The clock is ticking insistently, and it's about time I get back home. The earlier, the better, obviously. If only I could find the portal, it'd be much easier. Anyway, I shouldn't be here, but at home, watching scary movies with my sisters as we cuddle each other on the couch.
Though, I can't see any portal, even after hours of research. Moreover, I have very little time to leave this place, or else I'll be stuck here for the rest of my life. My parents and sisters would believe I'm dead and mourn me. They wouldn't be able to know the truth, since the existence of this world is supposed to be a secret.
The sky is dark and cloudy, with no stars shining. Plus, it could rain at any time; this is also one of the reasons why I shouldn't be here any longer, especially since rain here has the power of turning whoever is hit by it into a unicorn: the effect of this course will only disappear when it stops raining.
However, a week-long period of incessant rain has been forecast, which further decreases my chances to get back home should I fail to find the portal. I keep running towards an unprecised direction, checking for the time every once in a while. Ten minutes left.
As I run faster and faster, beads of rain slowly start dropping, almost hitting me. I head towards a portal and pass it, not wanting to be turned into a unicorn and believing that it'll take me straight home. A strange wave of magic is washing me towards an unknown destination - whether it's home or not doesn't matter right now, since it's so bright and powerful that it's almost blinding; for that reason, I close my eyes for a while.
As I reopen them, I'm finally out of the portal, so I look around, only to realize that I'm not at home. The atmosphere here is dreary, the sky is dark and cloudy, and tombstone appear here and there. Suddenly, a group of skeletons appear out of the blue, slowly approaching me. I try to run back to the portal, but I find it shut down; plus, the skeletons are surrounding me, making it impossible for me to run away.
One of them grins, saying, "Welcome to the realm of the undead, where no-one is safe and no-one can escape. If you try to run away, you'll be killed. Do you understand?" I gulp, realizing that I've just got into deep trouble and that I'm bound here forever.
I wish I'd turned into a unicorn instead.
[435 words]
This is a short story I wrote for the contest by @_Dark_Fantasy for Halloween Vault.