Chapter 1
The lights flickered as the dark haired impressionable girl followed the man down the hallway. The man was taller than average and possessed a sense of trust that was concealed by his grisly appearance. His boots seemed to be worn through the sole and the laces were frayed at both ends. His pants barely hung below the top layer of his leather boot, and revealed just enough to let the little girl see that he was barefoot in his boots. As she raised her eyes to visit the rest of his strong frame she noticed the back of a scarf that hung down over his broad back layered over a grey trenchcoat. She thought to herself that most men in these stories wore a black coat, but the thought passed as she noticed the hair that nestled on the top of the scarf . It was blacker than anything she had ever seen. It almost seemed as if it wasn’t even existent but she could see the grease that coated it. Even though she could see the filth that captured his aura she continued to be captivated by this figure. She could feel the scent that radiated off of his clothes, and even though it poisoned her nostrils she still felt drawn to it.
At times she would reach out and grasp for his coat to at least feel the comfort of guidance, but as she tried over and over; each time the coat seemed to be just out of reach. Although with each miss, she would try harder and harder to allow this figure to create a trust or establish a sense of security for her. The man never turned around to see if she was still trudging along behind. It was almost as if he could sense her, or feel her yearning for him. It gave him the satisfaction he needed because with each step she took behind him, he knew her curiosity grew for where she would follow him too.
The hallway seemed to continue on forever, or so it seemed. His width was so great that it impeded any kind of vision she had for further down the hallway. His broad shoulders seemed to scrape the walls. When she noticed this she stopped and reached out to test her wingspan in the midst of these walls. Her hands didn’t even come close. She had always been tall for her age, and could reach higher than all the other kids; knowing that, she was capable of comprehending just how big this figure was. As she proceeded down the hall she felt a breath on the back of her neck, yet as she turned to make out what created that air her head seemed capable of only going so far. As if her head had a string attached the man’s in front. As his head stayed focused on the end of the hallway hers needed to also.
She kept running the thought through her head that her mom had always told her,
“Don’t ever talk to strangers. If they ever offer you anything, you run.”
But what if I wanted what he offered, the girl thought. I don’t want to run, I want to follow. This man didn’t seem like a stranger, and he hadn’t offered her anything yet. Although she could feel his sense of offering, and she desired it more than she had anything before. She felt the comfort of her father holding her and her mother whispering to her just standing in the shadow of this man. Imagine if she could touch him, if she could reach out and embrace what he was offering.
As she followed the trail this man blazed she began to notice that painted into parts of the wall were the outlines of doors. Though not your typical shapes and sizes of doors. It almost seemed to be everything besides the normal shape. She could sense that the man ahead of her wanted nothing to do with these doors, although they provided the only form of distraction for her from the bewilderment caused by this interesting figure. She passed one that was in the shape of a circle, and her body became paralyzed as she allowed the green light that shone beneath the oddly shaped entrance to brush her feet.. She tried to move forward to continue to pursue the man, but it seemed as if the sole of her foot had been glued to the floor. She glared downwards to see what it was that had encapsulated her foot and saw nothing but the green light that burst beneath the crack at the bottom of the door. The light sparkled through the bottom as if behind the door was the emerald city from the wizard of oz book her mother used to read to her. Although where the light hit her small leather boot it erased the leather bound shoe and she could see her barefoot. Her toes wiggled with freedom She gasped with astonishment as she witnessed the power of the light, and the man that had overwhelmed her thoughts disappeared and she reached out for the doorknob that had been placed on the right of the door. As she opened it she heard two voices. One voice sounded like poison as it bled into her ear,
“Keep up the pursuit. The hall offers more than you can imagine. Don’t leave that man’s side. He cannot protect you from the doors”
The other voice was soft, and firm, yet intriguing,
“Welcome to a world far greater than the darkness.”
The girl stepped through the doorway and felt a breeze brush across her pale skin. The ground was covered with grass that seemed to stretch on for miles, and reflected a tint of green that had never been seen through a human’s eyes before. She could feel the velvet grass on her now bare feet, and the wind blew through her hair with an essence of a field of roses. Beauty this deep had never existed in the world she lived in and the utopia she now experienced had only been seen in her dreams.
In the middle of the hill was a tree that was covered with a bark, which appeared to be made of silk. She began walking towards it and tripped over a root causing her to fall towards the velvety grass. As her body began to fall she was caught and held in the air. She froze with fear as she was raised into the midst of the tree. It seemed to stretch higher and higher as she was carried further up amongst the purple and gold leaves. The rolling hills of green became only a blur and she turned quickly when she realized the height to which she had been carried. The branch lifted the girl and dropped her on a cloud that hovered just above the tallest branch. She sighed with relief as she finally felt comfortable. The cloud engulfed her body and the air seemed more relaxed at this height, yet in the midst of her comfort she could feel the whisper of a voice,
“This is no time to lay, for there is far greater than you know at play.”
