The Shepherd’s Gate Mystery
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The night was quiet. The stars shone above, the moon had set for the evening, and there was only the sound of the breeze through the trees to be heard. In a small clearing, hidden from the road by the dense forest that surrounded it, a large wooden building stood silent as a sentinel.
Its roof was low, its walls were thick and sturdy, and its windows were dark. It was a simple place, but one that could have been mistaken for an old abandoned barn if not for the small stone structure on top of it. It was lit only by a single lantern, but its light was bright enough to illuminate the path that led up to it.
As she approached the entrance, the woman looked up at the stone building with a look of fear in her eyes. She felt very alone as she reached out and pressed the door’s large iron handle. When she turned around again, the light of the lantern was gone. Only the faint glow of the stars above remained. The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath before entering the building.
She found herself in a small room filled with strange objects. A collection of books, statues, and even paintings lined the walls. There was also a small table that held a pot of water and several candles. And at the far end of the room, in the shadows, stood a man.
“Welcome,” he said quietly. “I am the Keeper.”
The woman blinked her eyes, feeling as though she were waking from a dream. Her mind was slow and sluggish, as though she was trying to remember something she couldn’t quite recall.
“I’m sorry?” she asked, looking back at the man. “What did you say?”
The Keeper smiled at her. “You are welcome here, dear child. I am the Keeper. And you are in my home.”
The woman looked around, but everything was still as she remembered it. “How do you know my name?”
“We all know each other, dear child. We are all family. You are safe here. I promise.”
The woman took another step forward. “Are you telling me that this is your house? That there’s no one else?”
“No one else, child. Only us.”
The woman walked slowly toward him and put her hand on his shoulder. She felt his muscles beneath her fingers, but when she tried to pull away, he only grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.
“Your eyes are beautiful,” he said. “So full of light.”
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Do you want to be free?”
The woman stared at him for a moment. “I don’t understand.”
“We are all born free, dear child. But we must make a choice. We can choose to stay, or we can choose to leave.”
“I don’t understand what you mean,” she said again.
“If you would like to be free, then you must find the key that will set you free. It is hidden somewhere within these walls. Once you have it, you must open the door to the world outside.”
“And what happens if I do?”
“Then you will be free.”
The woman thought for a moment before putting her hand on the wall and leaning against it. “But if I choose to stay, then you won’t let me go?”
“Only if you want to go.”
“Why would I want to leave?”
“Because you are tired of being afraid, and you are ready to live again.”
“You are right, I am tired of being afraid. But I’m not ready to live.”
“There is no need to rush, dear child. If you are happy here, then we will always welcome you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The choice is yours.”
“What do you mean?”
“To stay or to go.”
“I can’t decide now,” she said. “I need time to think.”
“You are safe here, dear child. No one will ever hurt you as long as you remain.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I am the Keeper.”
The woman turned and looked at the door. She took a deep breath and walked back to the table where she found a pen and paper. “Could you write down the name of the place I’m looking for? Maybe you could even draw it for me?”
“Of course, dear child.”
When he finished writing the words, the woman smiled. “Thank you.”
She tucked the paper into her pocket and stood up. “I’ll be back,” she said.
“I look forward to it, dear child.”
The woman left the room and walked slowly through the house. She paused briefly at each door and peered inside. At the end of the hall, she came upon a large wooden door with a heavy lock. She put her hand on the handle and twisted it gently.
When she opened the door, a blast of cold air rushed over her. A vast, dark cave stretched out before her, with stone stairs leading downward. The walls were covered in moss, and there was a thin layer of ice covering everything.
“Do you wish to be free?” the Keeper asked.
“Yes,” she said.
“Then come.”
The woman walked toward the stairs and began descending. She had no idea how far down they went, but she kept walking until she came to a small door carved from ice. She pushed it open and stepped into a small room filled with strange objects.
“What do you see?” the Keeper asked.
“A collection of old things,” she answered.
“If you would like to be free, then you must choose one of these things to take with you.”
“Which one should I choose?”
“Choose carefully, dear child. One will not be enough.”
“Are you saying that I have to bring them all?”
“No, just one.”
“But what if I want to bring all of them?”
“You will not be able to take anything else.”
“What happens if I choose wrong?”
“It will be your choice, dear child. You will either find the key that sets you free, or you will die here.”
“Why does it matter if I choose wrong? Why can’t I just stay here?”
“Because you are tired of being afraid, and you are ready to live again.”
“How long do I have to decide?”
“As long as you need.”
“I’m so confused. Are you sure this is my choice? Will I be free once I leave?”
“Only if you choose to be free.”
“You make it sound so easy, but I don’t understand.”
“It’s your choice, dear child.”
“I need time to think.”
“Time is precious, dear child. You will not have much of it.”
“Then I’ll take it. I’ll think about it and come back later.”
“We look forward to seeing you again, dear child.”
She walked back to the front door and stepped outside. The snow had stopped falling, but the wind still blew hard. She looked up at the sky and saw a brilliant full moon.
“Now what?” she said aloud. “I know I can’t stay here.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then follow the path.”
The woman turned around and began walking. She didn’t know where it led, but she knew she was supposed to walk. There were no trees in sight, only the white snow on the ground. She continued down the path and found a large, wooden gate carved from ice. On one side, she could see the dark forest, and on the other, the vast black ocean.
