The Seventh Door
Preface
Preface
The door cracks. Kurt pushes it further until he has space enough to walk through. Inside it’s dark, but up ahead there are xenon lamps to shine on the dusty concrete floor. There are two broken windows whose shattered glass is covered in rust that has fallen from the old metal pipes that hang above them. The floor is covered in dark spatters that maybe only look like blood. Kurt feels that something is wrong about this place but convinces himself not to be afraid.
He breathes deeply and struts forward until he reaches a crowd of people waiting for the same thing as he does. It’s still early, but all those people are already here. Competition must be tough. He’ll have to try hard to get into the show – “The Labyrinth.”
He swallows and goes next to a tall girl – not taller than him though – with azure eyes. She has dark straight hair that’s cascading gently over her shoulders, and prominent sharp features.
"Hey," he says casually.
"Don’t speak now," she shushes him with an undeniable authority. There’s something like grit in her voice.
Kurt leans closer. It feels awkward, but he forces himself to stay cool.
"Why?" he whispers.
"I want to hear them."
"Hear who?" he asks.
"Stop," she whispers and strains her ears to hear better. Kurt struggles to notice what she hears too, but fails. He follows her gaze and it leads him to a metal door. A blue misty light comes from underneath. It flickers.
"What are they doing?" he hears himself ask.
"I don’t know," the girl tells him, this time less imposingly. ‘It’s scary here.’
"Agree," he mumbles. He keeps staring at the murky light coming from under the door. It gives him shivers down his spine. Suddenly the light fades away.
"Did you hear that?" the girl next to him asks.
"No. What?" He’s curious.
"A scream," she confesses with horror. Her eyes are wide with fear, he lips trembling.
The door opens. A pale man steps out. His hair is platinum blond and he wears sunglasses. Kurt looks at the girl by his right. She’s scared. And whether he wants to deny it or not, he is too. The pale figure at the door watches them. A sly half-smile appears on his face.
"Next are Ivy Maverick and Kyle Juneau," he declares.
"I don’t want to go," the girl next to Kurt whispers.
"You’re Ivy?"
She nods subtly, swallowing soundly.
"They don’t bite," he tells her, not feeling sure if he wants to go into that dark room himself.
Ivy presses her lips together. Without a word, she hurries to the door. Another guy joins her and the pale man ushers them into the room. Ivy gives Kurt one more glance and he nods to show her it’s okay. Then she goes inside and the door makes a weird noise when it is slammed behind them.
This time, Kurt listens carefully, wanting to hear what Ivy was talking about. The blue light from under the door was back, but beside the annoying murmur of the crowd, he could hear nothing.
Nothing at all.
Nothingness.
Minutes slip by smoothly – like in an hourglass – and then he hears it.
A scream.
It is deep and desperate. And . . . terrified. His jaw drops open.
The blue light ceases.
Ivy.
Gender:
Points: 1052
Reviews: 13