The Doorway to Hell

 

I had never imagined that the doorway to hell would appear in my room. Me, an unstable teen living with an unstable family, discovering the door that would lead me into perilous nightmares that would haunt me till the day I die.

            It had been a rather gloomy day, my four insane brothers running about the house, driving my poor mother mad. I had locked myself in my room, an open book laying in my hands, but instead, I watched the raindrops patter against the window and trickle down.

            The sound of scuttling feet and shouting echoed upstairs, like a stampede of bison had made their way inside.

Frowning, I turned my head up towards the roof. I could hear my mother’s furious voice, “STOP TOUCHING THAT! NO STOP! OH, NOT THE COUCH! GO OUTSIDE!” With the last two words, the scuttling feet directed themselves towards the front, then left the sound of a slamming door behind them, before fading away.  

Letting out a breath, I made to slump down onto the bed and continue reading my book, when my door made a clicking sound then swung open. Standing in the doorway was my poor mother, the bun atop her head falling apart, and stains all over the front of her dress.

“Hey sweetie, I’m going to go on a walk. Take care of your younger brothers for me, okay? I’ll be right back.”

She shut the door and stumbled up the stairs and out the door before I could process the sentence. Grumbling, I slumped down onto my bed face first, cheeks hot. I wish I didn’t live here in this hellhole! It’s chaotic and just stresses everyone out! I wish I could be anywhere but here…

Even with my siblings outside, their voices still were louder than my own thoughts. I lay there like that for a few minutes, until the hot-red in my cheeks evaporated. Sighing, I rolled onto my back, unconsciously scanning my room.

That’s when my heart leapt into my throat. There, on the wall to my right, was an unfamiliar black door.

Scrambling into a sitting position I stared at the door with wide eyes. It was blacker than the night sky, and even though it was small, it almost seemed to cast a shadow across the entire room.

After collecting my wits, I slid off the bed and slowly approached the mysterious door. Closer now, I observed the curious design upon it; a very long snake slithered across all sides of the door. I followed the snake’s tail with my eyes to find its head, but I had looked around the door five times before realizing that the tail seemed to be infinite.  

But that’s impossible! My eyes widened, staring at the door as a whole. Was it an illusion? Because it looked as if there was a head… but when I followed the tail there was none?

A headache pounded against my forehead and I shut my eyes, pushing the thought away before my mind burst from confusion. Opening them again, I observed the door once more.

My gaze dropped to the skull-shaped doorknob.

My brother’s excited voices echoed from outside, as I recalled my wish, moments before. I wish I could be anywhere but here…

            Tilting my chin upwards, I grabbed the skull-face, the metal handle cold against my skin, and swung the door open.

            Inside was an infinite darkness, leading into nothingness. Although there was nothing inside, I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off it. I let out a shuddering breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

            “Welcome to Hell.” I felt someone’s icy breath against the back of my neck, as the raspy voice whispered into my ear.

            Whirling around, I found myself face-to-face with silhouette, as if a shadow had risen from the ground into a physical form. A wide and sly smile materialized on the faceless creature’s face, sharp with thousands of teeth stained with blood.

            I opened my mouth to scream, but I didn’t get the chance before it shoved me into the infinite blackness, with a cackle. I fell, as the demon-like creature’s spine-shivering cackle followed me down to hell.

            Engulfed in darkness, I flailed around, crying out. But no matter how much I cried, or screamed, my voice carried away into the darkness as if it was never there.

            My heart was going to burst right out of my chest, I could feel my stomach in my mouth. Wrapping my arms around my head, I let out a long, silent, helpless, scream.

            I might have been falling for ages. How could I know, trapped in an infinite darkness, the demon’s voice still cackling in my ears.

            That’s when my feet found ground. It didn’t hurt. It was almost as if I had been always standing there, never falling.

            I ceased my screaming, slowly dropped my arms to my sides. I stared into the darkness, wondering if I should move. Was I standing on a small platform, and once I stepped forward, I would find myself falling again?

            I shivered at the thought.

            That’s when a small orange light burst to life, a ways from me. I stared at the distant flickering light, for a moment, before breaking into a desperate sprint.

            I moved my legs as fast as I could, desperate to find the one light in the darkness, desperate to get to it, no matter what it took.

            Once I got close enough, I realized it was a fire. Skidding to a stop, I stared at its clawing, orange flames.

A lone fire in the dark void I fell into; Why was it here?  

Eyes widening, I began to hear voices echoing from the fire. They were playful shouts and echoes; they were my brothers. Slumping to the ground, tears stung my eyes as I desperately stared into the fire.

The flames twisted, forming my four younger brothers, playing and pushing each other. Then, to my horror, their playful shouts turned into screaming, as they collapsed, hands clawing for the sky just like the flames clawed to the dark void above.

“No!” I gasped, lunging for their tiny and flailing bodies, only for them to melt into the fire that engulfed my hand in blazing heat.

Screaming, I scrambled back, holding my blistering hand to my chest, tears of anguish and actual pain streaming down my face.

            I collapsed onto my back, stuffing my hand my jacket, and stared up, wide-eyed, into the nothingness.  

            The darkness pressed down on me, trapping me like a caged animal. Even the light wanted to make me suffer, displaying my younger brothers in pain, me, not knowing if it was bluffing or simply showing me the truth.

            A hoarse sob escaped my trembling lips, and I curled up onto the floor, wanting to be home now more than ever.

            When would the nightmare end? Oh, it would never end, never ever end. I would lay here in the darkness, forever alone, and trembling.

            The screams of my brothers and the demon’s cackling surrounded me, haunting me, driving me mad.

            Did I ever get up? I do not know. For as long as I’m aware, I lay there in the infinite darkness, drowning in my own thoughts and fears.