The Attic

That little door in the corner caught her attention near the end of the day.

Was that always there? Trying to think back to her last visit here, she didn't remember seeing it. She certainly had never opened it to see where it might lead. Her eyes focused on the handle of the door, imagining the feel of the metal, turning it in her mind. Curiosity had kidnapped the last of her energy for the day. Nothing else could be done now. Not until that door was open.

Slapping shut her notebook and tucking her little purse out of sight behind a pillow on the couch where she sat, she made herself ready. Eyes still on the door handle she stood from her place across the room. It only took three quick steps and her hand was on the metal, dull and slightly uneven from long use. If she turned it, would the door open? Would this shot of adrenaline come crashing down or push her beyond this pine barrier to the unknown?

From inside the handle a faint creaking of metal on metal could be heard and she turned it to the right. She could tell the door was free without having to move it. This mystery was going to let her in. She opened just a crack, just enough to peer in with one eye. Too dark. She couldn't see anything. A faint smell of dust made its way out of the small opening along with a light breeze. There couldn't be any turning back now. The door was open and where there is a breeze, there is a place to explore. In one long swing, she pulled the door wide open, throwing in light, determined not to make any allowance for shadows to steal the details of her vision.

It was a bit smaller than she hoped. Just a closet really. Perhaps two feet deep and not much wider than the door frame. But the adrenaline did not crash. This small closet hid a ladder. It was a very tall ladder that went up and up, beyond the reach of the light coming in from where she still stood with her right hand forgotten in place on the metal handle. Where could that ladder lead? Another light breeze came down from up above and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. Where ever it went, that ladder led to her destination.

Finally remembering her hand, she let go of the door handle and stepped within reach of the ladder. First the left hand, then the right foot. She pushed herself off the ground, at the same time throwing the same hand that started this adventure up as high as she could reach. Bringing her other foot up to the next step, the journey began. With each shift of weight, each push and pull up the ladder, she could peer further into that unknown.

For the first time she became distracted from her goal as tired muscles scolded her for not exercising this week. Just one more push... how long could she hang on? It was at that moment that her eyes were opened. The darkness still hung thick but it could no longer keep its secrets. The ladder did not continue forever as fear of falling had tried to convince her. It ended at a small opening in the back wall, just big enough to crawl through. The stray beams of dim light that made it this high were only able to reveal the outline of this rectangle.

She climbed just high enough for her eyes to look into that next stage of adventure. The light either lost its way on the other side of the opening or did not have the courage to pass any further. Blackness hid everything. Or perhaps it was hiding nothing. There could only be one way to find out. The breeze again blew out of the rectangular opening, this time stronger and easier to breath than the dust down below. Her courage leapt, pushing her farther than even the light dared to go.

Into the hole she crawled, head first. Her body disappeared into that unknown with the soles of her shoes the last to say good bye to the ladder, to the light, to the room below.

(Continued by Lindsay with Letting Go)