What Lies Beyond?

There was only one rule: don’t open the door. The rest of my uncle’s mansion was free for me to roam and play in while I stayed here for the summer, but for some reason I was not allowed to open that one particular door. My uncle was very insistent about that, but would not tell me why no matter how much I pestered him.

The entire summer I had respected his rule, but my curiosity had been eating at me the entire time. I tried asking the mansion’s staff, but everyone either knew nothing about the room, or quickly changed the subject.

I tried to force myself to forget about the room, but no matter what I did or how much fun I had this summer, it wouldn’t leave my mind. Finally, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. I just had to know. So tonight, my last night here, I would open the door!

After everyone was asleep, I quietly crept to the door. Before long, I stood before the door. It seemed so imposing. Could I really do this? After a few moments, I decided to just go for it. I slowly reached for the handle, my hand trembling with a mixture of anticipation and guilt. Before long, I firmly grasped the cold handle.

This was my last chance to turn back. Surely my uncle would be furious if he found out, but I just had to know. I couldn’t turn back. I slowly turned the handle. To my delight and surprise, it was unlocked.

I took a deep breath to steady myself, before slowly pulling the door open. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped wide open as I finally saw the contents of the forbidden room. I couldn’t believe my eyes…