I stare at the door. I don't know how long I have been standing here, but my feet are sore. It's true that I've only been living here for a week, so maybe there is a chance that I somehow just missed this door and never noticed it, but I don't think so. especially because it is right in the middle of the living room.

I walk around it, circling it like a predator circling a prey. It is the same on both sides. Honestly, as boring as a door could possibly be. White. Gold coloured doorknob. The cheapest door that you could buy if you are playing The Sims and just moved in your first family.

I finally decide. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna open the door. I put my bowl down on the counter. I honestly don't know why I was still holding it. My milk and cereal splattered all over the floor anyway when I first saw the door in my living room. I'll clean it up later.

My heart pounds in my chest, I can feel it banging against my ribcage like a lion. I rub my hands together and open the door. Nothing. I just see my living room on the other side. Anti-climactic. But what if... I circle around to the other side. Again I open the door.

This time I see a mirror. I see myself in the doorway opening the door. A little more interesting but still not extraordinary by any means. But wait... on the floor in the mirror, I see the cereal that I spilled. But the cereal behind me is Cinnamon Toast Crunch. And what I see in the 'mirror' is Froot Loops. I stare at myself. I realize what is happening. I can tell he realizes it too. This is not a mirror at all. This is a portal into a parallel universe!

I slam the door closed! I sit back against it and slide down to the floor, covered in sweat. I vow never to open this door again. I parallel dimension where I eat Froot Loops is something I never want to be a part of. There can only be evil behind that door. And for it to happen just days before Halloween, I am sure I will not be sleeping tonight.

I watched the door for a time before I propped myself up against my pillows. The sun light coming through the thin net curtains played around its oaken frame. I took a shallow, rattling breath and held the handkerchief in front of my mouth; ready for the coughing and bloody exhale. Once the wheezing had ceased I looked back at the door and decided on when I should open it.

I shuffled around my kitchen preparing some toast, wondering if I would go back to my room and walk through the door after I'd eaten breakfast. Or if I would march through by lunch time having found a second wind. Perhaps when evening came and the sun was dipping below the horizon and the day was at an end; that would be a poetic time to slip through and see for myself.

I took a cup of tea upstairs with me and perched myself on the edge of my bed, letting my tired legs dangle against the trailing duvet. I quietly watched the shadows dance off of the deep brown shades while the morning passed. I would quite like to capture this moment as a painting, I thought. Alas, I feel ready right now. I set down my tea on the bedside table and put my feet back through my slippers, before shuffling over to the handle. I pressed down on the handle and opened it a crack, letting a rush of fresh air blow over me. I took a deep breath, and for the first time in years I didn't exhale droplets of blood in a coughing fit. I smiled and walked through the threshold.

"One of two things: This is Narnia or a horror movie" I said to myself. Either way, my life was boring and I needed a deep life lesson that would change it from its very core, so I just carelessly entered.

I saw a single room, with a candle that wasn't even light on... and a rainbow lighter. When I picked up the lighter, its colour changed into brown.

"What in the...?" I try to switch on the flame, and I'm amazed when I see it's rainbow coloured. "Amazing!"

I then light on the candle... and a strange creature, cat-like, that floats around appears.

"Welcome-nya! This is Neko-Rainbow, and I'll explain to you what the Rainbow Flame is-nya!" The cat said.

I didn't utter a word. This did not seem like reality.

"When turning your first Rainbow Flame-nya, the flame makes me as your tutor-nya!" The cat said. "Basically, the Rainbow Flame is the source of imagination coming true-nya! A blessing from the Three Goddess of Chaos to this world-nya! And this is one of the eight lighters that exist on it-nya!"

"Only eight? So I have one" I say, holding the lighter.

"Of course-nya! But this is because the previous owner made this room with a Rainbow Flame-nya, to then leave the lighter and commit suicide, renouncing definitively to the lighter-nya!"

"Really? So there is a Rainbow Flame hidden in my home that gives this room life. Can it create life?" I ask.

