"There was only one rule: don’t open the door.”
Right, don't open the door (he read the weathered note in his hand twice). Don't open it.
But which one?
The research Dr. Cornelius had only led him to the house; it did not tell him how his escape would take place. After various traps - booby and otherwise - he wanted to end this and just take Bedelia in his arms, and...
Focus, focus...
He looked down the long hallway.
Every single door looked the same.
The stairs behind him was now block off by a sheet that came down and slammed metal teeth into the wooden floor, so that was out. He could only look ahead.
He could only take a guess.
'Don't open the door...'
He tested the first handles...and his suspicions were confirmed.
Unlocked.
His heart sank.
Dr. Cornelius tried every door as he walked down the endless hallway, and every single one was unlocked.
He could leave whenever he wanted to...
...and yet...
He could not decide which one to avoid.
If the final message received and decoded was, 'do not open the door,' then which one was the bad one?
He knew what happened to the others (the missing colleagues and lost friends were still on his mind). He knew that they all entered the chamber with their expertise and his advice.
His advice...
All his studies; all his hard work, and he never considered what the message really meant.
He knew what his fate would be.
The hallway beckoned him to entered deeper and deeper into itself. And he would soon find his own way out.
- Word Count: 272
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Kendall Defoe
Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...
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There was only one rule: don’t open the door! Okay. He decided to obey. The master shut the main gate of the castle and left his servant beside the massive oak door leading to the basement. With the final bolt in place, he knew that the structure was secure with his duties.
By Kendall Defoe about a year ago in Horror
Comments (7)
Kendall this was so intense and such a great entry!! I felt like this could be a metaphor for how no one really knows what life is about, even those with more experience. Yes, he had advised the others about the door but I feel like he also didn't know much better.... it's easy to lose tour way if you don't know the meaning of the instructions/ life.
Well-wrought! An interesting twist on the concept--"...the door" could mean any door, or all of them!
I'd go crazy if I was him. Lol. Loved your story!
Oh this is awesome. I really enjoyed this! I hope you win because that would be incredible
Wouldn't it be interesting if deaths door remained permanently locked. Great entry, Kendall!
Leaves one wondering what his way out might be. You built the tension in this very well. Nicely done, Kendall!
Oh snap!! Those final lines!! This was so well done, Kendall :)