Last month, I used a prompt to launch a new adventure for my comedic duo, Sebastian and Jimmy. While that tale ultimately centered around a simple meal, its magical wrinkle let me dip my toes into blending their tales with fantasy. This month, I fully embraced that combination. Since Sebastian and Jimmy are my loving homage to Abbott & Costello, shifting their comedic antics into otherworldly settings has opened the door to some truly fun, and occasionally strange options for serial storytelling.
Picking up where Reflected Possibilities left off, this next installment throws them straight into the action. Sebastian’s curiosity has always been a hazard, but now it’s magnetic. When the duo stumbles upon a hidden doorway shrouded in brick and fog, they’re pulled into a mystery that refuses to follow logic—or the rules of reality. They’ve chased reflections before, but this path is stranger, deeper, and littered with questions neither of them are prepared to face.
This isn’t just a continuation—it’s a challenge. A corridor stands before them, daring them to speak their truths aloud. Most would turn back. But Sebastian? He only knows how to move forward.
“Aren’t you satisfied?” Sebastien asked, casting a glance over his shoulder.
Jimmy thumped his chest, stuffed a hand in his pocket, and eyed the ledger under Sebastian’s arm. “You do realize this is how horror movies start, right? Strange streets, rusty keys, and two fools without a lick of common sense.”
With a groan, Sebastian stopped and shoved a finger into his friend’s chest. “You’ve had your lunch, isn’t that enough?”
“You think buying me an average sandwich makes up for chasing ghosts?”
“It was your pastrami on rye,” Sebastian said, clapping his friend’s shoulder. “Isn’t that your favorite item from any deli?”
“Hold on,” Jimmy said as he eased his friend back. “From the right deli, it’s a sandwich without equal.”
“Then what are you complaining about?”
Jimmy snatched the ledger and brandished it like a deadly weapon. “You’ve got me chasing mirrors, a door, and a rusty key, with the looming threat something’s gonna happen to me. And you think a third-rate pastrami erases those negatives?”
“You’re overreacting,” Sebastian said as he reclaimed the ledger, tucking it under his arm. “There’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing.”
Jimmy peered past his friend and drew a hand down his face. With a huff, he straightened and turned Sebastian around. “Do you see the fog rolling onto our path? That patch of fog is a guarantee a future mugging, not to mention a screeching violin. Between the fog, the confusion, and a pair of idiots without backup, we’re doomed.”
Sebastian’s arm flailed as he rounded on his friend, shoving his face into Jimmy’s. “You’re being dramatic. There’s nothing unnatural about a fog.”
“It’s the middle of the afternoon!”
“Bah,” Sebastian said as he resumed his march down the street. With each step, the air grew thicker as the fog curled around them like fingers grasping streetlamps, muffling their footfalls. After they crossed several streets, Sebastian paused in front of an alley and raced into it. Halfway down the dead end, he stopped and stared at the brick wall. He reached out and traced the mortar around the solitary discolored brick. “It’s crumbly.”
“What’s that?”
Sebastian tapped the mortar lining the odd-colored brick as he turned toward Jimmy. “This has to be the next clue.”
“Why, because it’s falling apart with a touch?” He watched Sebastian as he continued clearing mortar. “There’s a chance it’s failing because they made it with inferior ingredients, or it’s just really old.”
Sebastian stabbed the mixture next to another brick, and nothing happened. “This probably used the same mix and most likely was installed around the same time. Which means the first one is hiding the secret to the door’s ultimate location.”
“Are you saying pulling out one brick reveals a door?” Jimmy shook his head and stabbed the odd brick. He placed each hand at one end of it, then moved his hands to his friend without altering the distance. “I don’t think we’ll fit through the opening we find.”
“Clearly, there’s no door here.”
“Unless it’s sized for mice or small rodents.”
“Oh, would you knock it off,” Sebastian said, moving Jimmy out of the way. He dug out the mortar and pulled the brick free. Instantly, several bricks shimmered before pulsing with a flash of bright light. When they could see, Sebastian chuckled as he withdrew the rusty key from his pocket and tapped the doorknob. “Turns out one brick can hide a whole door, provided you know how to make it work.”
“Nope, not going to happen.” Jimmy backed away, his arms shooting toward the clouds. “I’ve read books and seen enough movies and TV to know a magic door when I see one. And that’s a magic door, and I’m sure it’ll lead to nothing but danger.”
“We’ve found the door the ledger promised we’d find,” Sebastian said, inserting the key. With a grin, he twisted it, unlocking the door.
“You’re the one who’s been searching for this. I’m seeking an escape!”
“Would you relax?” The door creaked open, revealing a narrow corridor lit by a pale golden hue. At the far end was another door.
Jimmy peeked through, then recoiled. “Nope! Classic trap! That’s a corridor of doom if ever I’ve seen one!”
Sebastian read the neatly written note affixed to the back of the door.
To discover what you seek, you must speak what you lack, yet only the brave can ask the right question.
“We’ve got to answer a riddle? Who hides a riddle behind a door drawn in disappearing ink, like a cartoon gag?!”
“It’s not invisible,” Sebastian said, slapping the slab of wood. “And it’s telling us to be honest about whatever we’re asking for.”
“It’s visible now.” Jimmy grabbed his friend’s jacket and pulled him away from the opening. “It wasn’t there a few minutes ago.”
“Whoever created this door wanted to protect the contents.” Sebastian chuckled as he dragged Jimmy through the doorway and knocked on the inner door. “I’m seeking truth.”
When the door remained closed, Jimmy freed himself from his friend’s grasp and pinched his nose. “I lack… stability, sanity, and a normal friend.”
A soft glow and hum emanated from the inner door as it slowly opened. Sebastian clapped and shook his friend. “You opened the door!”
As it swung inward, they saw a starless void with a stone path cutting through the darkness. Peering through the opening, they observed a group of mirrors resembling the one that reflected various possibilities. Each showed a version of themselves, some with subtle differences, others wildly different, yet all out of sync.
“Look, that one’s holding the compass,” Sebastian said, grabbing Jimmy’s coat. “Let’s go investigate.”
“Are you insane? I want out of here!”
“Nonsense,” Sebastian said, stepping forward. “We’re so close to getting answers.”
Jimmy struggled, digging in his heels like a cartoon mule, but Sebastian’s pull was too strong. As they stepped through the inner doorway, Jimmy groaned. “Next time, I’m picking the lunch spot, and we’re eating in broad daylight.”