Behind the Gold Door

She hated attending this. She hated attending this school, honestly.

Taking her place in her seat at the back of the room, she laid her notebook on the table before her and pulled the exceptionally large book from her bag.

Physics 301: Quantum Physics.

This class is probably the worst she has ever taken, and hopefully never will again. Once she informed her mother and father, she had no interest in being a physicist like them. Instead, she preferred the arts.

Her dream was to be an English teacher.

That just so happened to be the complete opposite of any member of her family. She knew ridicule would come her way if she told them the truth. That’s why she was scared. They were prejudiced against everything unrelated to what they believed a person’s life should be. They could be cruel. But they were still her family, and she knew she couldn’t do this alone; she had no money or prospects. They always made sure to tell her that every time she visited.

“You know you wouldn’t make it without us, Samantha. You cannot even get an internship at the university in some scientific field on your own. That’s why we helped get you enrolled there.” Her mother informed her at her last visit.

So she stayed. Enrolled in “Oak Hills School for the highly elite.” As stated in the name, it’s a college where only the top students worldwide attend. Her major- is undecided. It had to be something in the sciences, though.

“Good morning, students.” Professor Ramstein states as he walks through the door. He ruffles through his unorganized briefcase, late as always.

“Test tomorrow. Prepare.” He informed us, still not looking up at the class. He may not be the best teacher, but he is brilliant. Around the room, everyone opened their books. They shuffled through the pages to the chapters we’ve discussed and began taking notes. She attempted to do the same, but her mind was elsewhere that morning. Therefore, she spent the hour and a half class jotting down words that seemed important for her to go back later and study.

When the clock chimes at ten thirty in the morning, Professor Ramstein looked up and waved his hand- the sign to leave. As she packed her supplies and stood up, the professor announced, “Samantha, my desk. I need to discuss something with you.”

She groaned under her breath. What was it this time? A few of the students snickered at her as they left.

Approaching his desk, her hands began to sweat a little. She hated confrontation.

“Yes, sir? Is there something wrong?” She asked him.

He cleared his throat as he stood up. His tall height made Samantha have to look up at him.

“Yes. I have concerns about you. The last few assignments you’ve handed in have been inferior. Your last test as well. I know you can do better. Is there anything I can help you with? I’m sure your family would be disappointed in your work.” She clenched her fist at the last remark. Of course they would have something to do with this.

“I wouldn’t want to disappoint. I’ll do better.” She snapped.

“I don’t care for your attitude, young lady.” He responded.

“I’ll find a place to study that’s quiet.”

Samantha didn’t linger to hear his response. Instead, she walked through the door and stomped away.

She didn’t care about any of this. Her family drove her crazy. The school was full of pricks. All the teachers were always on her back due to who her family was.

She was miserable.

As she winded down the hallways of the school, her mind wouldn’t stop reeling. She didn’t belong there. She knew that deep down to her core. Yet she still set her course to the library to study.

She passed multiple groups of students, some alone, others consisting of three or four. One particular group she passed attended most of her classes as well.

“Oh look, there goes the dreamer.” One of the students snickered as they passed. She ducked her head at them, but her anger boiled inside.

She turned the final corner to the library and approached the large, double Mahogany wooden doors. A student was leaving, and she slipped through the doors after them.

Pausing a moment, she considered where she would go. A few tables in the room’s heart were empty, but she wanted more privacy than that. So she turned to her right and followed the stacks of books towards the very back, where the oldest books were. She passed only two students as she went, and the bookshelves became dustier and dustier as she went. Finally, she stopped at a table at the end of the corridor. It had a thick layer of dust and looked old, so she dusted it a little with her hand. She then dropped her bag on it, a little louder than she meant to.

She began pulling out her notebooks and large textbooks when she paused, standing straight. Her ears twitched, and goosebumps ran down her arms.

A noise sounded behind her, like something ancient was whispering to her, beckoning her to follow it. Heart racing, she slowly turned around to find a large wooden door on the other side of the hallway that wasn’t there before. The whispers called again, and she began to approach the door slowly. The closer she got, a glow began to shine brighter around it. Strange gold whirling marks covering it began to glow, and the door began to hum- the noises so loud it could be deafening.

