Behind the Yellow Door/Month of August , The Ink Well Contest

That day began like any other day for Mari. She got up early, prepared breakfast, got ready and went to work. On the way to the bus stop, she meditated on how monotonous her life was.

The girl with thick glasses and old clothes, took the bus and as usual, got off a block before the school, where she worked as a librarian, a job she did not like, but it was the one her mother chose for her; Her dream was to be a television presenter, but her mother said she did not have enough talent or beauty to study journalism.

"Good morning," she greeted crestfallen, at the entrance of the school.

"Good morning, Miss Mari," said the doorman.

Mari went to the library without saying a word to anyone else. When she got there, she put her things away and began to arrange books.

She had never had any friends; her mother had taken care of that. She was a shy and insecure girl, who lived in the shadow of her mother, and now that she had passed away, she had been left alone, so she felt that life was weighing on her.

"Hello, could you help me?", asked, The teacher Lina, with a smile on her lips.
"Yes", just that answered Mari, without even raising her head.

"I need a Geography book, from Fifth Grade".

The Girl got up, went for the book, and handed it to the teacher.

"Thank you, I hope you have a great day."

"A GREAT DAY!" she said to herself; "they don't exist, good morning to me."

The hours passed and her workday ended. When the library was left alone, Mari set about organizing the shelves and tables, something at the end of the last aisle caught her attention.

"When did they put that door there", she wondered.

A gleaming yellow door was between the two aisles.

"How could I not have noticed that?"

Mari slowly approached it, then the door burst open and a strong light came out of it, illuminating the whole place.

The girl was blinded, she felt that they held her hands and dragged her, making her cross the door.

She recovered her vision and was amazed to discover what was behind that yellow door.

It was the most beautiful garden that Mari had ever seen in her life, flowers of many colors were there, with beautiful butterflies fluttering from one side to the other.

In the middle was a path of stones, she wanted to walk further, then she saw a small lady with curly red hair, wearing a pink hat on her head and a kind of magic wand in her right hand.

Mari turned around and ran towards the yellow door, but when she was about to go out, it slammed shut; she tried to open it, but the knob would not turn.

"Wait, Mari."

"Why do you know my name?

"Not only do I know your name, I know you very well".

Mari shuddered, hearing these words, she clenched her fists, her muscles tensed, trying to open the door.

"Don't be afraid, little girl, I won't hurt you".

Mari was surprised, seeing that little lady, she could float.

"Who are you?"

"I am your Fairy Godmother".

"My what?"

"You heard right, I am your Fairy Godmother, I am here to help you".

"I don't need help anymore," Mari said, with her eyes down, on the floor.

"Even if you don't want to, I will help you".

Saying this, he lifted Mari, by the shoulders and carried her to a crystalline creek.

"What do you see there," he said showing, Mari's reflection in the creek.

Mari looked at it and said: "An ugly, faded, good-for-nothing woman".

Tears welled up, from Mari's eyes and fell on, her reflection in the water.

"That's what your mother made you believe, but behind that disguise, that she forced you to wear, hides a beautiful woman, waiting for you to let her blossom".

"Can't you see me; I'm ugly!".

"On many occasions, but I never could, a spell on your mother prevented me, now that she is gone, the spell is broken".

The Fairy Godmother, took her magic wand, said a few words and cast a lightning bolt, on Mari; The girl fell to her knees, then, looked at her reflection again, she was shocked, to see her face free of pimples, she no longer had her thick glasses and was completely erect.

She touched her face, in disbelief and cried with emotion.

"You can go now".

Mari got up and walked back down the stone path, from afar she could make out the yellow door, when she reached it, she could open it easily, when she crossed it, it did not lead her to the Library, but to her home.

The girl never heard from her Fairy Godmother again, but from that day on, she became a confident and determined woman, she studied journalism and became a great TV presenter.

The cover image was made by modifying an images fromdassel and susan-lu4esm at pixabay

The translation of the text was done with DeepL Traductor