Life’s a Beach

When the email came, it was brief and blunt. "I have left the keys at the house," it read, "One beneath the turtle potted plant and the other under the mat. If you fail to find them, may I recommend nearest Four Seasons?" There was no signature line.

“Or if you can’t afford Four Seasons, I recommend the nearest Twelve Months, or Three Hundred and Sixty Five Days. Anyways, take care now,” the email read. I found myself at the foot of the stairs, staring straight into the door. Alright. I found both keys then unlocked the door.

I walked down a short hallway then entered a semicircular room. There were 3 doors along the curved wall. I opened the left hand door and walked through, into a short hallway. That led to a semicircular room with 4 doors along the curved wall.

Choosing a door, I continued, sucked deeper into an endless labyrinth of doors and hallways. Losing track of all time, I finally came to the end. One door remained in front of me, lit by a soft, pulsating glow. Locked. I patted my pockets. Thankfully, I brought the keys with me.

Unlocking the door, I noticed a faint odor—salty & fresh—leak from the other side. "This should be the center of the labyrinth," I said to my pet sparrow Phobs. I opened the door not to find the Library of Zardipyyn, but a sunny beach with lively blue waves crashing on its shore.

"Phobs?" The bird squawked, sounding equally as confused as I was. The waves crashed around us, leading my eyes down the beach towards a dim cave. "Maybe the Library of Zardipyyn is in there." I stated as we started down the beach.

At the end of the beach we saw it. The gigantic book the size of Everest in the middle of the ocean. It opened up, and out poured millions of demons on horses, flying towards us to bring about the apocalypse. My brethren were here. The bird shrieked in terror. Let's end the world