The air is ice cold around me as I dig my fingers into the soft dirt. This is the spot, it has to be. Old madam Lizanne swore by it the last time I went to her shop. Her words remain locked in my mind, set on replay like a broken record playing the sweetest tune of hope, and I grasped it with both hands. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0f8zHfKlPe
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No matter how far fetched it seemed at the time, I'd do anything to achieve my dream. "Go to the forest at midnight, dear boy," She told me, her wrinkled hands clasping a large velvet bag. "there you will find an old oak tree. You must use your bare hands to dig to the root that calls you. Once you find it, place these objects beside the root and bury them." 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnKZoBsQ9K
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She thrusts the bag into my hands. I grip it tight, pulling it away but her hands remain wrapped around the thin rope knotted at the top. She turns her wise, hazel eyes towards me and says, "Once the root is covered, you will start to fall asleep. Lay facing north and when you wake, the fae will come." 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5rlQDr16a
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So here I am, digging a hole in the middle of the forest, looking for God knows what. I dig for about an hour, my body feeling exhausted from all the manual labour I'm not accustomed to. Oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do to get to where you want to be in life, at least she didn't tell me to murder anyone or summon a demon in a witches circle or something like that.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkIbqRUSVh
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Eventually, I push into something solid. I gently wipe away the sand to expose a large root. I squint my eyes, not believing the glow emanating from the dark brown soil as I study the odd looking wood.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q7WoaYVoH
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I quickly open the bag, taking out each object one at a time and placing it next the root that, I assume, is calling to me. I place a small animal's skull, a few sharks teeth, a bag of herbs and another smaller pouch filled with crystals in the hole and cover it up. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABCEWshhGa
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Once everything is buried, I take out my compass to ensure I was laying in the correct direction, lay my head on the cool grass and close my eyes, allowing my fatigued body to finally rest.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyTguI5t9M
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Moments later, my eyes fly open. I'm greeted with nothing but darkness and the feeling of damp soil under my hands. Immediately I start to panic, sure that something's gone horribly wrong when suddenly I hear a light, melodic voice and instantly a wave of calmness washes over me.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrekyDdwmc
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"Hello, Jonathan. I've been waiting for you." Immediately as she speaks, the small room is lit up by thousands of fireflies. Only then do I lay eyes on the beautiful creature who spoke.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5Y6bddvQB
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Her hair is bright violet, falling to her waist in large, thick curls. Butterflies and flowers of all different kids are woven around her stark naked body along vines. Her light blue skin is complimented by her bright green eyes. In short, she's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4sq94R8Bs
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She smiles and walks forward, placing one hand on my cheek. "What is it that you seek, my child?" I gulp, trying to find the words to speak. This is it, this is really happening. I wet my lips, take a deep breath and look into her eyes. "I want to be the most talented artist to ever live." 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLDGu4cSg5
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She smiles and drops her hand before turning around and walking to the centre of the small room. "Your wish is my command." She tells me before facing me again. "There is just one thing you must do for me first." 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DlVLRUBDb
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My heart starts hammering in my chest, excitement building as I take two quick steps towards her. "Anything! I'll do anything, just tell me." She waves her hand above her head and four doors appear behind her.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOWLaksdAB
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"You have a choice to make. To get your gift, your intentions need to be pure, your heart, needs to be pure. You have four powerful artifacts, one of them is the key to the door that'll lead you to your wish. Each door will lead you down a different passage, only one of them holds what you desire at the end. If you choose incorrectly, I must warn you, the consequences are dire. Choose wisely, my child. You have two attempts."726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGf3xe7fcxq
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In a blink of an eye she disappears and I'm left holding the same bag I buried at the root, except this time, I assume they hold the four artifacts. I lay the bag down on the floor and undo the knot, excited to see what these keys are. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCDdn5AGwZ
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One is a set of earplugs, or at least, that's what I think they are. They're shaped the same except for the two sharp thorns on each small, yellow bud. Well, those can't be of use, I'm sure. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84seuLrjxx
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I set them aside and pull out a large golden hammer with green jewels arranged neatly along the wide handle. The weight of it sets me off balance and I drop it quickly onto the floor next to the earplugs.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQl69ll316
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Next, I find a pair of gloves. Made from the finest silk, they're softer than any material I've ever come across. I carefully place it on my left hand and find that the inside is laced with leather. I have no idea how this could help either.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TOPJC1zuS
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I pull the glove off, fold both neatly and lay them down, eager to pull out the last object. Finally, I pull out a large book. A book? How could this possibly be a key for anything? I pick it up and run my finger along the leather binding. No doubt it's old, but what does it say? I start pulling at the belt-like buckle keeping the book shut tight, and stop. Wait, I should look at the doors and asses each before interacting with the keys too much.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5Te4PvScf
