10 Magical Short Stories: Hidden Doors, Lost Maps, and Other Bedtime Adventures by Oakley Finn

Author:Oakley, Finn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2024-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

6

The Trapdoor Under the Bed

One rainy evening, twins Ben and Lucy were supposed to be getting ready for bed. But as usual, they weren’t sleepy at all.

“I don’t want to go to bed yet,” Lucy whispered, bouncing on her mattress.

“Me neither,” Ben agreed, flipping through the pages of his comic book.

They shared the same room, like many siblings, and their twin beds were pushed up against opposite walls. So that meant they each had their half of the room. The rain outside was falling gently against the window, but inside, the room felt cozy and safe.

“Ever wonder what’s under the bed?” Lucy asked suddenly, as she stared up at the ceiling.

Ben paused, looked up from his comic book and twisted his face. “You mean like monsters?”

Lucy giggled. Ben always made her laugh. “Yeah, but not creepy monsters. What if there were nice ones? Monsters that could be our friends? Wouldn’t that be cool?”

Ben loved when Lucy got these wild ideas and he made a wide grin. “Maybe there’s a whole world of monsters under there,” he said, playing along. “Maybe they’re just waiting for us to join in the fun! But how do you think we’re supposed to get there?”

Lucy jumped off the bed and said, “I can think of only one way to find out!”

She went to her knees and took a quick peek under her bed. All she saw was the usual stuff—a random sock, dust bunnies, and a board game they hadn’t played in years. She was about to give up, when something caught her eye. Right in the middle of the floor, between their two beds, was a small square shape—a hidden door!

“Ben, come look!” Lucy whispered urgently.

Ben tossed his comic aside and hurried over. “Whoa! Is that… a trapdoor?”

Could it be an actual trapdoor? It had a small, brass handle, and the edges of the door were lined with tiny carvings that looked like swirling clouds and stars. Why had they never noticed it before? That was weird.

Lucy grabbed the handle and pulled. She was impulsive! The door creaked open, and before them was a wooden ladder leading down into a dark, mysterious tunnel.

“Incredible!” Ben whispered, his heart racing. “Think it’s safe?”

Early to plough forward, Lucy nodded. “Maybe not, but let’s go anyway!”

Lucy started climbing down the ladder before Ben could protest. That was her usual trick to get what she wanted. Ben hesitated for just a second, then followed her, his excitement bubbling up despite his nerves.

Straight down they went, the wooden rungs creaking. It felt like the ladder would never end. Then their feet felt solid ground, and they found themselves standing in a strange new world.

It wasn’t dark at all like they had expected. In fact, it was brightly lit, with colorful glowing mushrooms growing all around them. The ground was soft, almost like a giant sponge, and in the distance, they could hear the cheerful sound of laughter and music.

Ben looked around the awesome landscape. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know, but it’s incredible!” Lucy said, spinning in a circle as she took it all in.

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