Writing Prompt #4 - The Golden Acorn

Without further ado, here is today's writing prompt.

Remember, you can write as little or as much as you'd like, and if you want, you can post your prompt right here. **All work is under copyright of its authors**

Here we go...

Your character(s) is walking through the forest when they see something glittering near the trunk of a tree in the distance. Upon closer inspection, they realize it's a golden acorn...

Scarlet drew closer to the small item on the forest floor. The way the rays of sunlight piercing through the treetops hit the acorn both dazzled and blinded her somewhat. She drew the front halves of her cloak together to shield from the cold breeze moving through the forest and reached down to pick up the acorn.

It felt heavy in her palm, like solid gold. Maybe it was. But if that was so, where did it come from? Scarlet glanced around. Only trees and dirt. The occasional rabbit. She thought an owl was watching her and then realized it was simply sleeping on a branch, no obvious ill intention.

Scarlet realized standing in the middle of the forest probably wasn't the safest thing to do, especially with twilight approaching in a matter of hours. She had to reach her destination before darkness fell upon the land and the beasts came out to hunt.

Clutching the golden acorn, she made her way swiftly through the trees, watching the ground for hunter's traps, but keeping a close eye on the horizon of forest in front of her. The acorn felt warm in her palm - almost too warm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bright glowing light in the base of one of the trees.

She stopped and turned toward it, seeing that a door had been carved into the side of the tree. Where a knob would be, a hole had been burrowed through the trunk in the shape of an acorn.

Scarlet scanned the area around her again, fearful for what this could mean. She had heard all the rumors of other worlds, of other planes of existence. Most were only accessible through magical means. Could this acorn be the key to unlocking a door to another reality, maybe another world?

Placing the acorn to the hole, she shoved the item into the tree. With a steady creak, the door opened inward to a sea of bright yellow light. 

Scarlet had been wanting to leave this world for so long. Leave her abusive boyfriend behind - the man she was actually fleeing from at the moment, leave her dilapidated shack, her dying dog. Everything was dead to her now, shriveled and worn by the ages inflicted upon them. 

With a deep breath and nothing to lose, Scarlet stepped into the tree.