The Door To Evermore

I know what you're thinking: The insane relative who's being held prisoner behind a locked door for their own protection, and the safety of others. Just like the stories from Jane Eyre and the film, The Shuttered Room. No, there was something far more scary waiting behind that locked door - the door I was standing in front of that was now mysteriously unlocked and ajar.

Ever since I was a boy that door had been locked and any questions about it were quickly brushed aside. The only clue I had was an enigmatic saying that grandad would utter in response to my questions:

"When your time has come, the door will be open for you."

So it seems that my time was now. At the ripe old age of 97, racked by ill health and weary of modern life, the mystery could now be solved. As I moved nearer, the door slowly opened wide, then I stepped inside.

My first impression was how small this room was. It was tiny, more like a closet. But wait, now I get it. I'm standing in a lift! The mystery deepens. Where does this lift go?

I turn around and look for any controls. There! I see it. Two arrows, one pointing up and the other pointing down. Both marked with the letter H. But wait, there is only one button to press. Which way will the lift go? I feel compelled to press the button to see where it will take me. The lift jerks and starts to move.

A distant memory floods back into my brain. The legend of the soul lift which takes one to Heaven or Hell, depending on your behaviour during the time spent in your physical body. Maybe it wasn't such an urban myth after all.