Shay (Fairy House)

Shay's Outfit: Green Sweater, Pink Tank top, Plaid Skirt, Light Brown Leggings, White cotton bra, White cotton panties, Long White socks, Brown dress shoes.

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The woods were supposed to be good for clearing my head. Fresh air, birdsong, the occasional squirrel committing tax fraud by stealing someone's picnic. You know, nature.

Unfortunately, nature had apparently decided to get weird.

I'd wandered off the hiking trail about twenty minutes ago, mostly because I'd spotted a particularly interesting mushroom and partially because my sense of direction was about as reliable as a drunk raccoon. My headphones hung around my neck, playing some orchestral fantasy soundtrack at a low volume while I absentmindedly sketched in my notebook.

I was halfway through drawing a dragon when I saw it.

A door.

Just... a door.

Standing upright in the middle of the woods, completely freestanding, with no walls, no house, and absolutely no reasonable explanation for why it existed. It was tall and dark, made of what looked like ancient mahogany, with intricate silver carvings winding around its frame. A brass doorknob gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.

I stopped walking.

"...Well, that's fucking ominous."

Naturally, I approached it.

Because apparently my survival instincts had taken the day off. I circled it once, inspecting the hinges. Nothing. No frame supports. No hidden structure. Just a perfectly ordinary-looking door standing in the middle of nowhere like someone had forgotten to install the rest of the building.

My imagination immediately supplied approximately forty-seven possibilities. Portal to another dimension. Fairy trap. Haunted Victorian estate. Secret entrance to an underground wizarding society.

Honestly, I'd be disappointed if it was just a really elaborate art installation.

"Okay, Shay," I whispered, placing a hand on the cool wood. "We have two options. Walk away like a sensible adult, or investigate the suspicious magical door like the protagonist in every horror movie ever."

I glanced around.

The woods were silent.

"Fantastic. Love that for me."

Taking a breath, I wrapped my fingers around the brass handle and turned it.

The door swung inward with a soft creak.

And beyond it wasn't the forest.

It was a magnificent entrance hall, complete with soaring ceilings, glittering chandeliers, marble floors, and a grand staircase that curled upward into shadows. Warm golden light spilled from somewhere deeper inside. I could smell cinnamon, old books, and something floral.

My jaw dropped.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

I stepped across the threshold.

The moment my second foot landed on the marble, the door slammed shut behind me.

I spun around.

Nothing.

No door. No forest. No sunlight filtering through the trees.

Just an uninterrupted expanse of ornate wallpaper.

I stared.

Then I slowly looked up at the impossibly high ceiling.

"...Well."

I tightened my grip on my sketchbook.

"Either I've finally lost my mind, or I've just been kidnapped by a really fancy wizard."

A distant sound echoed through the mansion.

Footsteps.

I swallowed, then called out, trying desperately to sound braver than I felt.

"Hello? Anybody home? Because I'd really appreciate a tour guide before the haunted-house portion of this experience begins!"