The Door

Charles Tabor stood in the frigid snow that came up to his shins, waiting impatiently for his bus. The unpleasant sensation of not being able to feel his feet was starting to seriously agitate him and for the umpteenth time that day he cursed his bus driver and the annoyance of having to switch pick up place.

One stupid nerd switches schools and I have to freeze my ass off in the snow at freaking seven in the morning! thought Charles angrily, hopping from foot to foot; trying to get some feeling back into his feet.

And then the damn bus driver is always late! Charles huffs out a breath in indignation. Lazy, lousy, son of a-

Charles' thoughts were cut off by the arrival of the big yellow behemoth up the street.

"ABOUT FREAKING TIME!" Charles yells at the bus. The bus driver can't hear him but Charles is too cold and annoyed to care. He just wanted to scream at something.

An elderly lady peeks out her curtains at all the commotion, and Charles locks eyes with her and gives her a glare. The lady sniffs in resentment and turns back into her house.

Nosy bat thinks Charles as the bus slowly whines to a stop in front of him.

There is the usual greeting between Charles and his bus driver. Charles glares daggers at the fat man in his oversized chair and the bus driver pretends Charles is nothing but the wind.

Charles stomps back to the back of the bus and parks down in the last seat, letting the heat from the bus bring the feeling back into his hands and toes.

The next pick up is the same as usual. Charles' best friend Matt steps lightly onto the bus, red faced from the cold but refusing to wear a coat or anything else warm.

"What's going on brother," Matt says, sliding to the seat in front of Charles.

"I'm freaking pissed off that's what's going on," growls Charles. "One idiot changes schools and now I'm forced to wake up and damn half an hour earlier and I have to walk four blocks to get to the stop. And not to mention that fat ass up there is always late to pick me up!"

"I don't know what your talking about I'm perfectly fine with the arrangement," Matt says.

"Shut up asshole," says Charles. Matt is picked up right in front of his house, which is his reason for not wearing anything that makes him look like "a snowman".

"Well we're going to pick up his highness now," Matt says motioning outside.

Charles glances out at the unfamiliar houses and turns of the neighborhood. He had never bothered to see what was back here since everyone who was anyone lived on the other side of the maze known as Royal Falls.

The bus stopped in front of the unfamiliar houses but there didn't seem to be anyone waiting for the bus.

"Or maybe newbie chickened out," Matt said.

"Nah, here he comes," Charles mutters darkly. "A nerd just like I said."

A spindly boy with his too big backpack was running towards the bus, one hand holding his glasses on the other trying to keep his backpack on his shoulder.

As Charles turned back towards the front of the bus he saw a house towards his right.

It was different than the other houses, because it was all by itself on the block, and it had an old style compared to the surrounding new houses. The stucco on the outside of the house was a bright white, not glowing but still a brighter white than most. The shutters surrounding the one second story window and the two first story windows were a pure black, contrasting brilliantly with the white of the house.

But the part that stood out most was the door. It was a dark green, unnatural and slightly disturbing. The part that was so unnatural was that a door like that, colored like that, had no business being on that house.

Charles couldn't take his eyes off that door, feeling like it was a magnet to his eyes. The more he looked at it the sharper it seemed to become; like it was trying to draw him in.

"Nerd," Matt suddenly snorts, snapping Charles from his reverie. The new kid thumps on the bus, saying his apologizes much too loudly to the bus driver.

The kid looked at the back of the bus and, perhaps recognizing hostiles, sat next to the sleazy bus driver.

"Yeah…" mutters Charles, turning his full attention back to his friend, "Probably a queer too."

The door stayed out of Charles mind for the rest of the day.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day's rituals remained fairly the same.

The only difference being that Charles had his first nightmare since the third grade. All night he had been running from something, but he always got stuck when he tried to go through the last door in the hall…

Charles stood again in the snow, cursing the cold, the buss driver, and the stupid new nerd much like he had the previous day.

"I can't wait until my car is out of the freaking shop," snarled Charles as Matt thumps down in the same seats as the days before.

Charles owned a slightly beat up Chevy Cavalier. There were a few dents here and there (a big new one on the side where the drunk had smashed him) but it at least got him to school when he wanted and without getting him wet.

"Yeah but until then you get to freeze your feet off everyday," Matt snorts. "Better start bringing a portable heater."

