The Secret Door

We checked into our house on Saturday. It was a nice house and, like nearly every other house on Edisto Beach, it sat high above the ground, with the front door accessible by a flight of stairs. And when you consider my bedroom was on the second floor, well, that’s a lot of stairs to climb in a week. But that’s a different story . . .

Shortly after we arrived we found another set of stairs. These stairs were narrow and enclosed. They were sort of fun so we often ran up and down them. Sunday I discovered another door, next to the door of this stairway. It was small and inconspicuous so it was easy to overlook.

But I notice everything, so I didn’t miss it. I wondered about this door. It was interesting, mysterious, puzzling, baffling, perplexing, fascinating, even riveting; and I, being a curious fellow, took a deep breath and opened the door

How disappointing. It was just the electric panel. Oh well, we were at the beach and had plenty of things and places to enjoy so the little door was forgotten.

Tuesday morning, as I passed by the door, I felt a pulse of energy, a surge that had a slightly bigger bite than static electricity. That was odd. I thought I detected the slightest fragrance of the beach. I placed my hand gently on the little door and it was warm! My hand was trembling as I slowly opened the little door.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was looking at the beach! Edisto Beach. The beach is two blocks away, but there it was, right in front of me. I stretched out my arm, it went through the door and I could feel the sun on my arm, while the rest of me was standing in the air conditioned house.

I looked around, there was no one else downstairs with me, so I did what anyone would do, I climbed through the door and I was standing on the beach. This is exciting, a secret door to the beach! If there was a downside to this it was that there was no secret door back, I had to walk back to the house. But it is a nice walk, so I didn’t mind.

I didn’t tell anyone else about this, not yet. I probably should have but I didn’t. I went back to the house and when no one was looking, I opened the door. Nothing. Just a panel. This was strange. I know I had passed through it to the beach this morning. Then about four o’clock that afternoon I felt that surge again. I opened the door and there was the beach. Ten in the morning and four in the afternoon. Is this a pattern? Only one way to find out. I tried it at 10 pm and 4 am. Yes, a pattern! I only assume you can climb through the door at 10 and 4 because there were too many people up at 10 and I’m not climbing through a door to the beach at 4 am!

I took the door down to the beach twice on Wednesday. I was having a blast but I still hadn’t told anyone else. I’m not sure why. I wasn’t sure it would work for anyone else. I knew the only way to find out that answer was to test it, but for now this little door was my secret. Tomorrow. I will tell everyone tomorrow.

Thursday morning. Ten o’clock. There was a pulse of energy near the door and it felt warm to the touch. But I was shocked when I opened it this time

This is not Edisto Beach. It is Kahana Bay on Oahu in Hawai’i. How cool is this? I can go to Kahana Bay today! Then I remembered the downside – I can step through the door and immediately be at the beach, but there is no door back. I have to walk back. And there is just no walking back from Kahana Bay. I quickly shut the door. I was scared. I can’t tell them now, these boys might try to go on an adventure and then we couldn’t get them back.

Four o’clock Thursday afternoon and it was Edisto again. Fascinating. I stepped through to the beach. I will tell them tomorrow.

Then we got a phone call informing us we had to leave tomorrow. Hurricane Irma was bearing down on us and they wanted us out. Thursday night we packed and Friday we left. Tomorrow never came. I never told anyone about my secret door. Sometimes I feel guilty about that.

What would you have done?