For this one, you must persuade a magical gate keeper to guide you to the correct door.
BEHIND THE DOOR (any gender, mid teens through late life)
Just a hint? Please? I've never been good at these games. Back in the real world, well, the world where I come from? When they did magic tricks, I'd pick the wrong hand, the wrong goblet, the wrong card. And now I'm sure to pick the wrong door. I'm SURE to. Because you've got me all nervous with your gatekeeper speech:
The door to my right-- your left-- could bare
The pathway straight to the overlord's lair
Or this door to my right- your left- could lead
To the pit of the harpies who make mortals bleed
And the door to my left-- your right-- is full
Of the same probabilities. Well, neither is dull!
And that's all I've got to go on? Like, if I'm pure of heart, I'll somehow know the right door to go through? The overlord doesn't let you give people a hint? A misleading hint, probably. But if I KNOW it's misleading then that could help.
And I think you want to help me, Mr. Gatekeeper. Because the overlord must be taken down. It's not a matter of IF, it's a matter of WHEN. I mean look at yourself. Thin as a skeleton, your suit collecting dust, all those royal colors faded to almost nothing... It's not love that keeps you standing post here, is it? It's fear of the overlord. But if you help me... no more overlord.
And you're safe, either way: You never led me to the right door. You did your job and gave me the misleading hint. So: trick me.
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes.
If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"