"The only hard limits on the Rainbow Flame is that it can't directly resurrect the dead and it can't create more magical lighters nor anything that would produce more Rainbow Flames-nya!" Neko-Rainbow said. "Also, only the creator of a Rainbow Flame can create stuff with it-nya, and it will never consume the surface that burns, but it will go off without oxygen or if you blow on it hard enough-nya"

"What happens if it goes off?" I asked.

"That everything that was created on it dissapears. If the thing it creates is a room, the room and anything inside of it, be a real thing or created by the Rainbow Flame, will cease to exist" Neko-Rainbow said, ominously, to then switch to his happy demeanor. "Do you want to try blowing your flame out?"

"Could you guide me to the Flame that gives this room life?" I asked.

"Of course! I just know where it is. Follow me!" Neko-Rainbow said.

I followed him into the attic and saw the rope where the previous owner had hung himself, and the solitary rainbow flame on a scented candle. Huh. No wonder the house was so cheap. I gently get to the candle, and look at the flame. I don't feel the same wonder I felt with my candle, I guess it was because of not being my Rainbow Flame. Then I have a question.

"How did you know the guy hung himself? Also, how did you know the candle was here? And did he seriously make a room with a candle for the next guy who bought his house?" I asked.

"Because I hold the memories of the magical lighter, because I hold the memories of the magical lighter aaand because I hold the memories of the magical lighter. I didn't see him hanging himself, I just remember him prepping the rope, turning on the candle and putting the lighter on the room" Neko-Rainbow said. "I also hold certain memories of yours, because I was made by your flame, so I know someone died in that house. I just put stuff together"

"You're quite intelligent, Neko-Rainbow" I say, getting so near the flame my breath is making it tremble. "So if I destroy this, I will make that room dissapear, yes?"

"And everything on it, even the candle that gives me form" Neko-Rainbow said.

I looked at Neko-Rainbow. He seemed worried, but accepting. He surely knew what I was about to do. My sigh blew off the candle... and Neko-Rainbow dissapeared. I took the candle, and the door was no more.

"Well... time to do stuff with this candle, I guess"

The grizzled detective stares down at the grizzly scene. A young boy in an identical suit stands behind him. The scene consists of a man cut in two, his eye hangs out of its socket. The left half of the body is missing. Police officers take photos of the scene, marking evidence.

Uriel: "What do you think, kid?"

Angel: "There's blood everywhere..."

Uriel: "Sadly... It's usually like this."

Angel: "Are you going to resurrect this one too?"

Uriel: "Would if I could kid. This one's different."

Angel: "Is it? How so?"

Uriel: "Soul's been absolutely crushed. They died slowly, and painfully... It didn't make it over to the other side."

He winces.

Uriel: "Best I can do is read the information left over on the body. If we're lucky, it's a clue."

Angel: "Oh? Is it different every time?"

Uriel: "Yup. Every case is different. You get used to it when you're me."

Uriel leans over, and places the palm of his hand on the woman's forehead.

-----

A man cooks silently, Vivaldi's Four Seasons: Winter, plays in the background. He turns the stove off, and lets the steak in the pan rest, as he mashes and seasons a potato. Once finishes, he places the steak, the potatoes, and sautéed vegetables on a plate.

After eating, he puts his plate in the dishwasher, and heads upstairs.

*CREEEEAAAK*

A door can be heard creaking.

Man: "Who's there?"

Silence answers.

After a shower, the man goes to bed, a knife by his side.

-----

The man wakes up the next morning, the sun rising outside. Or at least, it should be. The window replaced by a door. The man stares, slowly getting up, moving away from the door. He grabs the knife beside him as the door slowly creaks open.

-----

Uriel gets up, and goes around the bed to where the window sits. Marks on the carpet indicate that a door was opened, and closed there.

Uriel: "Miss, mark this. Seems like it was a demon. C'mon, we're wasting time."

Uriel points at the marks on the carpet, and a police officer places a yellow scene marker there. Then he beckons Angel.

Angel: "Are you alright? You look pale."

Uriel: "I'll be fine... I just need some coffee."

