Halloween Vault Contest 2018

Stranded

 It all felt so real to Sasha, but she knew it had to be a dream when she'd stepped through the black doorway with cerulean smoke spiraling from it. Otherwise she never would have done it...right? Now she found herself not quite so sure as she gazed upon a giant eyeball floating before her with a blue iris.

"Make sure to be back before dawn," it chirped cheerfully. "Thank you for coming!"

Definitely a dream.

The eyeball floated away like a balloon. The world was mostly shades and hues of ebony and silver with rare flares of color coming from wandering people that looked mostly hazy. Piano music spilled from somewhere in the abyss. Sweet, melodic, her symphony attuned ears automatically picked up that it was being played in the minor key. But where was it coming from?

She wandered down the way quickly losing the pencil-thin path. She followed the serene music soon finding herself in a dark wood with golden fireflies splashed across the air, most of them congregating around a sleek raven black piano with moonlight white keys being played by a young man. He was transparent but it was still obvious that he was ruggedly handsome, wearing a tuxedo and stroking the keys with practiced fingers. Letting music spill forth, his dark eyes and golden blond hair made him look as regal as a king.

Sasha watched entranced by him.

"You know it's best not to get too lost around here." He said with a syrupy-sweet voice. She could have gotten lost there, in his eyes, his small smile, his presence, the music...But the way he said that made her blink in surprise. Something was off.

"It's best to leave the Land of the Dead before you join them, really it's a cold place to get trapped. I certainly should know." His eternal song at last ceased and he turned to her, eyes gentle. "You must leave before you get trapped in this little wonderland."

At last she spoke, "What's your name?"

"I cannot tell you that." He sighed softly before standing and offering her his arm. "But I can tell you if I am to lead you out of here, we need to hurry."

She gingerly took his arm and the world spun around them. They had exited the forest and were now in an open field.

"Why'd you have to wander so far?" He said softly in concern as they began to walk through the field.

"I never saw this field..."

"Distance is funny here. It's never accurate. Now which door did you pass through I wonder..." He mused.

A thumping bounded over the fields behind them.

"Run!" The young man shouted and they tore across the fields. "Don't look back!"

Sasha was too terrified to hear him and looked back gasping. It was a huge wolf with crimson fangs and cobalt eyes. She looked forward again but a cascade of her bleach blond hair had fallen in her face. She tripped and collided with the ground sharply.

The young man shielded her as the wolf lunged snarling, and suddenly the world fell out from beneath them and the wolf dissipated. Sasha gazed around in the dark with her wide brown eyes. The young man lifted her to her feet.

"So? Which door did you come through?" He asked nodding to a dozen doors in a black void floating among nothing. Each door had different things tumbling from it, dust, smoke, water, all various vibrant colors.

That's when she spied the door with blue smoke falling from it.

"That one."

He smiled nodding, "Well, it was nice to meet you..."

"Sasha...now will you tell me your name?"

"Logan." He kissed her knuckles and faded away. She turned and stepped through the door.

She looked around at her familiar room and then turned behind her. The door was no longer there. She crawled into bed and was shocked to note a whole day had passed since she left. The eye had said to come back before dawn or she would have to stay. So how had Logan gotten her out?

The next morning she sluggishly got ready and tried to explain to her parents where she had gone.

As she walked to school, out of the corner of her eye she saw a door with blue smoke before it vanished and there just down the street in regular clothes stood a young man with brown eyes, blond hair, and a whimsical smile.