Darya

After gently shutting the door, Darya leaned her back against it and closed her eyes. Why did she do this to herself? Hadn't she learned from her tortured past that certain doors should be left closed, locked away from others, from the world, from herself?

She slid down to the floor, tiny imperfections in the wood grain catching her shirt, lifting it slightly so she could feel the cold on her back. It was only a slight shock compared to the cold that was spreading inside, attempting to claim her once again.

Darya never allowed herself to surrender to the tears, it had been years since she had really let herself open up and cry. Still trying to hold back, she couldn't contain those that slid warmly down her cheeks. She leaned forward with her arms wrapped tightly around her breasts, against her crossed legs, head bowed down to the floor and began to rock ever so slightly.

***

Eyes closed she saw the hallway again. A warm amber glow from the wall sconces made the walls appear a faded gold. Wainscoting highlighted the exquisitely patterned wallpaper, bringing Darya some comfort.

As she traveled down the hallway, she no longer felt the impending doom she had on previous occasions. This was more of a sorrow, deeper and more cutting that any she had ever felt in her life. Although her footsteps faltered, she continued on this, possibly last, journey down the long and winding hall.

Not taking the time to admire the delicate statues on the ornate tables placed along the hallway, she was of one mind and purpose. This was to return something. Something that had escaped its bonds. How could something so beautiful cause so much more harm than good?

She looked down at the object pulsing in her arms. Though it had earlier tried to escape her grasp, it now seemed resigned to its fate. As it beat, it changed though a cycle of colors and intensities of radiant light. One moment lavender shining brightly, the next a charcoal, much dimmer yet still brighter than the light around her as she continued, further and further along the passageway.

Darya couldn't even remember all the twists and turns she had completed along the hallway by the time she reached the rich mahogany door, as she had been too devoted to her thoughts of what had to be done. She stopped and admired the door, fearing it would be the last time she would ever lay eyes on its magnificence.

The key hung on a peg nearby, having been no longer necessary. She couldn't even remember now why she had kept it, but was glad she had. She would need it after completing her task. Darya's hand shook as she gripped the doorknob and she could feel this wondrous object in her arms try to break free once more. She held on tightly as she swung open the door.

Carefully closing the door behind her, she looked around. Still clear and bright after the cleaning she had recently done, there had not been a chance for time to take another toll. Shelves covered the walls, each containing several small chests. These containers were all propped open exposing emptiness inside.

There were brass plates attached to the front of each chest, labels of the contents that had been trapped inside. Darya read some of these as she walked across the room, "Acceptance", "Humor", "Strength", "Forgiveness"...many of these had never been contained, had been free as long as she could remember, yet others newly release to discover their full potential.

Darya reached the far wall. It was bare and cold except for a small shelf set just below shoulder level. The box was open, but it was not one she had meant to release. In front of the chest lay a broken padlock, bent and twisted. Several lengths of chain lay broken and ragged beside the box, one had even dropped to the floor.

She took one last look at the beauty within her arms one last time before carefully placing it in the box. She pressed down firmly, holding the lid shut as she pulled a new padlock out of her pocket, larger and heavier than the previous one. As the lock clicked closed, Darya felt rather than heard a final sigh from within the box as the movement ceased.

Still unsure how it had escaped, she was taking no chances. Slowly, with intent, Darya mended each and every chain. Her face was soaked with salty dampness as she finished what she had set out to do. She attached the chains and wrapped them around and around the outer edges of the chest before using even another new padlock to doubly secure the object's prison.

She burst into tears, as she pulled out a plain white piece of paper. Using a black sharpie, she wrote on the pure blank canvas before removing a piece of tape and attaching the message to the top of the chest. This was done so she would never forget if she was ever tempted to release this captive again.

Darya stood at the door for a long time, staring at the message on the box. It was a bittersweet feeling as she knew this is what she must do, yet part of her resisting the measures. Her legs became stiff with the length of her stillness. If only things could ever be different - if only she could...

Acceptance and Strength took over as she turned and reached for the door. One last glance at the bold black letters on the stark white contrast of the paper and Darya stepped out the door.

She grasped the key off of its hook, stuck it in the lock and turned. It gave resistance at first from lack of use, but she finally reached her goal. She stooped down and slid the key as hard as she could underneath the door. It would take a major force to enter the door now, and Darya had no ax.

She leaned her back against the door and whispered the word she had borrowed from one of her favorite authors, this same word copied to the chest, as she slid to the floor, "Nevermore."

***

She opened her eyes and blinked from the stark contrast of the brightness that now awaited her. She stood, brushed herself off and washed the last of the tears from her face. She realized that there was still so much more to life, so many more dreams to be expressed and filled. Although she felt an emptiness that would never go away as long as she lived, Darya opened the door to a world filled with endless hope and possibilities.