No Choice but to Die

-Marigold-

I run straight towards my sisters room, and knock on her beautiful green-painted door, with an image of a raven elegant and true sprawls across it. Ive been here before but Bitter rarely lets me come inside. Either stating I won be able to stomach what I see or I best not. I knock a few more times, but I don get a reply. I try opening it but it doesn budge. I turn readily defeated when I see Bitter smiling crazily behind me as if shed been watching me struggle the whole time. One of her little minions gripped her tightly around her feet, a different little bear from the one Id seen at dinner.

”Hello Mari, Ive been waiting for you. Ready for the little adventure, or what? ”

”Obviously why would I be here, if not for that ”

”No need to be feisty, if your mad about what happened at dinner, just know it was an accident. ”

”Ok. What did your note say? ”

”Oh, it said ”Find your sister, something, find a gold door. I guess you got the same note?

”Yeah… Any ideas of where the door is? Theres so many in this house I doubt we can find it tonight. ” I ponder.

”Not necessarily, I have one idea of where it might be…remember the doors that we sometimes pass in the endless hallway? ”

”The endless hallway… but Mother- ”

”Stop it, if you don want to come Ill finish Hollys little game myself. ” Bitter walks off annoyed I even questioned the possibility of getting into trouble.

”Im going. ” I never miss out on the opportunity for adventure.

”Then hurry up, This is going to be a long night . ”

—–

We travel across the house for what feels like an eternity and we begin to pass through the grand library and registry to finally reach the endless hallway. As the halls convert into a long archway giving way to multiple levels full of books. We take a final turn to a shadowed corner where I and Bitter see endless glittering down the endless hallway. My mothers voice echoes in my head. How Dare you, The endless Hallway is the only place in Hollys Labritnh that you cannot go down. Youll lose yourself and never find yourself back.

Bitter steps into my line of view, kicking her bear that had been clinging so desperately to her leg, into the shadows of one of the bookcases.

”Keary, I need you to keep watch, keep watch. ” Bitter instructs her bear as she begins to walk down the endless corridor herself.

”Let us keep close Bitter, we don know whats down there, it could be, well… I don know the subconscious… Hollys subconscious. It doesn make sense for her to want us to go down here but if we are, we should be together like she instructed. ” I say. Fear unravels my stomach the longer I look at the hallway. Its dark walls and unlighted candles keep an ominous cloud over the whole walkway.

Bitter says nothing but slows her walking in response. As we walk I notice the first door thats visible just outside the entrance of the hallway, bright red adorned with rubies and a fresh apple centered in the middle, ready to be plucked and eaten, I wonder how Bitter knew that doors like these hid under the cloak of darkness in the endless hallway.