The Green Door

Journeys come in many shapes and sizes. You have the short ones to the mailbox, and the long ones to visit your aunt in Florida. Then there are some that are exciting! Like going to Disney World! While others are dull, such as going to school, but there are some journeys that are so amazing, so incredible, that not in a million years would anyone believe them. This is just such a journey.

The little boy was small for his age, five, and a head shorter than most. What he lacked in size, he more than made up for in imagination. His name was Joe, with his curly brown hair, and dark brown eyes he didn’t look like much, but most heroes don’t. He was spending the summer with his Godparents, Jeanette and Buddy, while his real parents were gone to work. Though they weren’t his grandparents he often thought they should be, since they always bought him toys, and they were always having yard sales, where Little Joe could sell lemonade. One time they even buried a small chest full of treasure, and gave him a list of clues to find it.

Every night at bedtime Jeanette would lie next to Joe and tell him many wonderful tales, but one night she told him about the house next door. The house was one that Jeanette and Buddy owned and would rent out from time to time; inside this house was a door, tall and green, it was half as wide as a normal door, and the doorknob was made of diamond! Behind this door were many amazing and terrifying things that changed with each passing day. One day, there could be mountains of treasure guarded by an evil giant. On others it may be a world inhabited by dinosaurs or dragons! Joe would always fall asleep imagining what could be behind that door.

One morning after dreaming of all the adventures he could have, he decided it was time to go see this strange, green, door. The house was old and creaked with a noise too loud for a house of its size, and it smelled of dust and mothballs that made his nose itch. As he made his way from one dark room through to the next he kept his eyes peeled, always looking for the green door. Finally, he saw a glimmering door knob; it was at the end of a long, dark, hallway. Step by terrifying step he got closer until he could see the door; it was exactly how he imagined it!

As he neared the door his heart began to race, then, as he reached for the doorknob, sweat dripped into his eyes and he held his breath. His fingertips had barely grazed the door handle when he stopped, too terrified to go on. When finally he got the courage to move instead of opening the door he ran home as fast as his feet could take him. The house seemed to creak with laughter, and the sound chased him out the front door.

Days passed, and all Joe could think about was what could be behind the door, and how he was too scared to open it himself. Then one day he got a call from his parents, summer was almost over and they would be coming to pick him up in two more days, time was running out! He went to bed that night, with thoughts of gold, monsters, princesses, and evil kings dancing in his mind. When he woke up the next morning he knew what he had to do!

Arming himself with a spatula and a trashcan lid, and wearing a mixing bowl for a helmet, he made his way to the house. He marched up the steps listening to the groans and creaks as the house tried to scare him away again. The itchy smell met him once again at the door, and he was terrified, but he kept moving. The shadows seemed to reach for him as he walked down the hall to the Green Door and his heart began to pound against his chest, as if it were trying to escape; his shield threatened to slip from his hands as the sweat began to drip from them, but nevertheless he reached out to the doorknob. The wind blew, howling down the hall trying to keep the door closed, but, with a mighty yell, he pulled it open; then he held his breath as the light trickled in to reveal what was behind the door!

Nothing! It was just a plain, stupid, old, empty closet. How could this be? Where were the dragons and monsters? Where were the mountains of gold? He threw down his sword and he threw down his shield, and he stomped his way outside. The groans and creaks of the house followed him, but he didn’t care; the house no longer seemed alive, besides, he was angry. He stormed his way back home, when he reached his bedroom he laid on his bed and thought about the Green door, but it wasn’t long until he realized what he had done. He had faced the house, even though he was terrified, he had found the courage to open the door. That night he fell asleep, happy, and he never forgot the lesson that the green door had taught him.

Meanwhile, back at the old, wooden house, down a long and dark hallway a single gold coin rolled out of the open closet and the green door slowly closed, but that is a tale for another day.

The End.