"Shut up," Charles says, feinting a slap at Matt.

"Oh, so tough and touchy today aren't we Frosty," Matt riles. "Get over yourself big man."

The bus squealed to a stop and once again, the skinny new kid came rambling up behind the bus; too big backpack bouncing away.

While Matt snorted and muttered an insult, Charles turned back to the giant house looming over to his right again.

At first glance the house seemed unchanged (why should it have changed?), but when Charles looked again, his eye caught the difference.

The smooth wood door was now a perverse midnight blue, almost looking like the night sky was painted on that door.

"Hey dude," Charles said softly, not taking his eyes off the door. "You see that?"

Matt glanced at the house, unconcerned. "What a big ass house? Jesus, that thing takes up its own block. And it looks like one of those giant chicken coops."

"No, not the house," Charles growled stiffly, "The door. Do you see that? It's a different color than it was yesterday."

Matt squinted at the door, taking in what Charles said.

"Dude what are you smoking," Matt laughs. "They wouldn't change the door color. Or maybe they did. Who cares?"

"It just confused me that all," Charles said, slouching in his seat as the bus pulled away again. "Didn't that look like a weird color though?"

Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah I know," growls Charles. "Who cares?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day Matt wasn't coming onto the bus.

"Dude, you are one lucky snot you know that?" Charles had groaned last night as Matt had told him a dentist visit would have him out of school for a few days.

"I will gladly switch you," Matt had said. "I would stomach world history over getting my wisdom teeth pulled."

Now Charles sat at the back of the squeaky yellow bus alone as it chugged to its next stop.

When the bus stopped for the, finally on time, new kid, Charles immediately looked back at the giant house.

Purple. An unorthodox purple that made the door stand out brilliantly. It drew Charles' eyes and made them stare, but at the same time he wanted to look away from the strange color. Charles' eyes quickly started watering and he realized his vision was blurred when the bus doors slammed shut.

In a flash Charles was up and half walking half jogging to the front of the bus.

"Hey," huffed the hefty bus driver. "No moving when the bus is moving."

Charles ignored him and sat behind the nerd, who was looking at Charles timidly.

"You, whatever your name is," said Charles.

"Jesse," said the new kid quietly.

"I don't care," snapped Charles. "I just have a question." Charles pointed his finger down to the retreating two story house. "Who lives there?"

"Uh…nobody," said Jesse, adjusting his glasses nervously. "That house doesn't have anybody that lives there. But it's not for sale…"

"Don't care about that," cut in Charles again. "Have you noticed that the doors change colors?"

The bus screeched to a halt at the next stop and two kids stepped on.

"Um…no I can't say I have," said Jesse, perplexed. "I haven't really paid attention to the door though…"

"Of course not," muttered Charles, moving back to his original seat. "Because who cares…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Charles pulled his jacket around him tighter as the wind blew the next day.

After some deep thought throughout the school day, he had decided to check out the house. Charles couldn't think of a way it would really hurt him.

No one lived at the house. A few hours of observation had backed up what the nerd Jessie had told him. An old guy had come walking up the driveway, but he simply unscrewed the hose on the side of the house and left again.

Charles started in the front of the house staring at the door. It was a blood red color today. The color was oddly horrifying and he noticed the handle was a dullest black.

Charles took a deep breath and started walking towards the front of the house. He paused, however, when he saw a kid sitting on the sidewalk. This kid was wearing all black, and they looked like nice clothes. Not too dressy, but more dressy than someone simply out for a walk.

Charles gave him the customary glare, hoping the kid would move on but was surprised to find the kid simply glared right back; as though he knew exactly what Charles was getting himself into.

When the kid didn't drop his gaze, Charles decided barging through the front door wasn't the best idea. It still was somebody's property after all.

The back was clear and, gratefully, protected from view by some woods. The sliding door in the back was made of simple glass and Charles could see right in.

There seemed to be no movement, so Charles inched closer to the door. A dog began barking from far off and Charles almost ran for it, but the obsession of wanting to know what was the story behind the door kept him locked right in front of the back of the house.

Charles took one more glance left and right and, holding his breath, reached out his hand and pulled on the handle of the sliding door.

Surprisingly the door pulled out and opened, letting him into the house.

