If one door opens by Mikaela Miyamoto

Mikaela is writing a bunch of short stories for 13 Days 13 Shorts this year! To check out more stuff from Mikaela, visit www.mikaelamiyamoto.com

I don’t know where I am. But I’m starting to think it’s not my grandmother’s house. Or maybe it is but it’s not the way I remember it to be? It feels like one thing has been shifted slightly out of place each day and it’s driving me crazy. Today a door appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It’s in the hallway near the bookshelf. It’s lined in dazzling lights and painted a pale blue, so light it’s almost silver. It doesn’t just draw the eye, it demands it. Like a giant neon sign begging me to cross through and see what’s on the other side. I asked my grandmother about it at breakfast and she simply shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen such a thing.” I’m starting to think she might not be my grandmother either. How can she be so nonchalant about a random door appearing in her house? And what does she mean she didn’t see it? She had to have walked past it on her way to the kitchen since it’s in the hallway that leads to her bedroom! Nothing is making sense. And as much as I want to open that door and see what it holds, every time I get close I’m overwhelmed with a feeling of such dread. It makes me feel physically ill. I feel like I’m being torn into two. I just know I’m supposed to see what’s on the other side, but when I get close to touching it I feel so sick I could throw up. My insides are at war with each other and one wants to escape while the other needs to stay here. I don’t think I’m supposed to be here. I feel like I’m forgetting something. But I’m also afraid to leave. I don’t know what’s on the other side of that door. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to find out.