The Other Side

Todd steps through the doorway into a world of bitter cold.  Snow whips at him as he looks at a frozen landscape, then the snowy ledge collapses.  On the ice, a pile of snow starts moving; only it's not snow it's a polar bear coming for him.

Todd thought he was seeing things.  Pushing through stunted ferns he walked over to a huge oak.  Nope, he wasn't seeing things; there was the outline of a door carved into the bark, on the massive trunk.  Putting his hand against it he felt it give a little and could see some gray.  He pushed harder.  The door vanished and Todd couldn't stop his momentum from taking him right through the gray filled void.

The deep bite of frigid, snow laden wind pelted him and his light summer cloths provided no protection.  Looking around, he sees a sheet of ice, broken by rocky outcrops.  Big piles of snow are scattered here and there along the ice.

He was standing along a cliff that vanished into white nothingness.  The snow was deep here; he was standing on it's frozen crust about eight feet above the ice.  Looking at the point of entry he sees no gray doorway; he could make out its slight outline, though.  Yes, the door was on this side, too  He  pushed slightly, there was a bit of gray around the edges.  He pushed harder and once again the door vanished.  Tripping over roots he fell into the ferns on his own side.

Todd rolled on his back, the door was closed but he could see the outline.  He got up and rubbed his hands over his chilled skin.  Even though it was warm here, the cold still bit into him.

He walked around the tree, looking.  It was just a gigantic old tree.  When he completed the circle he could see the outline.  Now, however, he seen something else above and to the right covered in moss and barely visible.  Stepping on one of the roots that snaked across the forest floor he was able to reach it.  He pulled with his finger tips at the moss, some broke free to reveal dull gray.  Stretching up on his toes, he dug his fingers deeper into the moss and pulled a chunk off.  There was a sign, gray and dull from age.

He could make out markings, but they didn't look like any kind of language he'd ever seen.  Most of the sign was still covered, so he stretched up on his toes, put his left hand over the door to steady him and ripped at the moss.  The wind picked up just enough to blow some of the falling moss right into his face, stinging his eyes.  Instinctively he rubbed at them and fell forward into the door.

He felt the door, then it was gone and he fell into the frigid world beyond.  Snow whipped at him as he looked out at the frozen landscape.  The ledge he tumbled onto broke under his weight.  He hit hard and lay there for a few seconds trying to pull icy air into his lungs.  He stood up and could see the outline of the door a few feet above his head.  The cliff wall offered no place to put hand or foot to climb so he looked out at the ice for something he could use to stand on.

With no gloves he would freeze fingers trying to pack snow at the base, but maybe he could wrap his t-shirt over his hands and carry a few rocks back.  If he stood on a pile of rocks and jumped, he should be able to push his hands through, grab something, and pull himself out of this frozen wasteland.  Looking for the closest outcrop of rock, a huge pile of snow caught his attention when it moved.

Todd rubbed his eyes and looked again.  The pile was definitely moving, but it wasn't snow, it was a huge polar bear and it was coming right at him.  Frantically, he looked around for some rocks he could use to get out of here.  That's when he seen the other piles of snow were also starting to get up and move towards him.

Todd turned to the cliff and tried desperately to get a hold and climb, but there wasn't anything to grip.  He jumped up and pushed; the door vanished as his hands pushed through.  There was nothing to grip!  He fell back to the ice.  The first bear was almost to him and the others were closing fast.  He jumped as high as he could and shoved his hands into the door.  They vanished into the grayness and he grabbed into nothingness.  Then he was falling and knew he wouldn't have time to try again.

This was it then, the end.  His hands were out of the gray and he felt the ice under his feet.  Something grabbed him and he screamed.  It wasn't one of the bears, it was a hand protruding through the doorway.  It gripped his arm and pulled.  He grabbed madly at the opening, then his fingers caught hold.  With the help of the stranger he was able to get one knee in.  He heard a loud growl and felt the hot breath on his other leg, then he fell into his own world, landing in the ferns beside someone.  They both looked up at a huge gaping mouth full of teeth.  The bears head hung above them for a second before it vanished back into the gray. The door shut.

Todd looked at the beautiful woman who had grabbed his arm and asked, “How did you know?”

Still staring at the outline on the tree, she answered, “I was just walking and seen a hand come out of the tree.  I didn't think, I just grabbed it and pulled... What the hell is that?”

“I'm not sure, but I'll tell you what happened over a good, stiff, drink!”