Chapter 4 - Don't Leave Me

The world behind the door seems to have changed, and Cela nearly loses Sam.

The door slowly swung open towards her, her hand still resting on the metal latch. Cela stopped it once it had opened only six inches, and held it still in front of her, berating herself for being afraid to let it open any further, for fearing to discover that her experience was either dream or reality. No stale wind whipped at the door, no dusty earth seeped in around the edges. She laughed at herself when she spotted bits of grass reaching around the old wood, and finally stepped out of the way to let it open fully.

She was still grinning and laughing softly at herself when she actually looked at the open frame, at which her breath caught in her throat and the blood drained from her face. Green hills rippled to the horizon, blades of grass gently undulating under a light, fresh, breeze like an emerald ocean beneath a clear sky so deeply blue it was nearly violet. Faraway mountains stabbed into the skyline.

Cela stepped through the doorway, the thick, lush grass giving way easily to her feet.

"Is... is this the same place?" Cela wondered aloud, forcing the words from her lips as though she didn't expect them to come forth. The words sounded miniscule, insignificant in this endless grassland, immediately lost in the vast world.

She took a step forward, and another, and another. She walked cautiously through the turf, turning periodically to check that the doorway still stood, open to her world. She walked, carefully, under the warm, glowing sun, until she stood at a large boulder jutting from the earth, half again as tall as she. Cela reached up and placed both hands against the warm, gritty surface. It was the same rust-colored stone as that used in the ruins in her world.

She turned and leaned her back against the boulder, sank to the ground and turned her face to the sun, eyes closed to the light, the breeze tickling her lashes. It was strange, this place - this foreign and improbable place – somehow felt as though it was set here just for her. Cela opened her eyes slowly, and there, in front of her, the door still stood, the comforting forests of home waiting reassuringly on the other side. She smiled softly to herself and let her eyes fall closed again, toying with the odd flower specimens between her fingers.

Her eyes sprang open again as a loud clack cut across the silence. Her body sang with adrenaline and she was halfway to her feet before she noticed Sam on the other side of the door, tense and fearful himself, nostrils flared and eyes wide at the sudden change in scenery and scents. She laughed at him and the tension drained from her muscles. She rose to her feet to greet the horse, speaking reassuringly in soft, low tones. Sam eyed her warily before catching her scent on the breeze, then he relaxed and stepped forward to the door. At the frame he froze again, snorting and staring at the vista, short, round ears flicking every direction at once.

Cela laughed at him again. “Come on, silly goat!” she called to the equine, “There’s nothing out here but grass.” He took one more hesitating step through the door, and then another, until he stood fully in the world. One last wary glance around him, and he decided it was safe enough to begin snatching greedily at the luscious grass spread before him like a banquet for a king.

Cela walked up to sag against his shoulder, once again relaxed and content. The green earth sprawled in front of her, rolling hills seeming to welcome her, begging to be explored. She wondered at this odd feeling.

Shouldn’t I be scared? This isn’t natural. This can’t be real. This is… well, I don’t know what this is. She pondered for long minutes, toying with one idea after another, discarding each. It just doesn’t make sense. It can’t make sense. Everything I can think of sounds like something out of a fantasy novel. She smirked at herself for even considering some of the options.

Sam moved suddenly and Cela backed away to avoid his hooves. He began walking away from her, towards possibly a patch of supposedly better grass. A gust of wind caught Cela up, and as she fought whisps of hair from her face, she saw Sam get a wicked gleam in his eye. He suddenly sprang into the air and hit the ground at a lively canter, tossing his head sassily, bursting into intermittent bucks.

Cela felt a chill run down her spine. She glanced in panic at the endless space around them. If he decides to just take off and run… I may never see him again. She attempted to stuff her panic aside and began to follow the still-bucking horse, calling his name softly. Distracted, the blossoms fell from her fingers. Sam crested a hill and Cela’s heart felt as though it would stop, but the spotted horse stopped at the top, his head high and eyes bright, coarse tail held high in the air. For what felt like ages to Cela, he stared intently across the horizon.

Finally, he gave a sassy shake of his head and bounced back down the slope. Cela’s heart felt as though it would give out and she called to him again. Sam, excited and proud of himself, bounced to a stop several yards from her, where he looked at her for a moment, speaking volumes of joy and excitement with his eyes, looking for her to be happy and excited as well. Cela froze, fearing that any movement would send him on another joyous gallop, this time across the landscape and out of sight forever.

“Come here, baby,” she begged, forcing a calm upon her voice. “Let’s go home.”

Sam stared at her for another moment, hopeful and elated, before giving up on his pesky human. He dropped his head back to the grass and began tearing lively chunks from the earth.

Cela edged towards him, still cautious, images of her precious horse lost in this unknown world flittering stubbornly across her mind, gnats refusing to be swatted aside. Her outstretched hand finally touched his shoulder and Sam paid it no mind, save to twitch his skin. She ran her palm down his neck to his cheek and coaxed his face from the grass. Then, her arm wrapped loosely but determinedly around his neck and fingers firmly entwined in his mane, she led him back to her world, she muttering and scolding him for scaring her so badly, and he with his eyes still bright, arching his neck to bump her side reassuringly with his speckled nose. Cela rebridled him at the edge of mountain and together they headed home.

In her distraction, Cela neglected to close the door.

 

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Over the hours, over the days, animals began wandering through the door.

A doe sniffed delicately at the doorframe for several minutes, testing the air for danger but scenting nothing but rich grazing. Her twin fawns followed her in momentarily.

A squirrel, loaded with seeds and already hiding away his stash for the winter, bounded through, hardly hesitating as he crossed the threshold, on the lookout for ideal locations to bury his stash.

Mice slipped through, and birds. Countless types of insects trafficked the doorway. In smaller numbers, predators followed the rodents and insects and few larger animals. It is unknown how many animals migrated through that frame, but many did, as surely as water will spill into a reservoir, each carrying with them their own piece of ecosystem. These creatures filtered out into the vast and surprisingly safe world.

Through it all, the fallen blossoms lay in the grass, home at last. The withered bud relinquished its seeds to the earth.

The earth rejoiced, and woke further.