The Door That Opened Twice

The first time the door opened, a soft creak echoed through the narrow hallway of the old house. Olivia had always thought there was something peculiar about that door. It was the last one in the hallway, tucked away just beyond the dusty grandfather clock that hadn’t chimed in decades.

She was ten then, sitting cross-legged on the floor, playing with her dollhouse. The door had swung open gently, as if nudged by an invisible hand. She’d peered in, expecting to see an ordinary closet, but instead found only darkness and the scent of lavender. Her curiosity piqued, Olivia leaned in, but the sound of her…