The Gate

In the middle of the town stands a tall imposing gate. Behind it lies a thick fog. So thick that it resembles a stone wall.

Nobody knows where The Gate leads, and few dare to even approach it. If you are near The Gate, you can hear voices calling you to join them. As if they know you, they speak to your deepest longings. To the tired, they promise rest. To the constrained, freedom. To the lost, direction. Villagers suspect those are like the sirens of the seas, luring you in to trap you.

Rumor has it that those who enter never return.

Even if you want to enter The Gate, it seems impossible. No one knows where the key to the giant lock is. And even if you have that magical key, The Gate, with its heavy steel bars, seems to require at least 300 of the strongest village men to push open. The Gate extends way above the clouds; climbing it is out of the question. Not that any villager thought about going beyond The Gate.

If you even stand at a distance to examine it, passersby would whisper to one another behind your back. If you walk towards The Gate, you would be the talk of the town for weeks. “Did you see him approaching The Gate? How silly! He must not have heard about the legend.”

Those who enter never return.

For years, you hear the same stories from your parents, your friends, and even passing merchants. This is the town with that gate. Do not stop; do not approach. Put your heads down and shuffle your feet past The Gate.

But curiosity gets the better of you.

You wait for a cloudy night. With the thick clouds blocking the moonlight, the town square is almost pitch black. Nobody can see you walking towards The Gate. Nobody can see you peering through the bars. Nobody will know!

Cautiously, you take small steps towards The Gate. You stretch out your arms, like you are feeling for your keys in a dark room. After what feels like forever, you are near The Gate. Not that you can see it. But the imposing presence of The Gate lets you know you are near. As you creep forward, you look around to make sure no one is watching you.

Suddenly, the sky clears and the moon lights up the town square. You panic—someone will see you—and you trip over a little pebble on the ground.

Swinging your arms to grab onto anything you can hold on to, you accidentally press against The Gate.

The Gate swings wide open.

The Gate isn't even locked. And it is as light as a feather. You just have to give it a tap.

You are just one step away from the promised land the voices have been talking about. But you still hesitate. What if it's actually terrible in there and I can never return? What if my parents discover I violated their rule? What if my best friends find out?

You lift up your right foot slowly as if it weighs a ton.

Now it is hovering just past the frame.

What if? What if?