Stopping within a step of it, she reached out her hand, trembling. The golden doorknob shined the brightest of it all. She paused, clenching her fist, hand only a breath away. Exhaling deeply, she sighed. What was behind this door could be one of two things. Something incredible, or something that could make her regret approaching the door in the first place.

“Don’t be afraid,” she told herself out loud. So she grasped the doorknob, turned it, and pulled.

A brisk breeze blew past her, causing her to step back as she gasped. What lay before her was the most depressing land she’d ever seen.

Confused, she takes a step forward- half in and half out. What lay before her was not what she expected. What lay beyond the door was a barren landscape. A few trees were scattered about, but they seemed dead. The same applied to a few bushes and what looked like twigs sticking up from the ground. The closer she looked, she could see flowers extending from the twigs and bushes. The only colors were black or gray. How is that possible? They appeared to be dead.

She stepped through the door to investigate. Once she was a few paces away, the door suddenly slammed shut. Her mind and heart racing, she sprinted back toward the old piece of wood- now having no glow or intricate designs across it.

She tugged on the handle- it didn’t budge. She then began frantically turning the handle, pushing and pulling on it. Eventually, she had beaten on it so much that the piece of wood broke from its hinges and fell to the ground.

Screaming escaped her mouth.

“Hello, my darling, are you lost?” A voice like silk purred behind her.

She whirled around to find a terrifying creature. The body of a human, but covered in scales. Arms long and slender with deadly sharp nails at the ends. The head- eyes only dark sockets. The nose- long and pointed at the end. The mouth, when opened, showed rows of long, sharp teeth with black liquid oozing down the corner onto its bony chin.

Her eyes grew wide, and she began to tremble.

As if in response to the action, it immediately took the shape of a handsome male human with dark hair and slightly tanned skin. The eyes, though, were the only thing that was the same.

They were black as coal.

“Let’s have a little fun, shall we?” He purred.

Grinning at her, he began his approach. She whipped her head side to side to find an escape, but patches of thorns covered each side of the path. Liquid started flowing down the side of her legs, but she couldn’t even feel embarrassed.

She was going to die.

She didn’t know if it would be instant or after a time for him to experiment on her first.

Then suddenly, the male shrieked, and what looked like a long, sharp sword pierced his abdomen and disappeared. He sunk to the ground to reveal a beautiful woman behind. The woman then focused on her and smiled warmly.

“My dear, I believe you’re in a place you don’t belong.” The woman stated, voice like a song.

She struggled to find the words and stammered, “I uh… I found this door glowing and walked through it but found this.. place.”

“Well then, let’s get you out of here before something worse finds you.”

Something worse? How could there be something worse than that creature?

The woman motioned behind Samantha, so she turned around. A second door had appeared next to the fallen old one, glowing with the exact etchings as the first. The woman moved towards it, opened it gracefully, and walked through. Samantha walked towards it but stalled in front. The first door led her to this unforgivable place. The woman motioned for her to follow. Samantha sighed, straightened herself, and walked through.

This time, what appeared before her was what she expected the first—a beautiful land with flowing rivers and rows of flowers scattered around in perfect arrangements. A mountain range spread somewhere miles away in the distance. A city expanded from her right, with buildings made of glass and various other things. Some had ivy spreading up the side, but not the invading type. Others had flowers along them. The roads were made of stone, and pieces of color scattered among them. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

The woman walked towards the city and called behind her. “Come on, dear, perhaps this is what you hoped to see.”

Samantha took off after her, smiling the entire way. The streets were filled with beings similar to the woman, tall and beautiful with pointed ears. All were very kind as they approached her. They were talking about various events or family members. They even asked her where she was from, her family, and what she enjoyed doing.

They seemed to be walking towards a large building in the distance that looked like a castle.

As they approached it, she could make out large glass windows around it, several made from stained glass. Courtyards were filled with fruit trees and gardens. A large water fountain lay right in front of what she assumed was the main entrance due to them being magnificent glass doors with gold and colored etchings surrounding them.

Samantha gasped at the surroundings.

She’d never seen anything like it.