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Not again. This was possibly the fifth one to appear. The first ever was at a school bathroom when you were a kid, said school always felt a little haunted though so you didn't think much of it back then. But now in this beautiful just built house? Was it following you or something?

Was all the things that go bump in the night just determined to ruin your life? Hadn't you out grown these things? Seeing shadows that weren't there, or hearing sounds that shouldn't be going on when home alone? You moved here to avoid all of that! This should have been the perfect place!

So much for a quiet neighborhood... Of course this would happen, something always happens... But no. You are going to ignore it! Just like all the other times a weird door magically appeared! Those creepy ghouls aren't getting you now nor never! The door will probably go away the next time you come into the basement anyways. Like all the other times.

Oh no... The door is opening on it's own...

[removed]

I knew I had been getting a little lonely in my new house, but now I was seeing things? I rubbed my eyes, but the door was still there. I put my hand on it, but it was very much a real wooden door. Nondescript and boring, it still stood out in my house as it was the only door without a white coat of paint.

The implications were running through my mind. Did somebody break into my house and install this, or was my lack of human contact in this not quite talkative suburb getting to me?

I pondered this for a few minutes before deciding I had nothing to lose. I grabbed the handle and pushed forwards. At first. I found myself in darkness. I used the flashlight feature on my phone so as to not bump into a wall. The darkness stretched onwards until I saw an orange glowing light coming through the cracks of a different door.

I went into the room. At first I only saw the color orange, but in front of me was a plain black couch. The couch did not overlook a television but simply an orange painting with some black splatters. I turned my head to the right and shrieked as I fell to the floor.

Sitting at the table were humanoid figures dressed in black robes. They were all wearing medieval plague doctor masks and staring at their food. One of them turned their eyes towards me.

My heart pounded. Had I been drugged with a deliriant? That would be impossible as I was the only person in my home, and I felt fine before I woke up this morning. Which meant this was probably real

All the masked figures turned their heads towards me. I looked back towards the door I had entered the room through, but it was gone. My adrenaline kicked in as the masked figures at the table were all gone when I looked back.

I had to find an exit and fast.

I looked around the orange kitchen and searched the black refrigerator for an exit. All I was met with was a stone head which sat on a plate in the fridge. I shuddered and sprinted to the first floor bathroom instead.

There were no exits here, but the shower curtains were closed. As I tried to walk out of the bathroom door, one of the masked figures suddenly slid the curtains open and tried to inject me with a syringe.

I screamed for the first time in years as I dodged the needle and sprinted up the stairs. Each bedroom door I opened was more disturbing than the rest.

One room was simply a room full of mannequins all tied up with string around their necks. I slammed that door closed and opened another door with candles and an intricate symbol drawn on the ground. A creature was breathing hard in the middle of the circle. All I could see were its yellow eyes in the darkness. The third door I tried simply had a lot of intricate clocks and birdcages. The birdcages were all empty yet large enough to fit a person.

I heard running up the stairs. What did these plague mask things want with me anyways? I looked down the hallway and saw at least 3 of them holding syringes and coming towards me.

Was this some sort of sick experiment? Or maybe they thought I was an intruder in their house. Regardless, I did not want to find out what lay on the other side of those needles.

I tried the last door which led to the largest bathroom I had ever seen. It was a large orange room with black and orange bathroom tiles and what appeared to be a large toilet like bowl in the middle. It was constantly flushing a black liquid, but it was large enough to be a swimming pool.

The masked figures all appeared at the entrance of the door. I was cornered. There were no windows to escape through. One of the figures pushed on the plunger of one of the syringes which made an orange liquid spurt out of the bevel.

“Wait, can’t we talk this through? I’m not going to hurt you,” I said.

The masked figures did not seem to consider this as they walked towards me. I looked at them while my eyes glanced towards the dark liquid of the toilet. I had no idea what unspeakable horror was in there, but I had no choice.

I ungracefully slumped myself backwards into the black liquid and felt myself spin in a circle towards the drain. The robed figures simply watched as I descended into the darkness.

When I woke up, I was floating in a black liquid. I lifted my head and froze when I was met face to face with another monster.

