Prompt: Write a short story about a man who discovers a magical portal
Response:
Every day, Joe walked to the same spot in the park close to his home. He had grown up in this city and knew every nook and cranny.
That was until one day, when he found a portal hidden in the park. It wasn’t like any other portal he had ever seen. It was an oval black, and appeared to be made out of glass.
Curiosity got the better of Joe, so he stepped through the portal. He was in a different world. It was night and there was a moon in the sky. He could see the stars through the glass portal.
As he looked around, he saw a castle in the distance. He started toward it, but before he could get any closer, he felt a dull pain in his chest. He dropped to his knees, barely able to breathe.
When the pain subsided, Joe realized that he was no longer in the park. He was lying in a field outside the castle. The castle was just a building in the distance.
Joe was confused, so he tried to get up. But he couldn’t. He was too weak. He vaguely remembered being able to walk before, but now he couldn’t even lift his head.
He was about to give up when he saw somebody coming toward him. It was a woman in a white dress. She was carrying a white light in her hand.
When she got close, Joe saw that she was beautiful. Her skin was pale and her eyes were blue. She looked down at him and said, “I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to go back.”
Then she turned and walked away.