Ready?

Cold. Windy. Itchy?! ‘What is thing tickling my cheek?’ My eyes

fluttered open and saw the sky of perfect midnight velvet and stars
that twinkle. ‘Are they winking at me?’ Grasping the grass underneath
me, it tickled my palm. ‘So, this is what has been tickling me. It’s quite
itchy on my back.’ I stood up and felt the cold gusting wind. My eyes
scanned the place but nothing is familiar. ‘Where am I?’ I could hear
the sound of the waves crashing behind me, so I looked back and
saw… ‘A door? That seems strange.’ It stood close at the edge of the
cliff where I could see the beach beneath. The door is as old as time
with chipped paint and a cracked surface. Though the door seems old,
the knob shines bright like sunray as it reflects the moonlight. I
peeped through the crack on the door and saw the beach behind it. I
held the cold knob and twisted it but I quickly retracted my hand as I
felt a spark. ‘Ouch!’ I stepped back and look at the other side of the
door. It looked nothing like the front. The surface looks freshly painted
but the knob was rusty. The knob feels rough on my hand and little
pieces of rust came off and got stuck on my palm. I twisted the rusty
knob and the door made a squeaky sound. Finally, it opened. A bright
light blinded me and I had to close my eyes until the light slowly
dimmed. I stepped in. It seems like I’ve been drag deep into the forest
but still, I could hear the crashing of the waves from where I was
earlier. Now, my feet stood on dirt. The place smells earthy and
woodsy at the same time. I could hear the crickets that lurk in the
grass, the gust of wind, and the fluttering of leaves. The moon was
covered by the tall trees around but its light still shines through the
little spaces between the leaves. I looked around and saw a piece of
paper pinned on a tree. I walked close to the tree and read what it
says. “Be bold and brave. Here lies all your fears and grave.” After
reading what’s on the paper, it began to rain. Droplets of water fell
from the sky and slowly soaked my clothes. I instantly felt cold, lonely,
and gloomy. I ran and ran trying to find shelter but as I ran the place
gets darker, so I stopped and looked around. I noticed the rain also
stopped. Then, I heard a twig break and a hand grabbed my foot and
dragged me so fast I felt my back being scraped by twigs and rocks.
“Stop!” I screamed but it keeps dragging me. I looked at it but it was
just darkness I see. The dragging slowed down and the hand holding
my foot loosened its grip that I was able to get a better look at it. It
was not a creature of a sort. It was the hand of the darkness dragging
me away. It quickly disappeared once I got out of its grip and the place
was lit by the moonlight again. I looked up to the moon and said “I’m
scared. Don’t leave me.” then I sat beside a tree. I heard the call of a
Blackbird, and another one, and another, and another! It seems like a
flock of them is coming towards me. Their shrills are of a metallic
sound that hurts my ears and is becoming louder as they come close.
I covered my ears with my hands and closed my eyes. The flock of
Blackbirds pecked my skin and ripped them to shreds. It hurts! I
screamed and screamed in pain. I tried to drive them away by waving
my hands in the air but nothing made them stop. I prayed and prayed
until the last one of them drops on the ground dead. I stood up like
nothing happened. I continued wandering around without certain
path to take until I saw the moon turn red. I stopped walking and
looked down and there, I saw another me, a big tree behind, and a
pathway leading to the tree that is lighted by lampposts. The other me
is sitting on the ground and looks like she’s waiting for someone.
Then, she saw me. She got up from the ground and approached me.
“Hi!” she said. My eyes widened and my heart jumped in shock. ‘Is
she talking to me?’ I looked back but there was no one else but me
and the other me. “Who are you?” I asked. She smiled and said, “I’ve
been waiting for you.” ‘For me?’ I got confused and asked, “Why?” but
she simply smiled and held my hand. She led me to the pathway until
we reach the big gloomy tree. She touched the tree and urge me to do
the same. “Can you feel it?” she asked. ‘Feel what?’ The tree was still,
I couldn’t feel anything. “Close your eyes and feel with your heart.”
she says. So, I did and tried to concentrate. ‘Whoa! The tree, I could
feel its heart beating!’ I was amazed by what I felt and turned to look
at the other me but she was slowly disappearing and becoming one
with the tree. I blinked and blinked but eyes are getting blurry until I
couldn’t see anything and fainted. Cold. Windy. Itchy?! ‘What is thing
tickling my cheek?’ My eyes fluttered open and saw the sky of perfect
midnight velvet and stars that twinkle. I was back to where I came
from. I approached the old looking door and looked through the crack
again but this time I saw darkness. I put my hand on my chest and
the other on the knob. ‘Am I ready?’ I held the knob tightly and
twisted it. I felt no spark this time. Now, It finally opened.