https://www.writersdigest.com/your-story-140

Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.

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Sabrina stood before the portal opening, staring into the light. The world behind her was cold and dark, and there was a force pulling her farther and farther in. Her mind was reeling; she wasn’t sure if it was a safe place to go or a trap. Fearing for her safety in her darkened world, Sabrina felt that this was a chance she was willing to take. 

Upon entering the lit world, Sabrina felt light on her feet and surprisingly happy. She hadn’t felt this way in years, and it was not only like a true light at the end of a tunnel, but it was also like a dream come true. Weeks had passed, and all of her wishes to be happy again were finally being granted. With no end in sight and no one visible, Sabrina twirled around, enjoying this beautiful feeling for a short time, knowing that this was too good to be true. 

It seemed like hours that Sabrina spun and twirled, a melody only in her head, only for her ears. When she finally stopped, it was as if time had stood still. The dark doorway she had come through was still dark, and the world around her was brightly illuminated and smelling like something sweet. She was unsure of what to do and knew that if she stayed in one place too long, she would again become mesmerised and might never find a place she could finally call home. 

Wishing her life were simple and decisions she hoped for happened spontaneously, Sabrina sighed and pulled herself together, gathering her courage to move forward. Slowly, putting one foot in front of the other, she started to see a path appear, a path heading away from this dancing spot but going to where she did not know. Each step was terrifying but also exciting and suspenseful. 

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes, Sabrina came upon a small cottage. From the front, the cottage looked well cared for and actually very inviting. She could not hear anybody inside and wondered to herself if it was empty. Knocking quickly on the door, before she lost this newfound courage, Sabrina waited, but there was no answer. Trying the doorknob, she realized the door was unlocked, so she stepped inside. To her surprise, she found her sturdy desk from home in the center of the room, surrounded by books, hundreds of books. And on the desk were her pencils and her pens next to stacks of paper. Some of the papers had lines, while some did not, but Sabrina couldn’t care less about the papers; she focused on the chair that was pushed up to the desk, the chair she recognized well. 

Seeing the chair, Sabrina smiled, a piece of her past that she hadn’t seen in years! It was this chair that had provided her with all her inspiration to write, to become who she was today. It was in this chair that Granny had sat, with her long flowing dress and purple feathered hat. Her Granny, her hero. Sabrina looked around, looking for some hint that Granny was actually here, but she found none. Instead, she walked to the desk and sat down in the chair. 

Sabrina sat for a long time. She could not believe that she had been blessed with such a smart and talented granny as Granny was. Granny was her saving grace. This was what she had been looking for, hoping to find, yet she hadn’t even known to look for it.