Run
far from clawing hands
There was only one rule: don’t open the door.
It didn’t need to be watched, guarded, or even locked. They couldn’t come across the threshold without an invitation, no matter their might.
And oh, they had tried.
Fireballs conjured at the flick of a finger, cannon shot summoned from thin air, cruel axes trying to slice the old pine that barred their entry; a silent protector.
Nothing worked, and the inhabitants remained safe, as they had for centuries.
It had been opened just once before, and that had been both necessary, and enough.
Night after night, their warped faces would clamber up to the ancient pine, repelled by the scent of something so natural, and try to force their way in.
Burning, battering, bashing, banging; all to no avail.
And then one night, without warning, it opened again.
With a crash, the pine slammed back on its hinges, almost comically so, unmistakeable in the quiet glade.
A young man dashed out and off to the right; a fiery brand clasped in one fist, an iron poker in the other, darting between the trees and seeking cover from the harsh gleam of moonlight.
A shriek went up from a watcher, and the answering call came swiftly, carried on the cold of night; harsh and guttural and scraping.
After all this time, their prey had revealed itself.
Abandoning the door, they closed the distance rapidly, on foul wing and horned foot, far faster than the strides of one desperate human.
The frail fire wavered as they closed in, then darkness took the torch’s light.
Meanwhile, in the silent clearing, for the first time in centuries, the door was unguarded.
Two pairs of feet slipped softly across the threshold, turned left, and disappeared down the path, a bundle clutched in careful arms.
About the Creator
Joe O’Connor
New Zealander
English teacher
Short stories and poems📚
Please be honest- I would love your constructive feedback, as it's the only way I'll get better. Would rather it was pointed out so I can improve!
Currently writing James The Wonderer
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Keep reading
More stories from Joe O’Connor and writers in Horror and other communities.
Lead me to the land of the long white cloud
Crux, the sky canoe. Anchor our place on the map, I know I am home. ------------------------- Author's notes: Aotearoa is the official name of New Zealand in Māori, the native language. In English it translates to mean 'The land of the long, white cloud.'
By Joe O’Connorabout a year ago in Poets
Adventure Through Parallel Realms: A Journey Where Rules Are Rewritten
It all began on an ordinary Tuesday morning. Maya, a brilliant young physicist, was in her lab running simulations on the multiverse theory. For years, she had been obsessed with the idea that the universe was far more than just the world she could see. She believed in the existence of parallel realms, each with its own set of rules. But no one took her seriously—at least, not until the day everything changed.
By Ahmed aldeabella3 days ago in Horror
Comments (22)
I love the ending - you definitely need to write a follow up! (Well you don’t need to… I’d love to read one though!)
Oooh that ending!
The story’s pacing is well-crafted, building from slow, deliberate tension to sudden action.
Oh so many doors, about time someone escapes. Kudos on TS.
I can’t believe those creatures were so close! 👀
ok then, what next? That was amazing! Congrats on your top story. Good luck in the challenge
Beautifully written with such great imagery. You managed to create an entire world in so few words.
Nicely told! A heroic sacrifice to save the bundle. Well deserved top story!
Wow! I keep re-reading though my heartbeat has calmed a little. Rivitting!! Congratulations on TS! With kindness Pauline 🌸
I thoroughly enjoyed this micronarrative because it is enigmatic and leaves its reader to puzzle over several questions while remaining readily intelligible and quite engrossing. Nice work!
Congrats on the TS.
well done
Congrats on making TS Joe!
Bravo! An excellent exposition and engaging read!
Oh very moving.
Oh wow!! I absolutely loved the fantastic elements in this! I was so drawn in by the dynamic of the mysterious door and the vivid scenes you painted! Really wanted this to keep going
Very well imagined and written, Joe! A very heroic ending!
Really wanting to know now about the two sets of feet that turned left...great suspense in the storytelling :)
Awesome imagery here! Super interesting and conceptual piece.
I would love to know more about this story. So many different possibilities. So many questions. Would love to see a short story made out of this to see how things unfold.
Oh, this is a good one. Love it. The ending is fantastic, and leaves us to wonder what's next. Well done.
Pretty cool concept, good imagery. Seems like a great introduction to a longer, fleshed out story