Beyond the Door

Davin wore a white shirt and white pants in a room with white walls and bright lights. A pair of small vents with white teeth circulated the air in his room. Davin padded the length of his room, counting out each step as he placed heel in front of toe. It was twenty-four paces long and twelve paces deep. Along the length of one wall was some kind of glass. Seven. At times it would look just like all the other white walls, but every so often it would change and be a different color. Eight. If he was lucky, it would be a picture. Nine.

The last picture he saw was three days ago. It was of a beach with crystal clear waves breaking on white sand and dark gray rocks. He thought he knew where the place was, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen it before. Thirteen. He remembered something else. It was the third day since he saw the picture. Fifteen. They were going to come today. Davin stopped pacing. He was nine paces from the white wall. This white wall held a door while the one directly behind him had a nook he used to sleep.

Davin didn’t have to wait long. Within ten seconds of stopping he heard an electronic beep followed by the metallic thud of the bolt sliding open. He strode over to the door without a handle and used his bare hands to push it out. The door resisted as if it didn’t want to open but it began to give way as Davin leaned harder. The world beyond the door Davin thought.