The Closet

While it was normal for Archie to run off, it was never normal for him to go missing for a whole day. Especially not on a thunderous, rainy day. It was mid-afternoon when the skies had darkened. Menacing black clouds had dispersed across the horizon, blocking out any traces of sunlight. The reckless wind flew through the streets, tearing at the boughs of the trees. The rain crashed down unmercifully like buckets from the sky, pounding the sidewalk and rooftops. Echoes of thunder sounded in the distance as crackles of lightning illuminated the ominous sky.

Archie the dog had a massive phobia of thunderstorms. As big as a dog he was, Archie would always whimper and hide when there was any sound of thunder. Ever since he was a puppy, he would crumble at the first sign of rain while covering his face with his paws. It was one of the many silly traits that he possessed. 

“Archie!” Jessalynn called out for the troublesome pooch until her throat was dry. It was difficult for her to yell over the deafening sounds of thunder. Even if Archie had heard her, he would never come out until the rainstorm was gone. She had even attempted to lure him out with his favorite treat. It was hopeless. Jessalynn flopped onto a chair, feeling defeated.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Jessalynn saw a piece of red fur. She quickly sat up and examined it. It looked just like Archie’s! Jessalynn looked around and to her delight, there was a long trail of red fur. A surge of hope rushed through Jessalynn as she hurriedly followed the mysterious trail. 

The trail of red fur ended abruptly at Jessalynn’s closed closet doors. “I’ve got you now Archie!” Jessalynn exclaimed as she tore open her closet doors. To her surprise, Archie was nowhere to be seen in the closet. All of Jessalynn’s hope melted, with feelings of frustration replacing it. She stepped in and examined the closet, hoping to spot some more clues that would lead her to Archie, but found none.

Out of irritation, Jessalynn kicked the closet wall as hard as she could. All of a sudden, the closet started to shake. The floor quaked and the closet doors rumbled. Before Jessalynn could step out of the closet, the doors closed, trapping her inside.

Instantly, the closet lurched, tossing Jessalynn to the floor. A fearful feeling swept over her as the closet went pitch dark. Suddenly, the closet seemed to plummet through a tunnel vortex. Flashes of purple and white clouded her vision as a relentless wind whipped at her face. Jessalynn began to feel light-headed and dizzy. Despite her struggle to keep conscious, she felt her eyes drooping down. Everything went dark.

…

Jessalynn awoke to a cool breeze tickling the side of her face. Leisurely, she sat up, not remembering where she was at first. The sky was painted with a rich hue of purple and green. Fiery orange clouds sprinkled the mysterious landscape. A red desert stretched beyond her and blue rocks scattered the captivating environment. Alarmed, Jessalynn remembered what had happened in the closet and stood up. Where was she? 

Jessalynn observed this unique and unknown landscape, wondering where she was when she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. Jessalynn whirled around, only to face another version of her. Jessalynn screamed as the clone put her finger to her lips. “Shhh!” the clone whispered urgently. 

Jessalynn couldn’t believe her eyes. “Who are you and why do you look exactly like me?” Jessalynn demanded as her voice wavered. The Other Jessalynn looked around as if she was being watched, and then whispered, “I’m you from the future. I got stuck here a few years back, just like you, looking for Archie. The thing is, that Archie was never even here. I think it was set up as a trap." The clone stopped talking and looked around once more before continuing. "I need you to help me get out of this dangerous place.” Future Jessalynn not only looked older but unnatural. Lines creased her forehead and her eyes no longer contained an adventurous look, but an artificial one. Her skin was a dull color of yellow and her cheeks sagged low.

The present Jessalynn became frightened and sputtered, “How am I supposed to know how to get out? I don’t even know how I got here!” Her head whirled and her stomach churned. Would she ever get out of here? Would she ever see Archie again?

Future Jessalynn just shook her head and her eyes turned to ice. "Then I’m afraid it's too late for the both of us," she sneered. Jessalynn was confused. Who did this foreign clone think she was? Jessalynn opened her mouth to protest when, suddenly, the Future Jessalynn began to shift. Her eyes bulged out of her sockets, falling below her. A sticky substance engulfed her as she grew another pair of legs. Her mouth stretched down to her chin, revealing sharp, yellow fangs. Her feet morphed into claws, making her three times taller. A strong stench, almost like rotten flesh, filled the air as a slimy substance protruded from the mouth. This wasn’t a Future Jessalynn, this was an imposter. 

The horrific beast took a gigantic step towards Jessalynn. Its thunderous stomp echoed, cracking the ground underneath them. The beast let out an ear-splitting screech as Jessalynn began to run.

Thunderous stomps echoed behind Jessalynn as the savage beast pursued her. A jarring pain stabbed at her ankles as droplets of perspiration ran down the side of her face. She could hear the snarls of the beast close behind her. Her lungs screamed for air but she didn’t dare to stop running. With every step the beast took, the ground split wide open.

Just as Jessalynn was sure the monster was off of her heels, she tripped over a break in the ground, falling face first. She heard the growl of the beast right behind her as she trembled. Her heart pounded rapidly against her chest. She was going to die.

Suddenly, a low rumble sounded beneath her. The unknown world began to shake and massive cracks appeared in the ground. Gusts of wind lashed at her face.The roaring noise was unlike she’d ever heard before, louder than thunder. Was she in the closet again? Was she going back home? Without warning, the ground split open, plunging Jessalynn into a pit of darkness.