The Dimensional Boy

Darn it, where is that damned door?

Now, of all times, he couldn’t find his way out? This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. This was just a really messed up nightmare, right? There was no one chasing him down these white-washed corridors, right? His pursuer wasn’t the person that everyone trusted with their lives, the person who had just done the unthinkable, the one thing that was forbidden in that world, right? No, his pursuer wasn’t going to try to kill him, to silence him before he warned someone, if he was caught, right? No. It was just a nightmare.

But, if this was just a bad dream, why did it feel so real? Why was the feeling of betrayal so strong in his head? And, the most important thing, why was he running if this was a nightmare?
The answer: Because this wasn’t a nightmare; this was really happening. The ruler of their world really was a Will Stealer. And he really was the only one who could warn everyone else before it was too late. All he had to do was find the door out of this white-walled Hell.

Why do we even have doors here if all they do is move when they’re needed the most?! He thought bitterly as he rounded a corner to the right when the corridor split into two directions.
He knew perfectly well where he was going; there was only a few certain places where the door could possibly be - but the door was alive, you see, and it was a natural trickster. It liked to move around, changing the way out every time.

‘‘You won’t find it, boy! It doesn’t want to be found.’’ The voice behind him seemed way too close for comfort.

But he didn’t look over his shoulder to see how close too close was - he didn’t dare. Just in case, by chance, the floor decided to change places as well. Well, it wasn’t completely unheard of - anything and everything was permitted in this world, you see. The laws of physics just didn’t exist.

He rounded another corner, gaining speed, hoping to lose his pursuer. That may be impossible, he realized, but he had to try, right?

"You want to find the door? Here, let me help you!''

The fluorescent lights above his head flickered and died out as he passed under them, leaving the corridor behind him in complete pitch black darkness.
What fresh hell was this supposed to be?
He heard evil cackling echoing off the white walls behind him, but he still kept running onwards, trying to ignore the flashing lights ahead of him as more of the lights flickered and died. It was getting darker, soon it would be impossible to see, meaning he wouldn't be able to run any further. He had to hurry and find that damn door before it was too late.
Then he noticed something odd: The footsteps that had been echoing through the corridor in time with his own had stopped. Did that mean that there was no one chasing him now? It couldn't be.
He dared to throw a look over his shoulder, just to make sure, and sure enough, there was no one there. He slowed to a jog and turned around, running backwards. No one was behind him. He was alone in the corridor. He then slowed to a walk before stopping completely. He was confused; his pursuer had been right behind him. Maybe he'd lost the guy?
No, that couldn't be it, he'd sounded so close only a few minutes ago. What he couldn't understand was why, if his pursuer could run way faster than he could, why hadn't the pursuer caught him by now? It was as if he was being chased just for amusement. Did his pursuer find this funny?
His hands curled into fists at his sides as the fluorescent light above his head started to flicker. He looked up at it and glared.

''I'm not falling for it, you know!'' He said out loud, even though there was clearly no one else to hear him but himself. ''You may have taken that girl's free will, but you're not gonna get mine!''
And with that, he started running again, just as the light died above him. His eyes darted in every direction as he raced past the white-washed walls of the corridor, looking for any sign of his pursuer. They couldn't have gotten far, he could still feel like he was being watched somehow.
Then, as if to confirm this feeling, he heard a voice coming from ahead.

"Eru! Over here! I'm over here!'' It yelled urgently, over and over. It sounded strange; ti didn't sound mechanical exactly, but not human either and it was impossible to tell whether it was human or not.

His eyes focused on the far end of the corridor, and then they widened. The door! It was the door! That was where the voice was coming from, he was sure of it. Although, he'd never heard the thing talk before, was that normal?

"Eru, hurry up!" The voice continued to yell.

He raced towards the door, no longer caring whether it should be able to talk or not. It was, after all, the way out of here, so did it really matter if it could speak or not?
“You'd better be open.'' He yelled at the plain blue door as he approached it.

"I am! I swear!'' The door reassured him as he finally arrived in front of it, puffing and panting, trying to catch his breath.

He immediately grabbed the handle and attempted to turn it. The voice hadn't lied, the handle turned easily. He pushed the door open and made a starting run out of it, but then stopped dead in his tracks, holding on to both sides of the door frame for support. On the other side of the door was, well, nothing. Just a sheer drop into complete blackness.

