At first the door does not open. Then after a few seconds a low hissing sound begins to emerge from the socket hole at the base of the door. The snake that Simon had followed to this place emerges from the hole and arcs up towards him.

"Sso now you know your name. Sso what does SSSimon Ssay?"

Simon reaches down and grasps the snake around the base of it's jaw, pulling it upwards towards his face. The snake's tail pops out of the hole and whips around helplessly in midair.

Simon's voice is cold and even as frost on a windless lake. "Do not mock my name. Open this door now. And after that, I will take the lead and you will follow me."

The snake laughs a drooling slither beneath his hands. After a few more seconds, the door opens soundlessly inward, revealing a corridor of dark grey shadows.

"After you," says the snake. "Into the Nothing…"

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This has been the Twentieth Chapter of Act Two for my ongoing #freewrite serial story.

ACT TWO CHAPTERS

Chapter One *** Chapter Two *** Chapter Three

Chapter Four*** Chapter Five*** Chapter Six

Chapter Seven*** Chapter Eight*** Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten*** Chapter Eleven*** Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen*** Chapter Fourteen*** Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen*** Chapter Seventeen*** Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Here is chapter Twenty One.

And here is the ACT ONE Chapter List, with all of the links for Act One.

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Written in five minutes from the writing prompts, "Nothing" as part of the #freewrite exercise. Image is by me as well. You can view the prompt here. Be sure to check out the other freewrites, they certainly ain't not nothing no how. Thanks to @mariannewest for creating and running this daily validation of literary existence.

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Writing and images by Greg McCann, the author of this post and owner of this Steemit Channel. To view more of my work, please visit www.fireawaymarmot.com.