I Should've Listened...

Here is my entry into the "Behind the Curtain" flash fiction contest run by Anna Meade. The rules were to pick a picture from her pintrest board and write a 'darker' piece inspired by it. The word limit was 400 words. Here's the picture I chose:

They said not to go to the basement. They said to never open the blue doors. They said it wasn’t safe. I can attest to that.

I was young and foolish. I had talent, at least that’s what everyone told me. I believed them. I wanted to believe them. It was fun being special.

I suppose I believed only good things could happen to me.

You see, I tiptoed down the back steps one night. I was nine. It was right after the last show, and I felt invincible.

I passed the two storage rooms and entered the Performer’s Chapel, that’s what they called it anyway. Apparently this was where anyone close to a breakdown came to calm down – praying or meditating or whatever. That’s why I thought the stories were wrong! Of course bad things would happen to those who came up out of here, they didn’t go into this room if they were in good condition.

There was a spiral stairway down to the lower basement from here, but you had to know where to look – it was below a trap door in the floor. There was a strange symbol burned into the wood of the handle. How it managed to be swirly and sharp at the same time, I’ll never know, but it has marked me forever.

The descent into darkness gave me chills for a moment, but I flipped on the light when I made it down. It was a lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. The room was all brick. There was only the one chair in the corner and the blue doors in the far wall.

I almost stopped then. I should have. Something about the room made my palms itch. But I didn’t. I walked to the doors and ran my fingers over them for a moment. The wood was rough. I got a splinter in my right pinkie finger. I pulled it out and tossed it on the floor at my feet. I took a deep breath, swallowed, and pushed the door open an inch or two.

That was all. Just an inch or two.

I didn’t see anything but light. Then she came into me. My wound made it possible, I think. That’s where the mark is anyway.

Oh. She’s waking up. I have to hurry. If she catches me still here…

390 words
@lissajean7

Contest details: 

I have included an inspiration board on Pinterest: Behind the Curtain. You are not required to use an image there, but I do encourage you to do so. If one does inspire you, please include it in your entry.

Your stories may be up to 400 words, but don't let that fool you. BREVITY is the soul of wit. Only include those words that allow you to tell a powerful story.

The contest opens at midnight EST on Oct 2 and continues till Midnight Saturday, October 13. That's less than 11 days, better get started.

Post your story on your blog and link up through the tool below. Be sure to include the appropriate code so people can read through the other entries from your blog. Read the other entries and comment - writers love the feedback.

Only a few other rules.

No fan fiction - original worlds only.
No erotica - seduction and sex is fine, but graphic descriptions should not be the focus of the story
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1. Meg McNulty	2. Last Krystallos	3. Jeffrey Hollar
4. Mindy Williams	5. Cameron Lawton	6. Melanie Conklin
7. Angela Goff	8. Kate Nyaaba	9. Stacy Bennett-Hoyt
10. Paul Ramey	11. Mark Blackmore	12. JB Lacaden
13. Bullish	14. Sophie Moss	15. SJI Holliday
16. Mark Ethridge	17. Rachel Kall	18. Miss Bliss
19. Laura	20. Lori Fitzgerald	21. Victoria Pearson
22. Am McDonald	23. Angie Richmond	24. Promises - Jean
25. Keith B Walters	26. paul lonergan	27. Christina Krieger
28. Brewed Bohemian	29. Jules Vilmur	30. J. Whitworth Hazzard
31. Car	32. Rachel Stanley	33. jazzbumpa
34. Sarah Barry	35. Diane J. Reed	36. Chris Fitzner
37. Melanie Cole	38. Louise Sorensen	39. Sarah
40. Holly	41. Colin D Smith	42. Jessica Marcarelli
43. drmagoo	44. Vicki	45. Pepper Thorn
46. Dale S. Rogers	47. J.M. Blackman	48. Emmie Mears
49. Rebecca Fyfe	50. Patricia Paris	51. Raiscara Avalon
52. LittleWhiteDove	53. Afsaneh K	54. Jeff Tsuruoka
55. Laura Howard	56. Jo-Anne Teal	57. Miranda Kate
58. Alissa Leonard	59. Kenzie	60. Lillie McFerrin
61. Vicki Orians

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