Charles jumped in quickly and shut the door behind him just as quickly, praying that no one had seen him. He wasn't a thief, just curious.

The kitchen he stood in was very plain, not at all special. The tile had an old pattern to it, and the cabinets were nothing but plain wood. The oven was old and small, and there seemed to be no microwave. Strangely enough there was no kitchen table.

Charles moved to the next room, which was so badly lit that he reached and tried to flick the light switch.

A jolt shot through Charles and his vision was suddenly popping with stars.

"Damn thing shocked me," snarled Charles, closing his eyes and steadying himself on a wall.

His vision slowly cleared but he was greeted with a horrible sight.

Suddenly he was in a tight space, only about the size of a mediocre family room. Dominating the middle of the room was a wall that could only cover a staircase. There were four plain white doors with black knobs, two on each side. The front door was also there, flanked by two windows, the white blinds shut.

Worse though was the fact that there was no more back door.

"Oh my GOD!" screamed Charles, banging franticly on the walls. "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"

The wall paid no heed to Charles' cries and remained firmly blank.

"O.k. Charles just breathe," he began to talk to himself. "It's like a fun house…or you're dreaming because you just got shocked by that damn light switch… Just breathe and find a way out…"

Charles steeped firmly up to the front door and pulled. The door didn't budge an inch.

"Ok should have expected that," huffed Charles. He turned back to the other four doors surrounding him.

"Let's see…door number…one," Charles started with the door on the far left.

The door opened easily, exposing a plainly painted light brown room. There was a bed with no sheets in the middle of the room, on which sat a little girl. The little girl had her back to Charles, and had black hair, braided down; she was wearing a dark green, black, and white plaid dress.

"Um…excuse me," Charles said hoarsely.

"One…two…why don't you come on through…" the little girl was singing to her lap. "Three…four…close the door…"

"Um…sorry to bother you and all," Charles voice was barely a whisper.

"Five…six…decide quick…seven…eight…you're too late…"

"Uh…" Charles voice was lost.

"Nine…ten…I'll do it again…" The girl stopped and straightened up on the bed. "Do you want to play with me?" she whispered.

Charles realized he couldn't breath.

The little girl whipped around, revealing big black holes leading into her skull where her eyes would normally be, and a sunken face to go with it.

Charles finally found his breath and screamed like he had never done before.

The girl let out a roar, and her moth turned into a hellish maw, wide, terrible, and unending. She pounced across the bed towards Charles.

Still screaming Charles slammed the door just before the girl got there and pulled with all the strength he had. He was met with no resistance however and with a strangled gasp, he dropped to the floor.

Tears were running down his face and his breaths were short.

"Oh my God…God…" Charles found that all words failed him. He had been scared speechless.

He stood up on shaky legs, unable to comprehend what he had just seen. It was impossible to encompass.

But, driven by a knowing that he needed to get out of this house and get home, Charles stood and reached for the next door. His hands shook uncontrollably and very slowly he touched the knob.

Suddenly the door began banging back and forth, remaining closed but as though someone on the other side was trying to force it open. The thing on the other side began screaming and yelling. Weather it was fear or anger it was screaming in, Charles couldn't tell. He backed up away from the door, hands over his ears while the door banged and the thing behind it bellowed in anger…screamed in fear…

And just as suddenly as it began, it ceased. Things were quiet once again.

Numbly, Charles turned to the door directly behind him and yanked it open.

At first there was nothing…just a room so dark that Charles couldn't make out anything. Then the tentacles came flying out and began flailing about, grabbing a hold of one of Charles legs and one of his arms.

Charles screamed in terror as the tentacles (if that's what they really were) squeezed with super human strength and began reeling him towards the unseeing blackness.

Charles stuck his free foot out and caught the door frame with it, halting his progress forward. There was a snap and suddenly his whole leg was on fire.

He screamed again and tired to slam the door shut with his free arm. The door slammed into the tentacles, so Charles began trying to force it shut, attempting to sever the tentacles.

The tentacles at first, refused to give up their find but, after Charles slammed them in the door a fifth time, they relented and sulked back into their room.

Charles slammed the door with a final scream and grasped his leg. He could still move it but the pop he heard was probably a joint sprain or dislocation.

Charles hobbled to his feet and using the wall, faced the last door.

"It's not worth it…" muttered Charles.