“This place is beautiful,” Samantha said, amazed.

The woman only smiled at her and ushered her inside.

They walked down corridor after corridor, stopping a few times to show her particular portraits and rooms and tell her about them.

Finally, they reached the throne room. Upon entry, several guards stepped forward. The woman whispered something, causing them to look back at Samantha. They nodded and stepped back. The woman continued, and the guards nodded at them as they walked past.

She thought the gardens were a sight.

They didn’t compare to the large room they entered. Marble floors with red rugs marked the walkways towards the thrones. Exquisite pillars rose to the stained glass ceiling and were connected at the top by red-colored beams.

Each wall contained multiple large glass windows to complement the view beyond. On the opposite side of the thrones rose beautiful French doors that led out to a balcony overlooking the city.

She turned her head back to the woman in front of her. As they approached the throne, Samantha looked down at her attire. Covered in dirk and black liquid from the evil creature she encountered, she had no doubt her face and hair were similar. Not the proper look to meet who she assumed was the King and Queen of this land.

“Hello, my dear. I can see you’re not from here.” The Queen chuckled. She was older but still stunning in her blue dress and golden hair.

“No, most definitely not,” Samantha replied.

“I’m not wrong with assuming you’re human, correct?” The king questioned. He was also older, but he had silver-white hair. His attire was also blue, similar to the color of the Queen. No doubt the match was intended.

“Yes, sir,” Samantha confirms.

“Well, we have opened our doors to allow those in need to enter. You must have found this place for a reason.” He proclaimed. “I found her in the land of death and despair, sir.” The woman next to her countered.

The king’s eyes enlarge at that. He leans over and whispers to his wife for a moment before straightening back up and focusing on Samantha. “Well, I must say, dear, you seem to seek adventure. If you wish, you would fit in well in my court. We’ve been searching for a new person to help us in that.. regard.”

“We’ve been having a.. security issue, I guess you’d call it lately.” The woman next to her stated. Samantha then noticed the armor she was wearing and realized she must be a royal guard member.

Her heart skips a beat. What she’d been dreaming of had finally happened. She had been terrified of the danger she encountered, though.

“Sir, I must admit I am no warrior,” Samantha informs them.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’re in the presence of the leader of the royal guard,” the Queen stated, waving her hand towards the woman next to her.

Samantha turned towards the woman, shrugged, and replied, “Well, I guess we can see how it goes.”

She may be afraid, but she can work on that and learn the ways of this new land. She could be happy here, even if she’s only in the library reading and learning.

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it, pausing. What about her life at the college or her family? She couldn’t ignore that.

“What about everything I’d leave behind? My classes, my family. They’d consider me missing.” She asks.

“Well, you found the door for a reason; I must assume you didn’t enjoy any of that, correct?” The king countered.

No. She didn’t. Yet Samantha still couldn’t help thinking about them.

The Queen understood this by adding, “Don’t worry, dear. You can still always go back. We can also care for them and make them understand in terms they would know. If you’d like us to.”

Samantha considers this as the woman beside her says, “In the meantime, you can always stay a little while to decide. I have an extra room in my home for you to stay a few days while you think about it.”

This is the adventure she’d always dreamed of. Just the thought of it excited her.

Before she knew it, she said, “I’d love to.”

The woman then smiled at her and replied. “Great, I’ll alert the helpers at my home of a guest coming. You can spend some time with me, and I’ll show you around.” The woman paused a moment. “Oh, and you might like to know my name. It’s Falia.”

Samantha returned the smile and replied, “Samantha. My name is Samantha.”

“Great!” The queens cheered. “We will give you some time to make your decision. Our court would be lucky to have you!”

Samantha examined the room and everyone in it. She didn’t need to think about it long. She belonged here. Everything back in her world could be taken care of later. She could tell them she had transferred to an even higher school. She could send a grade report every once in a while to keep up the ruse. What mattered most to her was there, right in front of her, all the possibilities. This world was her happy ending, even if she was different.

She wouldn’t tell them right then. She would wait. She knew, though, right in that moment what her answer would be. She felt happy and safe for the first time in a long time.

Because of that, she had finally found a place she could call home.