Knock

Mornings in suburbia were still. The never-ending noise pollutant of city life was absent here. Save for the rare passing car and whining children waking up for school, there was little to complain about in terms of noise. Laura woke to her alarm at 6:00am on the dot. The family basset hound, Otto, gave a disapproving grunt before cuddling in closer to Laura. The other half of the bed lies empty.

Laura grew up not too far from a big city so the decision to move here was a dramatic one. Her high school sweetheart, Chuck, had always been a man of the suburbs and was very reluctant to join urban life when they married. With a baby on the way, Laura knew the safest decision would be to find somewhere safer. Quieter. The two snagged a cheap apartment right on the cusp the suburbs and, after another child and endless years worth of time working, they were able to afford a house in suburbia proper. They stayed there to this very day. Their children did not.

Laura got out of bed, heaved Otto’s elongated body onto the ground, and the two were off to relieve themselves. In the basement, Laura disappeared into the bathroom after opening the back door for the hound. With a full backyard included, this house was begging for the inclusion of a four-legged friend. After years of nagging from the children, Laura and Chuck gave in and welcomed the newest, saggiest member of the family. Clearly in the twilight of his life now, he spends most of his days napping, waiting for his parents and older siblings to return to him.

As Laura washed her hands she looked around at the piles of pill bottles that littered the restroom. She picked up and examined one: a testosterone supplement. She sighed at the sight of it, placed it down, and heard a sound she doesn’t hear often: Otto howling. He used to be the house’s fully automated alarm, letting the entire family know about an incoming mailman or passing pedestrian. Ever since the children grew up and moved out of the house, Otto had retired from his duties. So to hear him let out a few powerful howls before the day had even began was odd. Surely it was nothing, but there were chills climbing up Laura’s back nevertheless.

“Otto?” She called out as she backtracked from the bathroom and made her way to the back door. Laura was relieved to find Otto perfectly fine and standing by the door. He was turned away from the door though, staring intently at the townhouse connected to their own. He didn’t even react when Laura slid open the door and called to him again.

He was staring intently through the fence separating the two townhouses. Otto’s stare was deadly serious, accompanied by a low, angry growl. Laura heard a slight shuffling of window blinds as she stuck her head outside. The door leading to their neighbor’s basement was shut. Laura swore she saw the blinds shuffling slightly but couldn’t make out anything else.

“What’s the matter bud? Neighbors got a new dog?” She stepped out onto the porch and approached the fence separating the two. She squinted her eyes, focusing on the floor of her neighbor’s basement. Otto’s growling stopped as he watched Laura examine the house next door. In their neighbor’s basement, Laura could only make out a television, a dresser, and a place mat with “welcome” written in bold lettering. She turned back around to Otto.

“Nothing there, pal, just-”

KNOCK!

Laura let out a shriek and stumbled backwards as Otto advanced forwards with a howl. They collided and Laura’s foot accidentally rammed into the little guy’s saggy face. “Oh!” Laura bent down to the poor basset hound and assessed the damage.

“I’m sorry, bud, I didn’t expect-” Laura looked back up at the neighbor’s door. Just a second ago it had been completely spotless. Terror and confusion filled Laura as she realized the door is now coated in a giant blood splatter. The victim, a minuscule robin, lay dead beneath the door. As she continued to give Otto some reassuring pets, Laura found herself unable to look away from the bird.

In just an instant the beautiful creature soaring through suburban backyards, possibly with a nest somewhere out there, had simply ceased to be. She had been staring for so long she hadn’t even noticed Otto making his way to the back door. His scratching at the door brought her back to the moment and she began to realize how cold it was outside.

“Alright Otto, back in we go,” she said before taking one last look at the bird. She glanced at the blood splatter as she stepped inside. A sudden rush came to her, an instinctual fight or flight feeling that sat uncomfortably in the back of her neck. She turned quickly, locked the back door, forced the curtains closed, and sped upstairs to the kitchen, doing her best to convince herself that she had not just seen a pair of eyes staring back at her from behind the blood.