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I stand up and brush the dirt off my pants before standing in front of all four doors. They don't look dangerous, but something deep inside warns me not to take this situation lightly. I bite down on my lower lip as I let my eyes settle on the first door to my left. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiADO4wDBw
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Well, it looks pretty harmless. It looks like it's made purely of rose quartz. I walk up to it until I'm standing inches away. The first thing I notice is the smell. It smells like candy floss! It instantly reminds me of the many festivals my mother would take us to as kids, where we'd spend the day stuffing ourselves with all things sweet as we tried out every children's ride available. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVLopzpy9S
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It brings back many happy memories, but the one thing throwing me off is the intense heat radiating from the door. I didn't even realize that I'd started sweating until I felt a drop slowly slip down the side of my face. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmEiXNKgzZ
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I step back, moving onto the next door. This one is covered in bright green vines, I shrug and move closer. The closer I get, the more I'm sure I hear something coming from behind the door. As soon as I'm standing right in front of it, I let my hand hover over the green vines. Well, at least this one isn't insanely hot. Satisfied that I won't be burned the moment I touch it, I press my ear against the door and listen.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsIRcDBLwQ
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The moment I do this, the most beautiful melody starts playing on a piano. I listen quietly as the tune changes and goes on to play something I'm very familiar with. It's the same tune my sister would hum to me as a small child when I couldn't sleep. I smile and lean back with a smile. Yeah, I hope it's this one. Before moving to the next, I glance towards the top of the green door and spot the initials K.N engraved on a golden plaque. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb3lqwvedH
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I think nothing of it as I move onto the second last door. This one is simple, there's no music coming from behind the door, no smell of candy floss or anything like that. It's just a simple door that looks like it's been made of solid gold. The main thing I notice that sets it apart from the rest, is the lack of a handle. Where the others had round, brass knobs, this one has a little golden bell. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElo5KY9iLr
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Slowly I make my way to the final door. This one is further away from the others and made up of nothing more than wood and bright red paint. I walk forward, examining it closely. I place one finger on the hard wood and look down, shocked at what I see. The red on the door which I assumed was paint, looks more to me like blood. I quickly wipe the sticky substance off on my jeans and walk over to the artifacts. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyxX1x9YZ9
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She said I had two chances, right? I think the most logical thing to try first would be the gloves on the hot door. That seems to be the most logical choice, the door is hot, the glove should protect my hand, right? Right.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkQcnzAcCJ
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I slip both white gloves on quickly before flexing my fingers. I must admit, they're quite comfortable and look quite strong, so they should prevent the heat from seeping through.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV59oc8rpRS
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I walk over to the pink door and place my hand on the doorknob. As soon as I grip it tightly, my hand starts to burn. I open my mouth and scream out in pain as I try to let go, but for some reason my hand won't move. The smell of candy floss and burnt flesh fills the air around me as I continue to scream in agony. Eventually I manage to pull my hand out of the glove and watch in horror as it melts onto the door handle, sizzling as the once beautiful material glues itself onto the brass.726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlP47AcyfEQ
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Taking off my shirt, I wrap it around my blistering hand and look to the other artifacts, now eager to get out of here whether I get what I came for or not. I grab the hammer in my other hand and walk towards the red door, even if it's covered in blood, it should still break into pieces if I knock this thing into it. I heave it up and over my shoulder, sweating as I slowly walk towards the door. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVhWsZO07a
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The second I get there I swing the hammer back and bring it down onto the door, ignoring the cries of pain from my body. I fall back as the door splinters. Yes! This must be it! I leave the hammer laying where it is and pull at the splintered wood until there's just enough space for me to squeeze through. Once I'm through, I find myself in a long, dark tunnel. The only light being the lit torches set on either side of the stone walls. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pIqtyoFqe
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She never told me what to do once I got to the other side of the door, so I follow my instincts and run as fast as I can. Giving my adrenaline a chance to shine as I dash down the quiet underground passage. After running for what feels like hours I come to yet another door. I open it quickly and come face to face with the fae I saw earlier. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGCnr8qddz
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Except this time, her purple hair is thin and frayed, her large green eyes have been replaced with dark, emotionless marbles of black. She looks to me and smiles, but instead of feeling calm like before, a feeling of dread washes over me. She opens her mouth and I wait, staring at the terrifying woman, hoping that she's about to tell me that this was all a joke, that I won and I get my wish, but instead she just throws her head back and starts laughing. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDtrF9h4xg
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The deep maniacal laughter sends shivers down my spine as she blinks twice and stops laughing. She leans closer to me, and I find myself paralyzed by fear as she whispers. "Run." I waste no time turning around, eager to get away from this hellish nightmare when I run straight into the door. I try the handle again, only to find it locked. I turn back around, flattening myself into the door as much as I can as the creature slowly stalks towards me. 726Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuhPzbFFOB
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"You failed, my child, and now you're mine." Those were the last words I heard before she rushed towards me and everything went black.
Penana
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