"What the hell?'' He exclaimed in horror as he stared at the black nothingness in front of him.
This was supposed to be the way out!

"Oh, Eru, I'm so sorry.'' The door whispered sincerely in his ear as he spun around, his intention being to run the other way before his pursuer caught up to him.

The deep, throaty cackling behind him, however told him he was already too late. His big black eyes widened in horror as they recognized the man in the golden suit in front of him.

"Oh, this is a surprise.'' He began, an evil grin beneath his brow.
"Who would have thought, of all people, you would have been the one to find out about my plan.'' He chuckled, taking a step towards Eru. "It's a real shame you'll never get to tell anyone about it, isn't it?''

Eru glared back at the man. "They'll find out somehow, you won't get away with this!''

The man chuckled again at Eru's words. "Not if they don't have the will to.'' He threw back his head and laughed evilly.

Eru continued to glare at him, still holding onto the door frame on both sides for dear life, looking around for any possible way to push past the man, but it was no use. It didn't matter which way he ran, the man would most likely catch him before he got very far.

"Eru, you're just a child, what did you think you could possibly do to save anyone?'' The man said, once he'd stopped laughing. "You know full well that a child's voice is meaningless to the minds of adults. Do you really think they would have believed a word you said?''

He took another step towards Eru. Eru was now within arms reach of the man. He was completely cornered.
The man shook his head disapprovingly at Eru. "A shame you won't have the will to keep trying after all of this is over and done with''

"No! You'll never get my free will! I'd rather die first!'' Eru yelled at the man, taking a step back towards the very edge of the door frame.

"Don't be a fool.'' The man spat at him. "You'd rather die than live your life to the full? Don't throw all that away like some kind of sweet rapper.''

"And what kind of life would I have without free will?''

"A safe one. Don't you see, Eru? People are a danger to themselves. By taking away their free will, I can keep them safe - from themselves.''

Eru's eyes narrowed. "I think a safe life is pointless unless it was you that chose it in the first place. What about the thrills in life? The stuff that makes life worth living? What about all that?''

The man stared at Eru with a face of mock disbelief. "You mean like this? You're on the verge of killing yourself because of your own free will. Your going to kill yourself because your free will is telling you to! You think I want you to die? Eru, you're the smartest kid here, you're one of the most important pieces to this puzzle.''

"Well, consider me bent and out of place then. I want no part in your 'puzzle'.'' Eru said, turning towards the nothingness behind him.

"Eru, don't do this!'' The man warned him.

But Eru was no longer listening. This was the moment of decision. Did he want to live, and be someone's slave, or would he rather die?

"Wait, Eru, you don't have to die. I can save you, but you won't be here when you wake up, ok? You need to find a way back here, before it's too late. Free will doesn't come back once it's been taken away, you know.'' The door's voice, which had, up til now, been silent, whispered in his ear.

Eru nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan.'' He whispered.

"It is. Now, when I say go, you jump, ok? No hesitating, because you need to be quick. Trust me.'' The door instructed.

What, like I did last time? Eru thought. Then again, it wasn't like he had much of a choice in this situation.
He nodded. "Ok, tell me when.''

"I'll warn you now, though. Anything can happen, I've never done this before. You may not even be human when you arrive at your destination.'' The door warned.

Eru rolled his eyes, now feeling kind of impatient. "Sounds reassuring.''

"I'm just being honest.''

"Eru, are you listening to me?'' The man demanded behind him.

Eru looked over his shoulder at him. "The truth?'' He began as the nothingness in front of him began to brighten, making a blinding light appear.
"No.'' He finished, just as the door finally yelled ''Now!'' At the top of it's voice.

Eru turned his attention back to the bright light that was now almost blinding. He braced himself for the worst, squeezing his eyes shut... and he jumped off the edge of the door frame. He heard the door slammed shut behind him, hearing the man's horrified yells following him as he fell for a while. And then he was falling freely into the bright light, his eyes still shut, the wind whipping his already messy black hair into a disarray as it whistled past him. It was so quiet as he fell, he almost began to wonder whether he was really falling or just floating. After a while, even though he had his eyes shut, the light was blinding him until, at last, all he saw was white as he was swallowed up by the bright light.

Just as Eru disappeared into the white abyss, somewhere in a world miles away from his own, Zoë Waltz awoke with a start.