What have you got to lose his mind argued back. You're probably going to die here anyway.

"Screw it," Charles growled and he pulled open the door.

He was greeted by himself. There Charles stood, in the room as the Charles outside it stared at him in disbelief.

Charles pointed a finger at his counter part and gasped, "You aren't real…"

The Charles in the room pointed to and copied Charles expression.

Charles stopped and waved. The other Charles waved at the same time.

"Oh…it's a mirror…" sighed Charles in relief.

He put a hand on the cool surface to steady himself.

The mirror Charles put his hand on the same spot, but he was sporting a grin that the real Charles knew was not on his own face.

"Oh I am very real…" whispered the mirror, his voice sounding like a thousand voices.

Without warning he grabbed Charles hand and tried to pull him through the mirror.

Charles screamed and grabbed onto the door frame to prevent himself being pulled into the mirror.

"NO!!! NO!!!"

"Come with me Charles..." crooned the mirror, still yanking. "Come on…"

"NO! I WON'T!"

With a last ditch effort Charles yanked away from the mirror and the white door slammed shut by itself.

Charles stood there, tears running down his face, staring in horror around him.

He limped over to one of the windows and pulled off the blinds. A blank wall greeted him in the place of the window. He stumbled to the next window and yanked the blinds off. The same sight greeted him.

Charles yanked on the front door handle again. The white door didn't budge.

"LET ME OUT!!" screamed Charles, banging his fists on the door. "PLEASE GOD LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

The door began leaking and Charles looked at the liquid in horror. It was blood. The red liquid was seeping down from the top of the door and in seconds the whole door was a deep wet blood red.

The flow didn't cease however and the blood began pooling up on the floor, the flow never ceasing.

Screaming in dismay, Charles turned and yanked the final door open.

Greeting him was a simple basement staircase. And there seemed to be sunlight coming from down there.

Breathing deeply in disbelief, Charles limped down the wooden stairs as fast as his leg would let him. The basement was dark and but that didn't matter. Charles could see two basement windows right there in front of him, sunlight pouring through.

"Yes…" wheezed Charles. "Thank you GOD!!!"

He limped over to the window and was pleased to find he could reach it on his tip toes. With a grunt he brought his fist back and with three hits knocked the glass out.

Charles then put his hands on a narrow ledge leading to the window and tried to pull himself up. He was unsuccessful and fell to the ground, his leg unable to bear his weight.

That's when the sunlight revealed what was in the basement. Bodies littered the basement all around. But the bodies were not stacked up or even thrown all around the ground.

The bodies of teenagers, adults, children, and some ancient looking people, had become one with the concrete walls of the basement. Their skin seemed to disappear and melt as one with the walls and as Charles let out a yell of terror their eyes opened, showing black eyes that spoke of untamed terror.

They slowly and stiffly broke away from the wall, grabbing on to anything they could reach of Charles. Charles screamed again, being backed towards the walls.

He felt the coolness of the concrete on the back of his neck and then pain as hands from the wall grabbed him and pulled him in…

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Officer King pulled up in his Royal Falls police cruiser. Apparently someone had heard some banging and screaming coming from the old Darwin place and he had been the unlucky one close enough to get the call.

When King hopped out of his cruiser, managing his slight berth, he noticed a kid in some all black cloths watching him from across the street.

The kid gave King a long look of…was it knowing? Then he turned and gave the house a glare that screamed hate and marched away, hands in his pockets.

King shrugged the kid off as a punk and walked around the side of the house. Yep there was the broken basement window just like the person called about.

"Damn kids…" muttered King. He moved around to the back and found the door unlocked. He thumped in and called out.

No one answered him so he moved through the small kitchen and opened the downstairs door. He flicked the light switch a few times but found it didn't work.

Muttering about people paying there electric bills, King pulled out his flashlight and came down the stairs carefully to avoid tripping and falling.

The downstairs was empty of everything, no water heater and no washer or anything.

King looked closer at the broken window and found there was no glass on the inside.

"Means it was broken from the inside…" King muttered, scratching his head. He brought his flashlight up and looked around again.

This time he saw the kid. The kid that seemed to be melted into the walls of the basement…

The kid was staring off into the distance but when King gasped his eyes locked onto Kings.

"Help me…"

King screamed once.