"The Planet Entrance" by Amia Mathew: March 2026 Runner Up

A soft wind guides me deeper into the courtyard. I think that maybe the breezes are telling me something.

After all, here in Azephyira, people claim that many strange–yet mystical–things happen.

Some say they have heard animals speak, or have randomly started floating.

So yeah, the wind trying to talk to me isn’t that out of the ordinary.

I swish through the tall weeds. Following the way the gusts are blowing, I keep walking until I reach the fence.

I’m not allowed to climb the fence.

The wind thrusts me.

“I’m not allowed to move any further!” I yell hopelessly.

I sit down against the fence and look around. Clovers growing, a baby bunny, a tree beginning to find its green leaves. A door engraved in that tree, begging for me to open it.

What?

That door wasn’t there before…

I’m about to run and open it when Mama calls, “Supper!”

“One minute!”

“NOW!”

I trudge inside. Maybe someone in my family has seen the door.

***

At supper, Mama and Papa are talking, and my brother Zephyr is playing with his food. I’m thinking about how to approach them about the door.

My hands are trembling because of my anticipation, and I accidentally drop my silverware.

Everyone stops what they’re doing and stares.

“Ruby?” Mama asks, raising an eyebrow.

“What’s the strange door in the tree?!” I blurt out.

“That’s always been there.” Mama insists, eyeing Zephyr nervously.

Papa nods in agreement.

I don’t want to argue, so I continue eating.

***

Later that evening, Zephyr drags me back into the courtyard.

He doesn’t seem like his normal self.

We weave through the bushes in silence, until he finally speaks up.

“That door,” he says, “wasn’t always there. Mama and Papa were lying.”

“Then how did it get there? When? Why?” I’m wild with curiosity.

“This morning, I felt a strange energy in my body. I released it, a-and it created the door. So I opened it, and well, take a look.”

I pull the door open, and my jaw drops. There’s a sphere with patches of green and large bodies of shimmering blue liquid.

Zephyr speaks up again.

“I think it's called Earth.”