Lena found her grandmother's notebook in the tea box under the bed. On the first page the word Portale was circled with three thick blue lines. Underneath was the address of the town library and a date from seven years ago. That afternoon Lena went down to the basement of the library, where it smelled of dust. An old bookcase was locked with a chain, but the lock let go after a little pressure. Behind the board lay a flat brass compass, which immediately warmed her hand. On the back of the compass was engraved a symbol resembling an eye and a small arrow. Igor, her neighbour from the cage, appeared because he was following her news. - You spoke of secrets, so I brought a torch and a candy bar for courage. Igor tilted the compass, and the needle clearly pointed to a cupboard of atlases. They pulled out the thickest volume, heavy as a brick, full of crumpled old tabs. On the world map, the lines of the parallels trembled like the surface of a lake in a storm. Under Lena's fingers flashed a line described strangely: the Seventh Parallel, Door of the East. When Lena blew on the paper, dust particles rose like silver dust. The air in the cellar thickened, as if the books were breathing quietly and evenly. The torchlight frayed near the edge of the map, as if something rippled there. Lena slowly slid her hand into the glossy strip, feeling the cold and smelling the resin. From the other side she could hear a splash, a bird whistle and the distant clatter of a train. The atlas rose a millimetre, then fell back as if it had caught a short breath. Igor bit his lip and whispered that it must be a passage or a trap. A murmur came from the darkness of the corner, like a warning, but without words or anger. Lena remembered her grandmother's note: return before dark if the road obeys. - 'If,' repeated Igor, turning the compass, which suddenly started ticking like a clock. In a glittering strip, the horizon appeared, folded like origami from bridges and tracks. On the other side, fireflies twinkled, like skylights enchanted in metal cages. At the same moment, the clock in the lobby struck the hour, strangely late. Someone on that side pronounced Lena's name very clearly, as if they already knew her. The edge of the map crackled with light as someone's cold hand reached for the frame.