Two Sides To Every Door

He  stepped into the room, looked around and found no colour, except for the two door frames in front of him. One orange. One green. He knew he needed to choose one, otherwise he would never leave. But he also knows if he chose the wrong one, he would never leave alive.

She stepped into the room, looked around and found no colour, except for the two door frames in front of her. One orange. One green. She knew she needed to choose one otherwise she would never leave. But she also knew if she chose the wrong one she would never leave alive.

He stood in front of the doors, eyes flicking from one to another, unsure which one to choose. His hand brushed the green handle, but only for a second. Undecided, he stepped back.

She stood in front of the doors, eyes flicking from one to another, unsure which one to choose. Her hand brushed the orange handle, but only for a second. Undecided, she stepped back.

He grasped the orange handle.

She grasped the green handle.

He turned it.

She turned it.

The door opened and he stepped through.

The door opened and she stepped through.

He was greeted by vibrant colours, ambrosial scents and no sound, except for the gentle twittering of birds. The surrounding forest was beguiling with the trees like dancing ladies, each in dresses more fabulous than any designer can craft. They moved, choreographed by the wind, in perfect time with one another. They were the life and soul of this early summer morning, and he wondered how many hues of green his eyes are witnessing. As they stretched upwards and outwards toward the light, drinking in rays as pure as the rain, he stretched his arms up too, fingers spread toward the sun and slowly began to run.

She was greeted with monochromes, varying stages between dead and dying. The forest yonder was blackened, as if a disease had reached up out of the ground, and grasped the trees, and never let go. No noise came from the trees; it was just silence everywhere, just a ceaseless wave of silence, surrounding and suppressing her. She gasped out loud, trying to break the silence, but only ended up gagging on the foul, foul smell that permeated the air. She didn’t know where it came from, because she could see nothing except the trees, where she was inexorably drawn to. She slowly began to run.

At the forest edge, he stopped and stared. Not because he was nervous, but because he could see a small pair of deep brown eyes peering out of the bush to his right. He crouched down, and slowly extended his hand. The bush rustled, then stopped. Suddenly, a small elfish creature leapt out. He stumbled back, and landed heavily on the floor. Now, at the same level as the elf, he looked into her eyes, and saw a gaze that was full of intelligence and warmth. Her entire appearance conflicted her eyes, with her clothes brown, but a dull brown, and sticks and leaves hanging off her skirt. She daintily walked over to him, while brushing off a few leaves, and held out one elegant hand. He took it and she led him into the forest.

At the forest edge, she stopped and stared. Not because she was nervous, but because she could see a small, pair of brown eyes peering out of the bush to her right. She stayed stock still, not daring to even twitch. The bush shook suddenly, and three deformed creatures darted out. They were deformed and ugly, and looked like a bruise, with a medley of purple and blue and black patches covering their entire bodies. They had a maniacal look in their black lifeless eyes, which constantly darted around, looking at each tree for only a second before flicking back to her. It was as if the trees had reached up, and seeped the life out of them too.  When they took her hand, it was not gentle. They curled their hands around her wrists, their gnarled nails digging viciously into her skin, and they yanked her deeper and deeper into the forest. 

While being led through the forest, he saw the beauty that it held, with the fauna and flora flourishing in the gentle sunlight. The flowers peaked between the leaves, and he made sure to avoid stepping on all of them. The elf walked lightly in front of him, like she was trying to avoid disturbing the life around them, and showed him where each intricate path led. They had been walking for so long, and only then did he realise the magnitude of the forest; he felt infinitesimal. Slowly, the elf came to a halt, and gestured for him to do the same. She pulled back a wall of vines, and pushed him through.  

While being pulled through the forest, she realised how devastating the destruction had been. Gnarled roots seemed to snatch at her legs, clutching her legs, ensnaring them until the three creatures aggressively yaked her away. After just ten minutes of walking her legs looked like the creatures, all purple and bruised. Still she saw no animals, or any signs of life. The trees grew steadily more diseased the further they went into the forest. Everytime, they pushed a branch that was blocking their way, it just snapped off, then the creatures tossed it aside and it would lay forgotten. Eventually, the creatures stopped, cleared a wall of bracken, and then pushed her through.

The first thing that he saw was the life. It was teeming with so many elves, all working together to create a harmonic peace. One would be washing clothes, while another would hang them up, while another would be taking them down. He now realised that the leafy skirt was a ruse, and was actually long and flowing silk, that cascaded down to her feet. The elves realised that a human was about their midst and stopped working, so they could come and crowd around him. They all reached out to him, to stroke him, as if he were some sort of deity. A path separated out in front of him, and he followed it. At the end was a tall throne with the most beautiful elf sat on it. Her long red hair was adorned with wildflowers that framed her face so well, and brought out the greenness of her eyes, and made her complexion seem to glow even more. She smiled at him, and looked him up and down, as if she were judging him.

“Yes”, she said, “Yes, he’ll do nicely.”

The first thing she noticed was the life. Everywhere she looked she could see all the little bruise creatures. Some were cooking over wildfires, but they didn’t share their food. Sometimes, a fight would break out, if food were taken, which was often. She couldn’t stop staring at them, and when they realised that she was there, they couldn’t stop staring at her. They crowded around her, pressing her tighter and tighter until she could barely move without fear of touching them. After what felt like an eternity to her, they parted and a path opened up. She walked down it and, at the end, was a throne and the ugliest creature sat upon it. The throne itself was made of woven, dead twigs, with dead leaves there to cushion it. It looked dark and ugly, but it was nothing compared to the creature that sat on it. It was darker than any of the others, more black than purple or blue with small,beady eyes that seemed out of proportion with the rest of it. It’s hair was thin, and wispy, and dead. Every so often another clump would just fly away. Her eyes seemed fixed on him, and when he felt her eyes on him, he looked at her.

“Yes,” he said. “Yes, she’ll do nicely.”

The boy suddenly felt small hands grabbing all over his body, across his arms, his legs, his back, and was being dragged behind the throne. He started to struggle, but the elves only tightened their grip. The queen stepped in front of them, and then opened a tree. She pointed to it, and then the elves were pushing him towards it. 

The creatures looked at the leader, and when he pointed behind his throne that;s where they took her. She realised that the disease was weaker here, with a few leaves growing on the surrounding tree, but not enough, The leader stepped through and opened one of the leafy trees. He pointed to it, and the rest of the creatures pushed her forward.

And then suddenly he was inside.

And then suddenly she was inside.

Darkness greeted him.

Light greeted her.

He couldn’t see anything. He pushed all around him, and could feel the rough bark, but it didn’t budge. He was stuck.

She could see everything. It was like it was a doorway to another world. She had done it. She had chosen the correct door.

He had not.