Ms. Martina

Ms. Martina - Liam Sell (8th Grade, Valley Christian School)

There once was a young Doorist named Martha Martina, not a human, a “Doorist”. Doorist looked just like humans, and even sometimes lived among them, but all Doorists had one goal in life: find the perfect door, open it, and enter into their “Mel’hetheyal” (Mel-HE-they-el), the Heaven of the Doorists. Most Doorists enter into their Mel’hetheyal at a very young age, but not Ms. Martina. If a doorest opens a door that isn’t perfect for them, they will enter into a different Mel’hetheyal, one not perfect for them. This is not normally a problem, because the perfect door for each doorist is very clear to them. For Ms. Martina, she was very unsure that she would pick the perfect door.

By age 8, she went on a quest. A quest every 8 year old Doorist takes if they have not yet found their door. The quest required the Doorist to journey south until they had found their door. After less than a day, she found the most beautiful wooden door. It was covered in vines, with a slick purple and gold trim. The top showed 2 deer facing each other, and the door handle was made of pure silver. 

“Well I’ll be, there must not be another door as beautiful as this one.” Said Ms. Martina.

Just as the words left her mouth, she pondered the truth of them. Then, she made up her mind aloud.

“I’m far too good for this door, and besides, what good is this door if I could find another door twice as beautiful maybe just down the road!” 

And so, with pride in her heart, she set off. And let the reader not be too quick to call this    action  irresponsible, or  naive,  because  even though Doorist grew up quite quick, she was still only 8. 

For a half a year she journeyed through rolling hills of Stardew Valley, then for 3 and a half years she sprinted directly through the land of Middle Earth, and rested for the night at an inn in Sesame Street. (Mind you that Doorests only sleep once every 4 years) But just before she could continue her journey, she was interrupted by Elmo.

“Elmo found weird man here for you”! Elmo said with a mildly concerning joy

Ms. Martina peered outside and saw him. The grand wizard, “The wizard of the White”, Walter White for short. Alongside of him was his doggy, Clayton Walter. The real brains here though was not The wizard of the White, but his doggy. 

“We have come to warn you of the coming storm”. Said the dog

“What storm do you speak of”? Questioned Mr. Martina

“There isn’t a cloud in the sky”

“Not a storm of clouds, but of mind” Said the doggy, even more urgent than before.

The wizard seemed to be zoning out.

Martha pondered the wise doggy’s words, but coming from a dog, she just passed it off.

“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong 12 year old girl”

And she left them. As she walked down the road she thought of all the doors she had seen in this journey. She had seen bright and dark doors, tall and very small and circular doors, and even pink doors, but none of them stood out. It seemed the farther she went, the less the doors called to her. 

A thought popped into her head, but was quickly rushed out the door. “If the doors are getting worse, then to get better doors, I would have to go to where they started.” Ms. Martina thought. “No no, after I get to the port and cross the sea, I’ll find the door of my dreams!”

She continued to walk until she had made it to the Getz Family Port, and sailed to Republic City. At arrival, she right away found so many doors that only more convinced the lie in her heart. But no matter how much she told herself that this was a good idea, she couldn’t get rid of one thought: none of these doors had called to her. For years, she searched the entire city.

By age 18, she had entirely given up. Ms. Martina had gotten a job at a local Hoff-mobile factory, and decided that she would live among the humans. She had been working there for 2 years, and was barely getting by. She spent a lot of that little income on something that had seemed to take away any thoughts of how she had given up her chances of ever reaching her Mel’hetheyal, and that something was alcohol.

Then one morning, after a long night out, she drooled on the counter at her one room apartment. As she zoned into the abyss of her own creation, she drempt. Her dream went as follows: she was on a path that looked strikingly similar to the path she took when she was first leaving. She walked down a little longer, and then the road split. On one side she saw a not-so sober version of herself that seemed to be at least 10 years older than she was. On the other side, she saw Clayton Walter, the wise dog. As she took the side with herself on it, the head snapped into a position looking right at her, and said “Please! Don’t do it!”. Ms. Martina jumped back, and then awoke in a cold sweat. 

The next morning, she sold her apartment, and left for the Marcot port. (Previously the Getz Family Port, but after going out of business due to poor management, a famous intrapreneur named Erin bought it out.) Ms. Martina got on a boat heading for Sesame Street, and took off. On arrival, she quickly passed through Sesame Street, (Only stopping to say hi to Elmo) and crossed into Middle Earth. This time, with no need to look for doors, she took a different, much faster route. This shortcut reduced her time to only 4 months. And for the same reason, when approaching Stardew Valley, Ms. Martina just took a day-long train ride landing her about 5 hours from home. After just half an hour, it was within view. 

“At last!” Ms. Martina belted

“The door, I see the door! My door!”

The reader may wonder how if the door was so beautiful, why had it not been taken by another Doorist after all this time, but there is only one door for each Doorist, and this door, was for Ms. Martha Martina.