Her heart was pounding. She was sure she had seen the doorknob turn.


Mackenzie and her family had just moved to Chicago.



“Mom! Where should I put this box?” Mackenzie asked trying to be helpful.



“Oh, that can just go in the basement,” Her mother ordered her. She hoisted the box up and walked down the stairs. She looked around for a nice spot to set it. She finally spotted a pleasant place.



“I’ll just move this box...” She said talking to herself. She used her foot to push the other box. Behind it was a small door. “What’s this?’ She asked. She touched the doorknob and began to turn.



“Kenzie can you help me with this?” Her mom called.



“Umm, ya. Sure.” She replied staring at the door. She set down the box and ran upstairs.

Later that night Mackenzie thought about the door.Why was it so small? What did it lead to? Why was it there? She couldn’t stop thinking about all the possible things behind it. She turned to her bedside table. There sat her flashlight she used for reading when she was supposed to be sleeping.



I shouldn’t. She thought, hesitating to pick it up. But, against her thoughts, she grabbed her flashlight and tipped-toed out of her room.



Mackenzie silently climbed down the stairs. She pushed the box very slowly. She reached for the doorknob. Nothing.Mackenzie went back to bed, very disappointed.



The morning after at breakfast, Mackenzie told her mom about the door. Purposely skipping her trip to the basement later that night.



“I’m sure it’s nothing sweetie.” She mom told her, paying more attention to the newspaper.



“Well, I don’t think so.” Mackenzie said, more to herself than her mom. She picked up her plate and took it to the sink. She looked out the window to see a beautiful summer morning. Her mom looked at her watch.



“Oh dear I’m going to be late for work!” She said and kissed Mackenzie good-bye.

Mackenzie went down to the basement as soon as her mom left. She was about halfway down the stairs when she saw it happen.


Her heart was pounding, she was sure she had seen the doorknob turn.





She hesitated. She didn’t know whether to turn and run or to keep going. Well, she was too late and the door opened. Mackenzie slowly started to back away, but suddenly, a small creature came out. It appeared to be an elf. The elf looked at her in a confused sort of way. He just walked right past Mackenzie and headed straight to the stairs.


“No! Wait come back!” She called after the little elf walking up the stairs. The elf stopped walking and looked at Mackenzie. He gave her a nice long stare, then continued his travel up the flight of stairs.



Mackenzie ran after him and followed him to his destination. It was the living room. he sat on the couch and stared to fiddle with the remote. As Mackenzie followed the little elf around the house. The phone rang.



“Hello?” Mackenzie said looking at the elf.



“Hey hun I’ll be home in a sec. See you then,” Mackenzie’s mom said.



“Ya. Okay. Bye,” Mackenzie said and hung up the phone. She was so focused on the elf it took her a minute to actually realize she had to do something with the elf. “Omigosh!!” Mackenzie cried, “come on little elf. Let’s go back into your, um, door,” She said while gently shoving the elf toward the stairs. Then Mackenzie heard a car door slam. She started to push the elf harder trying to get it to go. It ran off up the stairs and down the stairs. Mackenzie had no idea where the elf went.



“Hi honey!” her mom said setting her purse down a the table. “What’s the matter? You look worried.”



“Oh, me? Nothings wrong. Um, ya I’m, ah, fine. Ya, fine,” Mackenzie said trying to look around as not noticeable as she could.



Her mom lifted up a bag with some food. “I have some dinner. Do you want some?” Her mom asked.



“Uh, ya. Ya that would be...great,” Mackenzie replied.



Once dinner was over Mackenzie’s mom walked into the living room. The elf had left a giant mess.



“Mackenzie!! Come clean this mess up. I raised you better than that!”



“It was the elf I tell you!” Mackenzie yelled. She ran into the basement. “Where are you elf? I know your here!” Mackenzie called out. All of a sudden, the elf came out of his little door. He smiled sneaky like, and ran back in.



“MOM COME DOWN HEREEE!” Mackenzie cried. Her mom came rushing down the stairs.

“What’s wrong honey!?” Her mom asked. She sounded really worried.


“See that door? That’s where the elf is!!” her mom looked very confused.


“There isn’t a door there..Are you okay?” Her mom still looked worried.



“Wha-what?” Mackenzie looked over where the door was. It wasn’t there. “Mom, I swear it was there, the elf. It made that mess, I-I promise!” Mackenzie was confused. She just walked past her mom, up the stairs, and went to bed. She woke up the next morning, and didn’t remember a thing. Her mom was keeping watch of her all day, still a little worried. But, after a few days, they all just got over it.

It turns out, she was imagining it the whole thing. She had gone a little crazy from moving, and became paranoid.