THE MOMENT
"Why?" Fox questioned the sign aloud. He stood in a narrow, white hallway in front of a set of double red doors. A sign on the door read: "Zeros Only" and it was enough to grab Fox's curiosity. He'd had a full day so far. He'd learned more about the multiverse in one day than in 12 years of universe-hopping. A kind stranger put him in touch with other kind strangers and eventually he met someone named Mundo that explained everything to him.
He probably would not have given the sign a second thought before. But, now he knew what a Zero was, and he knew he was a Unique Soul. It sounded to Fox like Uniques were better than Zeros, and it left him wondering why he couldn't go through the red doors. He glanced up and down the hall, but there was no sign of anyone else. He was encouraged to explore the building freely after his orientation with Mundo, though he was advised to pay attention to the signage.
"A peek won't hurt anything," Fox decided. He pulled on the handle and was surprised when it opened easily. "If they really wanted to keep people out, they would have secured it better," Fox chuckled to himself, then took a step in. He found himself in a white foyer area that matched the hall with another set of red doors showing the same warning. "Zeros Only".
"We'll see about that," Fox smiled and pulled the second door open. He stepped into a large, tall room that looked more like an empty banquet hall than an office. The only thing of note was another red door. A single one this time, in the center of the room.
"Huh?" Fox headed toward the door. As he drew closer he noticed a wicker basket on the white floor by the door. He looked in as he approached and identified black fur. Then, it moved. The dark furry figure unwound into the shape of a small black cat. A red patch of fur atop its head looked like a skull from directly above.
"Well, this just raises all kinds of questions," Fox chuckled to himself. The cat looked up at him and tilted its head. "I'll find out more about you in a bit, kitty," Fox reached for the red metal handle of the red door. "...but first, this door is calling my na-," Fox stopped moving and speaking. His hand was nearly wrapped around the handle; but, the hadn't made contact yet.
"You're not supposed to be here," a soft, feminine voice said from behind. Fox tried to turn toward the owner, but his body would not respond. "But, that's easy enough to fix," she said. Then, Fox blinked.
When he opened his eyes again he was no longer standing. He still could not move but now he sat on the floor against a white wall. He faced the red door in the center of the room and the black cat sat on its haunches focused on Fox.
"I don't know if this actually helps anything...," the cat spoke with the same voice that surprised Fox earlier. If he could move, his eyebrows would have been raised in surprise. "...but, I don't like killing people without telling them why," the cat said. She bowed her head and Fox saw the red patch of fur in a new light. This cat could talk; it definitely wasn't normal. She threatened to kill him. It probably wasn't a coincidence the red patch looked like a skull.
"My name's Janet," the cat said. Then, she tilted her small head towards the door.
"You see that red door?" she asked. Fox could not answer, but he did not have to. His eyes could not look away from the door. "That's why I'm killing you," she said. "You don't know what that door is or where it leads. But, just knowing it exists. Just having seen it,... you know too much. I'm going to unfreeze your mouth so you may speak any last words you have," Janet said. Fox felt his jaw loosen.
"I don't understand.. it's just a door!" Fox said. He kept trying to move while speaking but his body would not listen. Janet nodded.
"That's the point," she said. "We can't risk you ever understanding. Although, speaking of understanding," Janet said. She trotted closer to Fox. "I hope you understand how to follow directions a little bit better in your next life." Then, Fox blinked.