life outside of his room increased and he slowly became suspicious of the rule that he mustn't leave the room. He was always warned about the many dangers outside. One day, on his twelve birthday, he finally decided to leave his room. It was filled with everything he needed or wanted but strangely felt empty. Sam wanted to feel the sun and see animals he had only heard about through his mother's various stories. Sam put on a watch to make sure to come home before his mom. He took some granola bars as well from France his mom brought for him the previous day. He couldn't read the labels, but took them anyways.

The door that was always closed was now open.

He was greeted with a great field of golden grains that rippled in the wind. Surely he was hallucinating, but he wasn't because he could hear and smell everything perfectly. Sam was practically bursting at the seams with euphoria, a large smile spread across his face; he took in lungfuls of the evening air. Something chirped in the distance while other things dived and glided above him. He took his first step into the world on the other side of the door. The wheat gently whisked at his legs as he waded in further. Large and rocky structures spanned the near horizon and left great shadows across the field. The honey sky held a falling sun gently that fell into the earth as a thousand smaller lights lit up the darkness. Sam sat down to take everything in. After a few hours, he went back the way he had come from. He didn't want to go back to that room again that now seemed so small and stifling.

Sam took one last large breath of the cool air that blew through his wavy, dark brown hair. He opened the door in a small cottage he had come through. Sam blinked a few times; he thought he was being tricked by the lighting. On the other side was a large body of water that crashed and flowed onto a beach. Salty air met his nose and stung his eyes, nearly beckoning him to go through. Fear started crawling up in the back of Sam's throat. Where is this? Why doesn't it go back home? He thought. Sam closed the door and waited for a few seconds. He took one more deep breath of the fresh air and opened the door again. This time he was met with the sight of lights spread everywhere down a hill the door opened onto. The air was calm but was sharp with the smell of fumes that came from the lights. Sam closed the door once more and fell to his knees, paralyzed with shock. He hated that he loved all of these places he was greeted with.

I want to go home. I want to go home! He thought. Tears streamed down his face. This time, the door swung open by itself to reveal the same room he had been in only hours before. Flooded with relief, Sam ran into the room and barreled into his mom's arms whose face was twisted with worry and grief. The door slowly closed off the crisp air and left the air stagnant once again.

This was Sam's first encounter with the gift passed through generations; the ability to go wherever you want through any door. The only price you had to pay; a life shortened to 45 years old. Sam stayed with his mom until she spent her last breath and buried her in a calm field under a great oak tree. After gathering the essentials, Sam once again left the house, but this time for good. He lived a very fulfilling life and traveled wherever he pleased, often visiting his mother's grave and leaving gifts from around the world as she had once done for him. Whether it be Africa's vast plains, or to the rainy and rocky coasts of Canada, he could visit anywhere in an instance as long as there was another door on the other side. Whenever he needed a bed, one would simply appear behind the door he opened. Something his mom advised him to not do with his power was to steal. Sam brushed the advice off though and would just imagine bank vaults filled to the brim. He was quick with his work and the spectacle was soon known in multiple countries for his actions though no one knew what he looked like.