The Door

I'm afraid to look at the faces of my readers, cuz I can tell you right now you are probably scowling at me, with your arms crossed in front of your chest, tapping your foot, and shaking your heads. Yep, I was afraid of that. I am not winning your affection with my lack of writing on my blog. I promise I will do better, and to make it up to you I have a treat for you. Since it is October and Halloween is close at hand, I thought I would give you a tasty trick-or-treat of a story. I will be telling a ghostly tale that will send a chill up your spine. Every evening I will give just a little tid bit enough to leave you thirsting for more and waiting for the next evening just to hear what happens. Then on Halloween night I will give the conclusion followed by a spooky bonus of an upcoming screenplay I am working on. It is a haunting true legend told right here in my hometown. Of course legends are not fully developed but that is where the imagination of the writer comes in. I am here to fill in those holes with chilling possibilities. This haunting story I am about to tell is called The Door. I was sitting at work today, which was really slow, and when that happens my mind goes into creative mode where stories are born. That is what happened today as I was sitting at my desk answering phones and stamping the crap out of papers, which by the way is really boring. So I started outlining this story. I hope you enjoy cuz to be honest I am just sitting here at my computer going off some simple notes in my head of how this story should go. I am basically coming up with this story as I type so we'll see how it goes. ENJOY!!!

The Door

Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain, whether the threat is real or imagined in our minds. Psychologically we allow fear to block our paths and inpare our thoughts, driving us away from people, places, or things that may connect us to what we are scared of. What if there was a power so evil it could take what you feared and turn it into reality right before your eyes? What if by opening a door you unlock your inner fear, and possibly...your death?

Jessie jogged along the lit desolate pathway through the park. Her heavy footfalls the only noise echoing into the dark. She counted her steps as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth.

"eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight..." She knew it was late and unsafe to be running alone but her hectic work schedule and stressful school day drove her out of her apartment for a long calming run to relieve the pressures of life for an hour. She had to be back in her apartment by 9 o'clock so her ex boyfriend Rob could come over and watch Monday night football highlights on her television set, since his was broken. Why he didn't just go downtown and watch it at a bar was beyond her comprehension. He was going to get drunk anyway and what a better way to do that than in a bar. She continued counting.

"One hundred one, one hundred two, one hundred..." she stopped counting. She heard a heavy thud off to her left side somewhere amongst the trees and bushes. Though her heart was already racing it began to beat harder, thudding violently against her chest with fear. She stared into the dark trying to make out shapes and movement. If it was some creep hiding in the bushes she wanted to be ready for his attack. There was another thud behind her. Jessie spun around fast. Nothing. The wind started to pick up, rustling the tree branches above her head and blowing leaves across the concrete with a scraping sound. Jessie's eyes darted back and forth trying to predict where the sound would come next. Her matted hair stuck to the sweat on her forehead as she continued to stare into the darkness. That's when she heard it. Voices in the dark. They were wailing and crying out for help. Jessie took a step off the path and onto the cushioned grass then stopped. What if it was a trap she thought. What if they were waiting for her to rush to the rescue? She returned her foot to the comfort of the concrete path and decided to find the nearest police station so she could report this strange happening. As she turned to start running again she heard a child's voice begging for help, just a muffled tearful wail that broke her heart. Again she strayed off the path and a little further toward the trees and bushes. What if the child was hurt? What if they were lost and needed help? So many questions filled her mind. Finally she decided she would check it out. She cautiously crossed the grass and into the trees. She took out a small key chain flash light and turned it on so she could see better. The shadows danced across the large tree trunks and overgrown bushes deceiving the naked eye to false movement. Her light rested upon an old dilapidated wooden door hidden beneath some ivy. She moved slowly toward the door avoiding the protruding roots and low hanging branches. The door was weather worn and splintered, and the old fashioned coal colored handle protruded out of the ivy like a giant knocker.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called. There was no answer.

"I heard someone crying, do you need help...are you hurt?" She tried again. Again there was no reply. Thinking she was deceived by her fear and possibly the wind she started to head back to the path, but she heard the child's voice closer this time. It was coming from the other side of the door. Jessie listened trying to make out the words.

"Help me." the child cried. "The door is locked and I can't get out. Please help me." the child begged. Jessie leaned up against the door so the child could hear her.

"Its ok, my name is Jessie and I'm here to help you." Jessie moved the veil of ivy away from the door so she could lean up against it and push. She dug her feet into the dirt and begin the push against the locked door with her shoulder. The door wouldn't budge. She tried again. Still no luck.

"Help me please," the child continued to beg. Jessie tried several more times to open the door but she simply wasn't strong enough.

"I can't get it open. I'm going to go get help. I'll be right back." Jessie yelled through the door.

"No, no, please don't leave me. You have to tug on the handle that's how I opened it." Jessie wiped the sweat from her brow and shined the light on the handle. A shiver crawled her spine as a massive spider web dangled in the wind across the black iron handle. Spiders she thought. There could be a spider...she hated spiders. The child wailed again breaking Jessie out of her trance. She swallowed hard to wet her dry throat then grabbed the handle and pulled. The door opened scraping against the hard ground. Jessie peered inside hoping to see the child, but she saw nothing but darkness.

"Hello?" her voice echoed. No response. Jessie stepped inside waving her flash light around. She didn't see anyone.

"Hello?" she called again. She waited for the voice of the child but again only silence. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to stand on end. Something wasn't right she thought. She turned to go back to the door but she couldn't find it. She waved the flash light around in the darkness. Nothing. All she saw was a whole lot of black nothing. She began to panic and yell for help.

"Somebody!! Please help me! Someone get me out of here!!" Tears started to fall down her hot cheeks.

"Help me!" She yelled until her voice was hoarse, but no one answered her panicked cries. She stood in the dark for what seemed like hours, then all went cold and a dead silence filtered around her. She felt the hairs on her arms start to raise. She looked around with a new kind of fear. She felt something crawling up her leg. She crouched down and brushed it away fast. She felt another small crawling sensation on her left arm. She continued to brush whatever was crawling on her off. Suddenly she felt more and more crawling on her body. Finally she used the flashlight to illuminate her legs where most of the crawling sensation was. Her eyes widened in horror and she let out a ear splitting scream that was suddenly cut off.