She turned her head back and forth searching for the outlet, which provided these quotes, yet all she could see was a small shack that resided at the top of the tree.
“How could that be real?”
She thought as she raised her head off the cloud and searched for a way to get there. The curious girl stood on the cloud and as she tried to take a step a path slowly unfurled from the front of the cloud. With each step more path was laid in front of her. The white of the cloud could only be described as perfect, which made it another contribution and perfect fit in the puzzling utopia she had entered. As she walked closer to the shack she could see that it seemed out of place in the midst of so much beauty. The wood was chipped and the once white paint had been weathered to the point of almost non-existence. The roof was slanted on both sides with no rain gutter attached. This was a place where rain did not frequent.
She could hear singing on the other side of the walls of the shack, but the girl could not make out the words. She proceeded closer to investigate from whom the voice was being performed. It was soothing and soulful and seemed to melt her once overwhelming fears. As she inched closer to the door it swung open. Her jaw dropped as she saw the colors that created an unmatched beauty within a home. Each wall was painted a different color and it seemed as if she had just wandered onto a rainbow. There were no windows anywhere, which from the outside made it look like a prison, but once she had stepped inside she had no desire to experience the beauty in the world on the outside. This was a place she never wanted to leave. The floor was perfectly created from the most beautiful hardwood she had ever seen, yet had the comfort of a carpet. As she regained her concept of reality, which had seemed to escape her as soon as she entered this world, she heard a voice,
“Have you ever seen beauty such as this?”
The voice startled the girl and she turned to see a man sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of the room. She rubbed her eyes to check again and see if this figure was in fact real. When she had entered the shack the room had been completely empty. There had been no rocking chair of any kind in the room. As she slowly stepped towards the rocking chair she realized this was not the chair she had seen her grandpa fall asleep in so many times. It had a dark appearance to it, yet as she inched closer she saw it was completely transparent. As if it wasn’t really existent at all.
“I asked you a question…”
The voice, had become a bit more stern, yet the kind tone was still radiant. The man didn’t turn around. He continued staring in the opposite direction as if he was looking out a window, but one did not exist.
“I’ve never even dreamt of a place this beautiful,” the girl responded.
“dreams don’t compare to this my child,” the voice muttered.
The little girl walked towards the man, and circled towards the front of him. As she did so the man turned and looked at her. She gasped as she looked at him and saw that the man had no face. She crept away from him, and backed into the wall overridden with fear. His body looked as if it belonged to a normal man, and everything about him was normal, yet his face was completely blank. There was no mouth, or eyes, but she could hear him speaking and feel him gazing at her. She felt a connection with this man more so than she felt with anyone before, and she could feel him touching her soul.
“Sit down my child,” the man whispered in an endearing fashion.
“But sir, I feel it is rude to sit on the floor and there is nowhere for me to sit.” The girl replied.
“open your eyes my child and see what is truly in front of you”
Just as the man said this the girl watched another transparent chair appear in front of the man. Their was a blue ribbon tied to the top of it and it reflected a light pink. The young girl approached it in a cautious manner still a little perplexed by the world she had stumbled upon which was apparently run by a man without a face.
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” The young girl stammered while she asked it, wondering if it would be in some way offensive.
The man smiled. Or did he. She could feel his emotions radiate through a blank face, but wasn’t sure if she interpreted them correctly.
“Aren’t you going to ask anyway?”
“Well not if you tell me not to, I am in your house.”
“You are in your house too, my child”
“What do you mean?”
“That is for you to realize, my child. Ask your question.”
“Ok…I’m scared”
“Everyone is.”
“Umm…Why is it missing? I mean, your face.”
“Oh my child, I do have a face. With more character and distinguished features than you know. Although, I don’t choose it.”
“Does anyone choose their face sir?
“Did you choose yours?”
“Well, no, I guess not.”
“Tell me my dear, can you tell what my emotions may be?”
“You don’t have a face how can I?”
“So then do you perceive them based on the way my face reacts?”
“Well, no sir, because you do not have one.”
“So then, have you in your mind chosen what my face may be based simply on my words? “
“I guess. Is that rude? I don’t ever want to be a mean girl”
“It is not rude, my child. It is simply human nature. In the world do you truly learn who a person is based on what is on the inside or just what is simply on the outside? What if all humans didn’t have faces.”
“How would we remember people?”
“If you hear your mother’s voice without seeing her face do you still know it is her?”
“Of course. She is my mother. I know her better than anyone.”
“So if she had my appearance would you still know that it was her?”
“I believe so sir.”
“Do you not know me well enough to recognize my voice?”
“No sir, I don’t recognize your voice for I just met you, and how will I remember you? I have no face to picture”
“You will remember my voice child. Know me, and you will not need a face. For as I said people choose my face, and I will allow you to choose it also.”
