The White Door

The white door

It’s been locked since the day we moved in no one can find the key anywhere. Nobody has a clue if, and what it leads to if they could access it. 

It’s a locked door with no key and it sits in the middle of our bedroom wall in the room I share with my younger sister, Chloe.

It’s a strange plain white door with the number 13 written on the top of it, also in white. It merges in completely with our white wall. Even the door handle is white, making it blend in so well. It’s almost invisible and most people completely miss it. When one of us that can see it, point it out to them they appear perplexed. It seems only a few of us are able to see it. 

I could have said it’s like a picture of a door painted onto the wall itself but on closer inspection it is slightly indented and the white handle sticks out a little from the wall in a 3D effect. 

Chloe along with my parents claim not to be able to see it, and that I’m making it up in my imagination, but my older brother Felix claims to have not only seen it but opened it when we first moved here. 

“You opened it?”

“Yeah once on my 13th birthday a couple of years ago”

“What did it lead to? and what did you do with the key?”

“It didn’t lead to anything Florrie just the inside of a brick wall and there was no key, it was unlocked already”

“Then how did it get locked?”

“I don’t know Florrie, maybe mum or Dad locked it, you can hardly blame them, what’s the point of having a doorway to the inside of a brick wall? There wasn’t even a corridor or secret passageway. 

‘I’d forget about it if I were you, it’s completely pointless, probably someone’s idea of a laugh or something. You know to catch nosy people like us out.”

Hmm why would mum and Dad lock it and pretend they couldn’t see it? I thought to myself. The mystery of the door growing deeper in my mind. Don’t get me wrong Felix discovery on opening it did make total sense, after all the wall it was a part of was one of the two outside walls of our room. The one next to it was the window wall as we like to call it. But like Felix said, why on earth would you want to have a door that led to the bricks of your house? Surely the builders would have just put a complete wall there like all the other rooms!

It also didn’t explain the jingly musical sound and singing voices that came from behind the area of the door on a night, or the light that shone underneath it lighting up the darkness. I’m pretty sure I’ve also heard other voices from behind it too. Nothing spooky sounding just happy and giggly almost like there are children on the other side of the door playing. It gives out a nice vibe when I hear them, leaving a smile on my face.

“Florrie, earth to Florrie, you’re daydreaming again”

“ sorry Clo, what was you wanting?”

“Mum asked what you want for dinner the options are Spag Bol or chicken curry and rice”

“Ugh neither, I’m not even hungry, whichever you want clo.”

“You are gonna eat it though right Flo?” 

My little sister questioned me suspiciously.

“Um sure, maybe, I don’t know, I’m still full from lunch, I might just grab a salad. Yeah tell mum I’ll get myself a salad I quite fancy that.”

Chloe looked unconvinced but left the room to let mum know anyway. 

A while later mum came and tapped on the bedroom door. 

“Florrie, can I come in?”

“Ummm sure”

“I’ve made you up a chicken salad like you asked for, but I have to say I’m getting worried about you. You’re not eating properly. Though I understand salads are a good choice you also need to be eating other things.”

“Mum you don’t need to worry! I’m ok, I’m just not fancying the same food I did before and salad is a healthy choice, especially as you added the chicken.”

“Hmm well ok I’d like you to come and eat it with me. I’m having one too, we need to sort your birthday party out. I don’t think your guests will want salad as their only choice of food do you?”

“I don’t know a salad birthday cake sounds healthy to me.” I giggled the reply something I hadn’t done for a while. This made her smile as we both went to the dining room to eat. The chicken salad was good and I agreed to have a chocolate cake for my birthday party. 

I didn’t really have the heart to tell her that I didn’t want a birthday party and no one would come anyway. She seemed more excited about my birthday than I did. 

***

A week later my birthday was finally here and while my parents and sister were busy putting the decorations up, I called Felix over. 

There was something I wanted to know from him. As we went to my bedroom I could already here the children’s voices again, they seemed to be singing something but I couldn’t tell what.

“Do you hear that?”

“Hear what Florrie?”

“The singing? It’s coming from behind the door!”

“Erm not really, but it does look a bit different, look the 13 is standing out 3D like the handle, it was like that when we moved in before I opened it. It’s your 13th birthday Florrie it can’t be a coincidence Can it?”

He put his ear up against the door to try and hear the voices. Looking back at me he suddenly gulped and said:

“Florrie, your right. There is someone on the other side of the door, they’re calling for you?”

“But I thought you said it was just bricks behind there?” 

“It is… well it was when I opened it”.

I slowly creeped over to where he was at the door.

“What should I do Felix?”

“I don’t know maybe you should try and open it?”

“I don’t have the key remember?”

“Neither did I when I opened it remember, I just grabbed the handle and pulled it down, give it a try, what do you have to loose?”

“Ok, but please hold my other hand I don’t want to do this alone.”

“You don’t have to, Florrie. I’m right here with you”

“Ok, here goes ready”

I grabbed Felix’s hand and pulled down the handle, the door swung open. Sure enough it looked like nothing was there but a brick wall then I heard it too.

“Florrrrriiiee, Florie help me Florie”

I had no choice but to risk hitting the brick wall as I stepped inside the doorway. Just in front of me was a winding downward staircase made of stone steps, I looked behind me and saw my room again. But who was calling me and how did they know it was me? I made a decision. I was going to go down the staircase and find out who it was.