It was a creature with the body of a bear, but it had a head that was a human skull with horns. At first it seemed to be a mask, but when the creature spoke the mouth of the skull actually moved.

“Silly creature,” he said. “You should’ve stayed in your own house. Don’t you know how dangerous the world is? You could’ve simply stayed in your home and stayed safe.”

“I will. I’ll never leave the house again. Just please let me go home,” I pleaded to the bear.

“I’m afraid you’re in a dimension beyond your understanding now. This is how most of the universe operates. Without order or understanding. I don’t know where you’ll end up next, but just remember that you’re not safe wherever you go.”

And with those ominous words, the bear disappeared.

“Wait!” I called out. “Don’t just leave me here!”

As I fell, I descended towards a white light. I found myself in an old marble ruin with overgrown vines. I cautiously looked around and my heart dropped as I saw white figures with no faces and symbols all over their body staring at me. The cycle was starting again.

It looked like I would be dimension hopping for the next while. I just had to keep finding the exits until I got to my home.

Although looking back, I’m not sure if my home ever existed.

[WP]

DAY 1

I stare at the door that now sits next to my stairs, a door that i would swear was not there last night before i went to bed. Did i miss it in my excitement of finally moving into my dream home, i couldnt have though, i've been here dozens of time since the deal on the house closed, i have walked up and down these same stairs, past this same hallway and before today there was never a door here before. Im unsure as to what i should do, do i ooen it and see what lay inside, do i tell someone and hope they have an answer, or do i ignore the door and pretend it does not exist. I can feel myself starting to panic, NO this was supposed to be a normal house, i was supposed to start living a normal life. The door seemed like it thrummed in response to my inner monologue, no this isnt happening, the door isn't real i tell myself. I force the panic down and tell myself with conviction; the door is NOT real.

DAY 2

The next day i invite my mum, my girlfriend and a couple other friends over for a small house warming party, i wonder in a passing thought if the door that doesn't exist is locked. But i squash that thought because the door doesn't exist, it cant exist, it shouldn't exist. The door thrummed again, feeling like the beat of a drum, and with the sound of a bass guitar.

2 hours later after everyone had eaten i offered to take the people who had never been here on a tour of my house. But before i even started i hear the sentence i mist dread. "Why is there such a weird door in such a weird place." My friend asked."Shit." i thought. I thought i would have more time before the door was noticed. "Janice." I asked softly. "What door." I continue on, i can feel beads of sweat appearing at my temples having to lie to my friend, having to gaslight her, having to try and make her believe her eyes are decieving her, panic starting to set in again, i say quiet harshly to everyone. "Im not feeling so great, everyone needs to go." I feel myself stumble, i catch myself on the stair railing feeling slightly faint. Ppl rush to try and catch me but i push them away yelling "JUST GO!" With words of well wishes, and hopes i feel better soon they all leave.

DAY 3

Today is a new day, i stare at the door grimly the thrumming beating into my soul, having finally had to accept the door is real, having to grasp what this means of my new reality. I say to myself that this cant be real, HOW can this be real. But i know it is, i can see it right in front of me, the constant mind numbing thrumming, i have only been here for 3 days, and im losing my mind over a door, a door that should not exist. I walk away determined not to let the door win

DAY 4

The doors thrumming is constant now, im slowly losing my mind, i cant feel my sanity starting to crumble. I will right this in case im never able to make sense of myself again. To my mother: mum, dad was right, and i think my fate will be the same as his. To Janice: im sorry i tried to make it seem like the door wasnt real, but it was, after reading this leave this house and never return, it not safe. I wrote other notes to Mark, Jacob, Ambry, and Noelle just saying what sane thoughts i have left to them.

DAY 5

I cant do it anymore the door is winning, its slowly eating my sanity, why, how, i cant.............

DAY 6

I lost against the door, my will is gone, its demandng me open it

DAY 7

Huh!!! Wasnt as bad as i thought, it was empty inside

DAY 8

im sorry, i shouldn't have opened the door, i should have been stronger, im sorry.....

DAY 9

Sombody help me, its got me