I opened the door in the forest at the end of time.
The air was both fractal and fractured. As I paced from side to side, I could see different realities stemming from the trees, weaved and folded into each other. Some on spectrums of light and space that my eyes could not properly perceive.
I gazed into the holographic forest and, with each step, skipped hundreds, sometimes thousands of years in every direction - forwards, backward, sideways in time. The opaque structures extending upward from the ground were ablaze with shimmering branches and leaves. Each leaf an ethereal window projecting its worlds through countless rays of light.
There were places that had been worn down, pockets missing from the landscape. I am unable to describe the true absence of something correctly. Nothingness is not simply the absence. It is not a color or shape or lack thereof. It simply is “not.”
The door was many things. When I turned the knob it was wood, maybe oak, and approximately three feet wide. It stood at the center of the forest. Moving in a straight line toward the door, directly to the center, was the only way to maintain a path. Going left or right changed your angle relative to the center, and therefore, the reality being reflected towards you. The entire concept of the forest would change, but more importantly, the appearance of the door.
It could look vaguely like a door, of which there are infinite possible combinations of shape, size, color, and texture. It could also look like a living thing, both animal and being. Sometimes, it was a solid surface or empty void. There were many forms it took in its many universes. From what I know, which is not much, my guess is the door is a bridge to another dimension. Whatever plane of existence you are in has its own entrance to this nexus.
I know that time stops in the forest. The worlds displayed around me were frozen but alive; a humming tapestry of existence. I also believe that my mind filled in details that it did not comprehend. If you see something that you have no concept of, your mind does not register it. I did, however, see another lifeform in the distance. Was someone else lost in there with me?
I was too afraid to run in pursuit of the answer. For fear of encountering a force superior to myself; but also because I did not want to lose my path. The door was recognizable. I could see it, and therefore walk through it. After countless attempts approaching it, believe me, this was no small task. But still, the idea that a single solitary thing was there with me was terrifying - unbearable.
I remember being lost in the woods when I was younger. I had gone exploring, and before I knew it, the light in the sky faded. Darkness fell, and the beautiful colors of the plant life around me had dissolved into blackness. The rustle of the plants in the wind turned from sparks of enchantment to those of worry. Suddenly, leaves became footsteps, thumps became invaders, and any signs of life were warnings of death. I’m not sure how I made it out of the woods that night, but morning was my savior. The ability to see clearly is comforting, right?
But what if what you’re seeing is the stuff of nightmares. Or rather, you long for your nightmares because you could never conjure something so horrific with your own imagination. My mind ran wild with possibilities. I used to think darkness and sound were the worst. Now I know it is light and silence.
My eyes were on the door, but my mind was on the monster.
Movement.
I shot my head to the right, and my body followed. A tail? No. Maybe a tentacle. A breath behind me. I turn again. The door was gone. It was now a collection of rock-like masses suspended in a grid. Instead of anger or frustration, I felt pure dread. The truth was, I would be trapped perpetually with no escape, and eventually, it would find me.
I had to do something. Running toward the center of the forest was the quickest option but dangerous. If I didn’t choose a reality conducive to my survival, I could easily perish. I pondered, stepping through the door onto a world whose gateway was the aforementioned rock-like mass suspended in a grid. Was that world just random formations and voids? Were there worlds full of poison and darkness? Or perhaps the world where this creature was from would be my destination.
I felt something wet graze my neck. It was rough and heavy - a tongue. Before I even processed the feeling fully, my legs went into an automatic flight response. I sprinted towards the center and intermittently lost and gained senses. To go from normal vision to blindness to tetrachromacy in a matter of seconds, disorients one on an entirely unique and terrifying level. The same thing happened to my other senses as well. Something about the center of the forest, the energy between worlds, manipulated everything around it. Fortunately, my brain was able to unconsciously process information it gathered from those brief moments of power and put me on a path to a recognizable door. I instinctively reached out as if reaching for a handle, and when I happened to grab one, I went through it and shut the door immediately behind me.
Was I home? No..
I heard chanting of some kind, and with my vision blurred, made out a large fire. Young males in matching uniforms approached me, holding white rounded puffs on sticks. They looked nothing like me but carried the same general form, and the sounds they made were strange and loud. Their world was a dull reflection of my own. It felt familiar but polluted - angry. The tones of their voices were surprise, shock, elation. I managed to look down at my limbs and realized they were not my own.
This all happened a few days ago. I think my energy and consciousness were placed in this body, Simon’s body. We are beginning to fuse, and I fear I am losing myself. His thoughts and memories are slowly eating away at my own. I’ve been able to use his understanding of your language to communicate with some people, but many of your species are stubborn and ignorant. They have made attempts to restrain and silence me. This seems like the best place to seek help.
Before I am eclipsed completely, please help me. If you know anything of the door at the end of time, find me. Find Scoutmaster Simon Williams.