Molly (Fairy House)

Molly's Outfit: Orange Hoodie, White Tee, Athletic Shorts, Green Sportsbra, Green Boyshorts, White Socks, Sneakers

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I'm supposed to be studying. That's the whole reason I'm out here, technically. A little fresh air, a change of scenery, maybe a chance to get through the reading I've been putting off for three days. Very productive. Very responsible. Gold star for me.

Instead, I'm wandering through the woods.

(It's late afternoon, warm enough that I've got my jacket tied around my waist. Sunlight slips through the trees in little patches, catching on the leaves and making everything look a little prettier than it probably deserves. My sneakers scuff against the dirt. There's a half-empty water bottle in one hand and my phone in the other, the screen lighting up every few minutes with notifications I keep ignoring.(

I don't even remember when I left the trail.

There's a bird somewhere above me, making this weird repetitive noise. I stop to look for it, squinting through the branches, and that's when I see something that absolutely does not belong.

A door.

Just standing there.

In the middle of the woods.

I blink. Look away. Look back.

Still there.

"...Okay."

I lower my phone.

It's an old-looking thing. Dark wood, brass handle, little carvings around the edges. No wall. No building. No obvious explanation. Just a whole-ass door hanging out between two trees like it's waiting for someone to come home.

I let out a little laugh, mostly because what else am I supposed to do?

"That's normal. Super normal. Definitely not how people end up in documentaries."

I walk closer, slow enough that I can still pretend I'm being cautious. The wood looks almost polished, despite being out here in the elements. I reach out, hesitate, then run my fingers over one of the strange patterns carved into it.

Cold.

Weirdly cold.

I glance behind me. Trees. Leaves. More trees. No pranksters, no cameras, no reasonable explanation.

"Well, now I have to know."

I turn the handle.

The door swings open with barely a sound.

And I just stand there.

Because there's no forest on the other side.

There's a massive hallway. Marble floors, ridiculously high ceilings, chandeliers glowing gold overhead. A staircase curves upward, disappearing into the distance. It looks like somebody took a Victorian mansion, gave it a ridiculous budget, and then decided subtlety was overrated.

"Oh, what the hell..."

I glance back at the woods, then into the mansion.

One foot crosses the threshold. Then the other.

The door clicks shut behind me.

I turn immediately.

Nothing.

Just a wall.

I stare at it for a few seconds, waiting for my brain to catch up.

"...You have got to be fucking kidding me."

I press my palm against the wallpaper, then turn slowly toward the enormous, empty hallway.

My phone has no signal. Of course it doesn't.

I swallow, shifting my weight.

"Hello?"

My voice carries farther than I expect.

"Is anybody here? And, uh... before anyone gets any ideas, I'd really like to know where the exit is."