Her breathing returning to normal, Laura entered the kitchen and found Otto sitting politely on the cold kitchen floor waiting for his breakfast. As per usual, Chuck had taken it upon himself to prepare the pup’s meal and leave it on the counter for Laura to serve. She gently lowered the bowl and the hungry hound wasted no time using what remaining chompers he had to finish off the meal. Laura watched him for a second, transfixed by his sloppy hunger, before continuing with her routine.

All the excitement from the past few minutes exhausted her. She was desperate for a kick of caffeine. Luckily, like every day for the past few months, there was a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her already. A post-it note next to it read “Good Morning.” Laura reached into the cabinet above the pot and retrieved a small mug adorned in floral lettering that spelled “Hers”. The matching “His” mug lies waiting in the sink for its partner. The warmth of the first sip of morning coffee spread throughout Laura’s body as she thought longingly about how this comfort would never match that of a soft morning hug.

After finishing his meal, Otto waddled to the couch, took the ramp to get up, and found a nice spot on the edge to cuddle up into a ball. Laura watched him lay down and imagined skipping work today to hang out with lonely old fella. Ever since the kids moved out she could tell he was waiting patiently for someone, anyone, to return. His limited understanding of time makes their visits on holidays or weekends confusing and patternless. Laura looked sadly down at the poor hounddog, bent to sit next to him…

BANG!

A dangerously loud thud emerged from the wall adjoining the two houses. Laura lost balance, saw her coffee mug about to topple onto Otto, and shuffled quickly to avoid splashing the poor guy. She wasn’t as lucky. Too worried about protecting Otto, Laura slipped off the couch and with nothing to brace her fall she landed on her back, coffee spilling all over her. The shock of the tumble overtook the pain of the hot coffee…for only a second. Suddenly…

“Ow! Shit!” Laura scrambled to correct herself as the searing heat of the coffee started to wear off. Otto was up and alert but focusing his attention on spilled droplets of caffeine scattered across the couch. Laura sat upright leaning against the couch. Composed yet confused, Laura sits in silence for a second as if waiting for an aftershock of the boom that rang throughout her house.

Almost shell-shocked by the experience, Laura stood herself up and examined the room. No sign of a disturbance, no broken furniture, nothing. Otto watched her curiously as she froze, unable to make sense of the past few minutes. When she noticed the hound staring her down she shook herself back to reality and finally recognized the giant coffee stain on the carpet.

Laura opened the closet and found two spray bottles, each with their own label. She ignored the bottle labeled “For Otto’s Spills” and grabbed the other which read “For Laura’s Spills.” She returned with the bottle in tow and giggled as Otto snapped at each spray directed towards the spilt coffee. After coating each spot with paper towels, and covering Otto in a blanket as he returned to rest, Laura rushed upstairs for a quick morning shower.

Throughout the remainder of her morning routine, Laura found herself on edge, nearly shaking. Her attention was hyperfocused on whatever sounds she could make out around her. Surprisingly, save for the rush of water from the showerhead and the sounds of her brushing her teeth, there was little to hear. Laura was sure there oughta be some birds chirping, or even the occasional passing vehicle in the neighborhood, but all she could observe was silence. She donned her coat but her shaky fingers were unable to button it fully.

After a few deep breaths she was able to compose herself. She kept the coat open, grabbed her purse, and made her way downstairs. She pauses in front of the door attempting to shrug off the ominous feeling looming over her. The options were to either continue with her day and try to forget about the knocking or take a sick day and relax with Otto…

No. She was sure she would lose it if she stayed home. She turned to give the pup a quick pet and then disappeared out the door. Otto laid his weary head back down and let out a sad sigh. All he had to look forward to now was the rising sun and the shower of warmth that would soon fall upon him.

The beginnings of the sunrise are already visible, being reflected off of a cracked picture frame displaced behind the entertainment center. An image of Laura in her wedding dress smiling blissfully lies beneath the broken casing.

Laura’s trek to the car was fraught with worry despite it being a gorgeous, calm morning. The sun had finally arrived and lit the path for the nervous woman as she rushed to her sedan. She gripped the car door handle tightly as if she were now at home base in a juvenile game of tag and no one would be able to get her as long as kept a tight grip. With the added relief of the sun’s warmth upon the handle, Laura felt truly safe. She took a slow breath, provided a slight smile to her reflection in the car window, and reached to her purse for the keys. The keys only barely made it into the lock before…

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Laura let out a quick shriek and dropped her purse. The keys dangled feebly on the door handle. It was unmistakable: the sound was coming from her neighbor’s window. She saw no one in the window but the slight sway in the curtain convinced her she was right. Someone was watching her.

