Pola finds a tiny golden doorknob under her bed and discovers a secret door in her attic room. When it opens, a warm breeze and strange laughter spill out from the dark.
Pola was seven, and her favourite place in the whole house was her bright room in the attic. On a rainy afternoon, she knelt beside her bed to tidy up the things hiding underneath it. She pushed a box of blocks aside, and her fingers touched something cold and smooth.
It was a tiny golden doorknob.
Pola blinked. Then she reached again, a little slower this time. Under the bed, where there had only been plain wall a moment ago, a small door appeared. It was painted with little dots, as if someone had hidden it there on purpose and marked it just for her.
Pola hurried to fetch Felk, her teddy bear, and brought him back under the bed like a brave helper. Together they crouched in the dust and stared at the door.
"Where do you think it goes?" Pola whispered.
She turned the golden knob. The door gave a soft creak and opened by itself a crack. Bright light spilled out. A warm breeze brushed Pola's face, and somewhere inside she heard a tiny burst of laughter.
Pola held her breath. Felk's button eyes seemed to stare straight into the glow as Pola leaned closer and saw...