I turned back again to see the door closing.

“Wait! no don’t close it I thought you was coming with me?”

“I am with you Florie once on this side the door closes until it’s time to return to your party. Quick let’s go!”

Felix made his way down the staircase and out of sight before I could have a chance to think. How did he know that? He said it was only a brick wall. Had he actually stepped inside and been here before?

“Felix wait…”

“Florrriiuee help Florie.”

There it was again.

“I’m coming” I replied and started descending the stone staircase slowly as I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t make me slip. I hoped Felix was alright, he had practically ran down them

“Felix are you still there? Hello…” No response. Even the other voice had gone quiet. 

As I got lower, I could here a dripping sound begin. Drrrriiipp drrrrriiip drrrrip, it started slowly and sounded like a long drip each time until it eventually sped up into a drip drip drip drip drip. By this point the stone stairway was also damp and starting to become completely water logged at my feet. I wasn’t sure I could actually go down any further, when the voice started calling again;

“Florie help Florie” it was sounding more desperate.

“I’m nearly there where are you?”

Just as I went to take a step down into the water I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Not that way Florie, you’ll drown if you go that way. Follow me this way.”

“Felix! why didn’t you go slower and stay with me?”

“I knew you’d find me Florie! Come on, give me your hand and step up onto this ledge on the right”

I had been so focused on not slipping down the stairs I hadn’t bothered to look around me. I grabbed Felix’s hand again as he helped me up onto the ledge. I paused to look around us. We seemed to be in a cave, the walls were solid stone looking up I could see stars glinting above, at least they looked like stars but unless it was a dormant volcano or other cave with an outside view, they were probably not stars, maybe we were in a diamond or crystal cave seeing them glinting above or maybe that was the dripping water droplets. Either way, it was so beautiful. I felt my breath catch in my chest at the sight. The water I had almost stepped into appeared to have a fast current and I was glad Felix had been there to guide me to the ledge.

“Where to now?” I asked eagerly

“Follow me it’s this way”

The ledge wasn’t very wide and was a little slippery but we got there slowly. When we reached the end of the ledge, Felix lifted me down. Pointing in the direction we were going to next, it was very bright almost blinding. I lifted my arm to shield my eyes as I looked towards what I guessed was the sunny outside. 

I wasn’t far wrong. We stepped out into a beautiful summers day there were flowers, trees, lovely green blades of grass with a beautiful silver water fountain in the middle. Swings on the trees, a pool, children were playing happily, skipping, dancing and singing around. Some were making daisy chains while others were making buttercup chains. The lyrical sound of birds chirping and singing. The whole place gave me a peaceful feeling. Just like a happy dream, only this was a real place I’d come to from my bedroom, down the stone staircase into a summers garden.

“So I had heard children laughing and singing though the white door”

“Yes, you had” Felix replied, almost secretively

“why don’t you come and meet some of my friends.” He beckoned me to follow him again

“Your friends? But you said there was nothing but a brick wall behind that door. How can you have friends here already?”

He glanced at me with a comical expression on his face that said seriously? You need to ask? but all he said was,

“Follow me. You will see”

I stepped onto the grass with him and started following as we got to the silver water fountain. I heard the voice again

“Fllorrrrrriiie please, Mum, Dad- Florie, help!”

I glanced into the fountain and saw Chloe in tears and me on my bed. She was shaking me, crying, looking helpless. Mum and dad rushed into the room. Suddenly, my breath caught again in my chest I could feel the pressure as dad pumped 1,2,3 and mum was breathing into my mouth in between. I felt the warm breeze flow down my throat into my lungs. 

The white door appeared on my left, Felix was still on my right. The fountain still in front of me

“Felix what’s going on?”

“You have to choose Florrie, Come with me and meet my friends this way or go back through the white door to Chloe and our parents. Choose Florrie, before it’s too late”

“But I don’t understand? Felix what about you?”

“I’m always with you Florrie, stay with me now or go back to Chloe before the door stays closed”

Without another thought, I bolted towards the white door my heart beating hard in my ears. I jumped through it into my bedroom and onto my bed, turning to see the door slowly closing with Felix still behind it smiling and waving goodbye.

“Felix” I cried out bolting upright on my bed.

“Florie, Florie You died Florie, you wasn’t breathing, I couldn’t help, I’m so glad you came back I couldn’t bear to loose you too” Chloe sobbed, I held her in my arms, soothing her as she stained my top with tears.

Mum and Dad looked like they had seen a ghost, their faces as white as the door that used to be on my wall but had completely disappeared as it had closed, taking Felix with it.

“Did you shout out Felix when you came back, honey? Was you with Felix when you were gone?- Is heaven real?” My mum seemed to have a million questions. 

“Don’t be silly Dear, Felix died on their birthday two years ago… he drowned in glitters cove. He can’t have been with her. Once you’re gone you’re gone! …isn’t that right Florrie?” 

I wasn’t sure what to tell my dad or who to answer first so I decided to answer them both at once.

“I don’t know about heaven mum, but there seems to be a peaceful happy place and yes Felix was with me. Dad, Felix is always with me… I’m his twin remember.”

The end