The man put his head down and disappeared.
Chapter 2.
The girl fell to the ground as her chair disintegrated into nothing. When she fell she felt a pain shoot through her back. She thought she had collapsed on the hardwood floor but as she pushed herself up she felt her hands grip nothing but dirt. The exterior of the shack had moved to the interior. It was so ugly. All the beauty and vibrance had left with the man. The man had no face, yet he was accompanied by so much beauty. She collected herself after the fall and walked towards the door. She wrapped her young hands around the knob. It was so cold. She twisted it, and it opened slowly with a piercing creak. She expected to walk back into the world she had glided across before, but she found herself back in the hallway. The darkness was overpowering, and she felt an overwhelming sense of fear. She turned to face down the hallway and her body froze. The man she had been following was standing over her. His size and power was re-established.
He knelt down on one knee and for the first time looked her directly into her immature face. His facial features were commanding. His stare seemed to pierce her skin and his eyes were a fierce yellow. His brow was stern and his jaw chiseled. The black of his pupils were like black holes and she could feel his warm steamy breath burning her nostrils. Her face went white as the blood drained down to her toes. The darkness of the hall was clutching and all she could see was the yellow of his eyes.
“I lead you girl. Do not stray from my path for the deceptive world that lies behind those doors. I will show you the doors that will truly interest you. I will not leave you. I wait as you let your ignorant curiosity explore. Now let us continue our trek. We haven’t much time”
The man turned before the girl could say a word. His breath had seemed to kidnap hers and she could finally exhale when he turned. She bent over to catch her breath as her lungs rejoiced at the air that now occupied them. Yet she knew she could not wait any longer as the man’s boots made a thunderous sound as they collided with the ground beneath. She sorted her dress and looked down at her now covered feet. For a split second she thought of the world she had just exited but removed the thought and proceeded down the hall.
She had not at all considered the time that it may be, or how long she had been a part of this alternative world. She could feel a pressure inside her skull, and every few steps she would scratch a different part of her body. It was like the feeling she would get when she would go to picnics with her parents. As if she could feel a creature crawling on her but when she would snap her head quickly to try to catch it, there was nothing there. She never really enjoyed the outdoors, and instead would prefer to embrace the imagination she worried would leave her with age. Her parents always would entice her to go outdoors and enjoy her time with children her own age, but it never interested her. She possessed the mind of a child full of imagination and creativity, but excelled in aspects of maturity compared to kids even a few grades above her.
Her acceptance of the current situation could only be derived from her history of inventive ideas and thoughts. Much unlike other children her age who would have turned from the hallway filled with the broad shoulders of a dark image, she seemed to embrace it. For this felt so much more real than any other adventure she had been a part of, and all she could think of was the possibilities. She finally felt as though her mind had led her to something real. It excited her.
As she pondered and wandered down the abyss, she lost her current perception of where she was and did not realize the man had stopped dead in his tracks. She plowed into the back of him and it felt to her as if she had ran into a wall. She fell backwards in a heap and screamed as she did so. As she screamed, before she felt herself collide with the ground, she heard even louder scream comes from all around her. She hit the ground with a crash and covered her mouth with her hand as if to not startle the man who led her. As soon as she covered her mouth the other screams ceased.
The man turned abruptly, and snarled,
“Keep your young mouth shut. You don’t want them screaming.”
His demeanor was menacing. The girl’s body shook as if she’d been dipped into freezing water, and her breaths were short and seemingly useless. The combination of the collision and man’s reaction made her heart race quicker than her body knew how to keep up with. The fear that she thought she had subsided and replaced with imagination was still very much present.
The collision had made her realize one thing that had caused the dormant fear to erupt. She could touch him; she could be harmed by him. It all became real. Her imagination was not in the driver’s seat.
“I stopped,” the man grunted.
“I know sir, and I apolo…”
Before the girl could get her apology out the man, cut her off,
“Don’t apologize to me girl. One only apologizes for something that has harmed another, and harming me is something you are incapable of doing.”
She wasn’t sure how he meant it, but nodded nonetheless in order to combat any form of negativity that was to follow. In an odd way, even in the midst of his anger, the girl still felt the lingering security she felt this man provided. He was stern, and fearful, yet had not left her side and his loyalty was accompanied with security.
“Where to next?” The young girl requested.
“I don’t stop for it disappoints him, but he has made it clear to me that your curiosity is a tool for education. We must utilize that for your development. The doors outlined with an X are for you to enter. The other doors are fool’s errands. Enter the X and begin your education.”
The girl turned and faced the wall which had an engraved X on it. She turned to the man for reassurance but he could not be seen amongst the darkness. For the first time she felt alone in the hall which handed her even more reason to enter through the door. She sighed deeply and placed her small, pale hands on the X. The door slowly opened and she stepped in. As she did so the man in the hall stepped out of the shadows and leered.
“The education begins.”
