Prologue
When are we ready to face what's beyond our doors?
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There was only one rule: don’t open the door. It stood at the end of the hallway, heavy with rust. Rust that covered heavy, bitter chains.
Theo rose facing it each morning—weighted and bolted. It breathed heavy breaths, but he dared not ask questions. The first time it surfaced was after a tiff with his brother, a tense conversation with resentful exchanges he regretted.
He never heeded it, until he noticed more chains around it than usual.
Over time, Theo noticed that number grew with each family slight, each unaddressed grudge.
The infernal door groaned nightly and waited uselessly daily. Theo lived with its ominous presence and vowed to find the key to it someday.
He stood in front of it one evening when no one else was at home, wondering what lay beyond.
The door trembled. Something, or someone, was trying to claw it open from the other side.
“The longer you hold,” a voice hissed, “the harder the release.”
Theo’s heart palpitated. With quivering fingers, he unbolted a chain. The door quivered, and darkness flowed profusely from the opening beneath. He straightened his back, feeling its deadweight lift.
But the door? It wouldn’t disappear easily.
It would only do so—chain by chain until he faced the shadows beyond.
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
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Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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More stories from Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin and writers in Horror and other communities.
Where it Leads
There was only one rule: Don’t open the door. It stood, majestic at the end of the hallway, covered in ornate but strange carvings. It had been an untouched part of Ella’s ancestral home for as long as she could recall. All the members of her family knew it like it was a religious chant. No one dared to disobey it, not out of obedience, but out of fear.
By Michelle Liew Tsui-Linabout a year ago in Horror
The Screams Beneath the Floorboards
Old houses make noise. They creak, groan, and sigh as if remembering things they were never meant to keep. That’s what I told myself when I first heard it—a faint sound beneath my feet, barely louder than the wind slipping through cracked windows.
By David Johna day ago in Horror
Comments (5)
This was really deep. Fantastically well done, Michelle!
That's a scary one! It has the air if sadism 😱
Wow, that was suspenseful and weighty, Michelle! I really enjoyed it.
I love this psychological touch in your story. Very well written!!
Oh my, I felt like there was just so much going on here! So well done!