The pounding in her chest was so loud she only now noticed the barking coming from her own house’s window. Otto was perched protectively on the windowsill, his concern only worsening her own. Laura was frozen in place, unsure of what to do next. Her eyes were fixed squarely on the neighbor’s window.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Laura whipped around to face the opposite side of the block. This knocking had come from behind her. Beads of sweat formed across her forehead. An unexplainable terror took hold of her. Despite the bright sunny morning she felt an icy chill spread from her temples down her spine.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Another house, two doors down from her own, exploded in knocks. Her attention jumped to that house but again she saw no sign of life. Otto’s barks filled the silence until…

BANG

Otto jumped back in fright, disappearing beneath the window. Laura attempted to shriek but all that could escape her lips was a powerless whimper. Two disturbing realities came crashing down on her at once. That last, most destructive bang had clearly come from her own home somehow and now her car is the only remaining safe haven for her.

Laura jumped in her car, locked the doors, and hugged herself. She had no idea what to do.

Suddenly every house was knocking.

The knocking continued to grow louder and louder. The entire block was vibrating from the bombastic orchestra of beaten glass. Laura cowered in her car, covering her ears as she could feel each knock growing angrier. Closer. There was no discerning between the thumps of terror bursting through her veins and the violent soundscape that surrounded her.

KNOCK THUMP KNOCK

KNOCK THUMP THUMP

THUMP THUMP THUMP

As suddenly and mysteriously as the knocking spread throughout the neighborhood like a forest fire, it had been doused. Where a symphony of irregular thumping once littered the air there was now silence. Laura had no idea what had caused it to stop and was too afraid to look. The alternative was to continue cowering pointlessly in her car so she had no choice but to inspect her surroundings. Peering out her car window she sees the neighbors window had been smashed to bits. Silence.

AWOOOOOOO!!!

A frantic cry escaped Otto’s mouth as he reclaimed his spot in the window. Panic was encompassing Laura. She saw nothing in her surroundings except for empty parked cars. The howls continued and she felt overwhelmingly helpless. The unexplained phenomena that just occurred had blinded her reason and blocked any concise thoughts from forming. Though there was no immediate sign of danger, she felt trapped. The growing sense of isolation building in her made her feel even more vulnerable. Pure horror filled her mind when suddenly…

KNOCK KNOCK

Two quick knocks struck the backseat driver's side window, the window directly behind Laura. The knocks ricocheted through the car causing it to vibrate like a tuning fork. Otto howled desperately as Laura let out a noise that was somewhere between a hopeless sob and a scream of terror. Shaking from head to toe, she fumbled with the gear stick, slammed on the gas, and found herself flying towards the garage door at an acceleration of nearly 30 miles per hour.

Her seatbelt lay limp at her side. The airbags sheathed her face from the front end. The passenger side window had exploded in the crash. A river of blood flowed out of her ear staining her coat. Her thoughts were blurred. She wasn’t sure if it had been seconds or minutes since the crash.

She was unable to move, trapped in her own body. Her vision was blocked entirely by the airbag. It took all her might to shuffle her head slightly upwards. From atop the bag’s melting form, her eyes were able to make out very little. Disorientation dominated her. Her energy was failing.

Otto had stopped howling entirely. Laura knew he was safe, the window was way out of reach of the crash. As the sunlight crept into the car, Laura imagined Otto finding a warm, comfy spot in the sun, rolling upside down, and embracing the warmth. If she had the strength, she would have smiled.

Laura’s eyes grew heavy as the light around her began to dissolve. A soft ringing played in Laura’s ears. Through it, she imagined she could hear a choir of chirping birds singing in the new day. Just as all sight and sound was about to slip away, she noted a shadow approaching her passenger door. Then:

KNOCK KNOCK

She was surprisingly calm. She knew what she had to do. With the last of her energy, Laura lifted her finger and…

tap tap