The Locked Door

Stephanie was frustrated with her neighbors. She really wanted to break into their secret room, but she couldn’t find the key. When she first told me this, I informed her that she was stupid.

Stephanie scoffed.

“What? My neighbors asked me to babysit their child, and they tell me to avoid their secret bedroom? Of course I’m going to get curious! It’s their fault for even telling me in the first place!”

“How is it their fault? What if they have valuables in there?”

Stephanie rolled her eyes.

“Well, if they do, I’m obviously not going to steal anything. I’m not that stupid or desperate for some hard-earned cash. I’ll worry about my future once I graduate from college.”

“Well, there is a possibility of your future getting ruined if you decide to break into their property.”

Stephanie let out an exaggerated sigh, kicking her feet up in the air like a child throwing a tantrum. She always did that whenever she got frustrated.

It was a bit annoying that she decided to claim my bed as her own every time she came over. It was extremely childish, but it was one of the reasons why I loved my friend. I giggled.

Stephanie got mad, and grabbed one of my pillows to bat me on top of my head. I barely dodged in time, but I couldn’t avoid the second pillow attack. We were now on the floor in a tangle of limbs, laughing our asses off.

Stephanie stayed over for a long time, playing board games with me while making fun of my poor player skills. It was a wonderful night, and it was a shame that was going to be the end of our hangouts.

I ran into Stephanie a couple days later on the way back home. I had decided to use my bike, since it was the perfect breezy day. I had spent some time with my guy friends, playing DND.

It was already evening by the time I left. When I arrived home, I found Stephanie waiting for me. She was wearing a black long sleeve shirt over jeans. She was looking down at the ground, almost like she didn’t want to be seen. When I reached her, I almost dropped my bike in shock.

She looked like absolute hell.

There were dark circles under her eyes, her skin had taken on a grayish tint, and her hair appeared like it hadn’t been washed in months.

“Stephanie? Oh…what happened to you?”

She smirked, but it appeared forced.

“I found the key, and I went inside that room. I regret it now.”

She started coughing. It was that sort of hacking cough that sounded like you were on the brink of death. Unfortunately, Stephanie definitely looked the part. I reached over to hold her, but she backed away from my touch.

“Don’t. It’s a really bad idea.”

“Why? Are you contagious?”

Stephanie stared at me. There were tears in her eyes. It appeared like she wanting to tell me something, but she held herself back. It hurt seeing her like that, and I couldn’t help myself. I hugged her.

Stephanie screamed and shoved me to the ground. Her sudden strength knocked the breath out of me before I hit the concrete. I landed on my back, but I didn’t feel the pain. I was in too much shock to feel anything.

“I’m sorry, Jim. I can’t let you touch me. I don’t want it to happen to you too.”

She lifted up her black long sleeves to expose her arms. I bit back the scream that had been about to rise out of my throat.

Her arms were littered with holes.

Multiple mini black holes.

Tentacles were weaving in and out of her holes, no end in sight for either tentacle. A sort of weird gushing noise was coming from her arms. White stuff was pouring out of the holes, the liquid splashing onto the concrete.

I looked away to throw up.

“Bye, Jim. It was nice knowing you.”

When I was done being sick, she was gone.

Stephanie went missing shortly after that encounter. Her parents were discovered dead, completely drained of their blood. Authorities described the bodies looking like empty husks.

I thought of Stephanie’s arms, and I broke down crying, freaking out my parents. I didn’t want to think how they died, but I know she had something to do with it.

I remembered making eye contact with her neighbors, the ones who were responsible for what happened. The husband avoided eye contact, as he pulled his wife through the door. She was the only one who looked at me.

There were tears in her eyes, and I think she wanted to plead with me, to tell me everything. That look will always haunt me for the rest of my life.

That was the same look that Stephanie gave me before she disappeared.

I never bothered telling the police about what Stephanie told me about her neighbors. They never would have believed me, and I have a gut feeling that something was behind that locked door.

Something that was meant to be locked up.

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Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn