Power of the Pen

Doors: One That is Always Locked

I sat alone in the dark steel room. I have been in here all my life, never being allowed out to see daylight. Some say it was myparent's punishment, me not being able to live my life. I mean, the people the people who come once daily to provide me food have slipped me this information, thought they know they aren't supposed to.

I stand up and walk to the farthest corner, my bare feet cold against the steel floor. I stand and wait for the door beside me to open. It, unfortunately, was always locked. The., it clicked open and one of the people who provides for me hands me a tray and comes in, closing closing the door behind him.

"Tell me more about the world, Janus," I manage to say. Very rarely need I speak with people, only in my head, so my vocalizations weren't quite up to par with the vast majority of the population, or so I am told. I could only talk to Janus, he was the only one that would talk to me.

"I have told you about all the good in the world, you will not want to hear the rest."

"Then tell me about yourself, you know so much about me, but yet what do I know about you?" Janus hesitated.

"I am Janus, keeper of keys, master of doorways and passeges."

"What do you look like? It is too dark for me to see you Janus," I ask, extending my hand into the dark void before me, but nothing was there.

"Looks are not important. What is, however, is knowing one's self. Now, as I was saying, I am Greek and I have lived since the beginning of time, for I cannot die."

"Are nyou saying you are a Greek god, Janus?"

"I live in the Labyrinth Daedulus made and I trick people into tsking wrong passageways tot heir deaths."

"Please answer my question."

"You see, I am minor compared to Zues and Posidon, even Hades, but I still manage to earn the respect of Daedulus by picking off unwanted guests you see," he continued as if he were in a trance.

"Janus, if you are a Greek god, then why are you talking to me, why bother?"

"Mortals like yourselfves cannot see of hear us gods and goddesses unless we allow it, so you see, you are a very special girl."

"Janus, you said you are the key master or something like that, right?"

"I must go now, love. You know too much already. Any more and Hades will have to deal with you himself."

"What! You're going to kill me?" I scream, but at that moment I knew no one was there. A woman rushes in and a bright light comes into my room, a panicked look splayed across her face.

"Oh, dear!

what happened to you!" I look down at myself, confused. Blood, a horrible crimson color, slapptered my white cotton shirt.

"It was Janus!" I yell.

"Janus? Who's Janus, sweethart?" I scream with agrivation and she runs up to me, but I was too quick. I bolted out of the finally unlocked steel door and ran throughout the structure. It was amazing to see such a thing, but I was running to fast to catch all the details. I needed to find Janus. If she couldn't see him, he had to be real. He had to be a Greek god, this is certain.

#####

I wake up lying once again in my steel room. I don't recall how I got there. I remember being free. A nurse was standing next to me, a tray of food by my side, her face almost sympathetic.

"Let me go back outside! Why am I back in here? Janus might kill me!" The nurse walks out of my room and closes the door behind her, I can hear it lock. Then Janus reappears,

"I won't kill you. I promise. I want to help you. I have the key to your past. I can get you out of here because I have the key to every locked door in your life. Even to this one here that, if not opened, will keep you confined to this room in which, Hades will take you." Then, he disappears and I listen to two nurses speaking outside.

"Poor girl, she thinks she's been outside."

"It's even worse she's seeing a guy that's going to kill her."

"Yeah, I think we need to up her meds. I don't know how anyone can live when thet're scizophrenic."

"Wouldn't want to either."

I sink back into the corner of my solitary, dark, steel room.

Janus?