“That must be the sea,” she said. “Do you mean for me to swim there?”
“You will find what you are looking for.”
“Will I be safe?”
“Always, dear child.”
The woman reached out to touch the gate, and it slid open. She stepped through and into a vast, white field of snow. In the distance, she could see a small house covered in snow.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“This is where you will find the key to your freedom.”
“Where is the key?”
“You must search for it.”
“Search for what?”
“Look around, dear child. It’s all around you.”
She took a deep breath and began walking across the snow-covered field. At first, she saw nothing, but then she noticed an old, wooden door in the distance. She walked toward it and knocked on the frosted glass. When she opened the door, she was shocked to see a beautiful, red dress hanging inside.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” the dress said.
“Who are you?”
“You know who I am.”
“No, I don’t. What should I call you?”
“Call me Scarlet.”
“Scarlet, what happened to you?”
“I was made to be a queen, but they broke my heart and stole my crown.”
“Why did they do that?”
“Because they couldn’t bear to hear me sing. They were jealous of the love I shared with the people.”
“But why would anyone be jealous of something like that?”
“It’s not the way it seems. People are cruel, and jealousy is a terrible thing.”
“You’re so sad. Are you all alone here?”
“Yes, I’m all alone. No one ever comes here.”
“Can you help me?”
“I can try.”
“Are you sure? You might need to choose between me and the others.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out together.”
“If you would like to be free, then you must choose one of these things to take with you.”
“Which one should I choose?”
“Choose carefully, dear child. One will not be enough.”
“Are you saying that I have to bring them all?”
“No, just one.”
“Is there any way to know which one I should choose?”
“You will know when the time comes.”
Scarlet went back outside and looked at the door. She closed her eyes and thought about her choices. The woman took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
“I’ve decided,” she said. “I’m taking the red dress.”
“The red dress is a beautiful choice, dear child.”
Scarlet stepped through the gate and into the house. There was an enormous fireplace, and two women sat near the fire, playing cards. They were dressed in white, like the rest of the house.
“We were hoping you’d come back,” said one of the women.
“I’ve made my decision.”
“Good for you.”
“Will you help me?”
“Of course.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She walked into a large room filled with mirrors and candles. On the wall, she could see her reflection of herself.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the mirror.”
“Are you saying I should choose this?”
“Not yet.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall again. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with books. At the center of the room, she saw a small desk covered in papers and a pile of gold coins.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m looking for the key.”
“You can’t just walk in here!”
Scarlet turned around and walked out of the room. She was now in a huge ballroom. On the wall, she could see the reflection of a young man wearing a crown.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I am the king.”
“Why are you so sad?”
“My wife is dead, and my kingdom has fallen.”
“What happened to your kingdom?”
“They stole my throne and my crown.”
“Why would they do that?”
“Because they couldn’t bear to hear me sing.”
“But why would anyone be jealous of something like that?”
“It’s not the way it seems. People are cruel, and jealousy is a terrible thing.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with cages and cages of animals. She heard the sound of music coming from somewhere near the end of the hall.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the cage.”
“Are you saying that I should choose this?”
“Not yet.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with books. On the wall, she could see the reflection of a beautiful woman dressed in red.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the dress.”
“Are you saying that I should choose this?”
“Not yet.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with jewels and gold.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the crown.”
“Are you saying that I should choose this?”
“Not yet.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with statues. She could hear the sound of music coming from somewhere near the end of the hall.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the mirror.”
“Are you saying that I should choose this?”
“Not yet.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with candles and mirrors. At the end of the hall, she saw a young man playing a harp.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I am the harp.”
“Why do you play so sad?”
“Because I want to be free.”
“But why would anyone want to hold you back?”
“It’s not the way it seems. People are cruel, and jealousy is a terrible thing.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with gold coins.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the key.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with jewels and jewels of every color.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the crown.”
“Are you saying that I should choose this?”
“Not yet.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with paintings. On the wall, she could see the reflection of a beautiful woman dressed in blue.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I’m the painting.”
“Why are you so sad?”
“Because I want to be free.”
“But why would anyone want to hold you back?”
“It’s not the way it seems. People are cruel, and jealousy is a terrible thing.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with music.
“This is where I will find the key to my freedom.”
“I’ve been waiting for you, dear child.”
“Who are you?”
“I’m the harp.”
“Why do you play so sad?”
“Because I want to be free.”
“But why would anyone want to hold you back?”
“It’s not the way it seems. People are cruel, and jealousy is a terrible thing.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with candles and candlesticks. At the end of the hall, she saw a young man playing the violin.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I am the violin.”
“Why do you play so sad?”
“Because I want to be free.”
“But why would anyone want to hold you back?”
“It’s not the way it seems. People are cruel, and jealousy is a terrible thing.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with paintings and portraits. At the end of the hall, she could see the reflection of a beautiful woman dressed in green.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I’m the mirror.”
“Are you saying that I should choose this?”
“Not yet.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with books. On the shelves, she could see the reflection of a beautiful woman dressed in purple.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“I’m the painting.”
“Why do you paint so sad?”
“Because I want to be free.”
“But why would anyone want to hold you back?”
“It’s not the way it seems. People are cruel, and jealousy is a terrible thing.”
Scarlet turned around and began walking down the hall. She passed through another open doorway and entered a room filled with music and harps.
The End