I stood in the shadows and stared at the endless line of ghosts, as I had always done. 

Some wore fancy suits and ties, some wore muddy clothes or rags, and a few even came naked. Whether they shuffled along morosely, or cried, or thrashed and even tried to run, it did not matter. They all made their way to the afterlife. 

It was my duty to ensure that, and it always will be.

The door I guarded seemed as inconspicuous as any other; a wood door with a dusty yellow knob, concealed by the dark corner I stood in. Yet, it was the door that lead to life. 

I broke my stare and glanced at it. I brushed the knob, wiping years of dust off of it. Had it ever been used, I wondered?

Something tugged at my leg. I jumped. 

"Hello, mister," said a little girl with a bright red backpack.

"Get back in line." I said it without even thinking. How did she get past the other guards?

"But I want to go [i]home,[/i]" she said. "I miss my mom and dad."

"I..." I didn't know how to respond. The girl couldn't have been more than ten. Did she know what she was asking? 

"Miss. Tolan will be angry at me. I didn't turn in my homework," she said seriously, putting her hands on her hips.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't muster any words. When was the last time I spoke to a human being, living or dead? Years ago? Decades, centuries? 

"I can't help you." I finally managed. "I'm sorry."

The little girl frowned and stared at me. I had nothing else to say. I tried to ignore her, focusing on the line. 

"Why?" She spoke again. 

"Why... what?"

"Why are you here if you can't help me?" She didn't say it accusingly.  

"I am guarding this door." I replied, shifting my attention back to the line. 

"Who are you guarding it from?"

"From—"

I looked at the answer. A little girl with a red backpack and yellow coat. 

"It's what I have to do," I explained, more to myself than to her. 

"Are there monsters behind the door?"

"I don't know." I grumbled. 

She sat on the floor and was silent for a while. [i]There must be, though, if you're here,[/i] I thought. 

"Have you ever checked what's behind it?"

"No," I said monotonously. 

"Why? Is it scary?"

"No. I'm not supposed to."

"What happens if you do?" 

I didn't have an answer for her. [i]What happens if I do?[/i]

I'd stood here for an eternity, staring at a line of dead, and now, for the first time, one of them dared to talk to me. [i]What happens if I do?[/i] Her words ran about my head, over and over. In an eternity, had I never asked that question? Had I once known the answer?

"If you're scared, I can open it." The little girl stood up, looking bold. 

I smiled. "You know what? I guess we can find out." 

I put my hand on the ancient doorknob and twisted. It opened. 

A ray of light and a harsh, whistling draft hit my face. After I uncovered my eyes, I saw a staircase in front of me, leading the way up to life. 

I glanced back at the line to hell one last time. "Come on," I said, taking the girl's hand. "Let's go find your mom and dad."