The Red Door Society

The Red Door Society held monthly meetings in the old decommissioned stone church on the second Friday of every month. The church has been Williamstown's centerpiece since being constructed in 1699. A bright red door is its most prominent feature. Old rumors about the church founders being escaped Salem witches and warlocks only added to the building's lore.

Some Williamstown citizens formed a social club and got permission to use the old church as a meeting hall. The name Red Door Society was an obvious choice. At the meetings, the members would plan events like food drives, fundraising, and social gatherings. Shortly after moving to town, John Hathorne and his wife, Abigail Williams-Hathorne, were asked to join the society. They had moved from Salem and enjoyed the slower pace of life in the Berkshires. John transferred his architectural business to Williamstown, and Abigail found work at Williams College.

Life was good for them both. Occasionally, a few of the locals familiar with the Salem witch trials would good-naturedly joke with the couple about the similarities of their names to those involved in the trials. The couple, having heard this before, just laughed it off.

The old church needed renovation. Major repairs hadn't been done since the early 1900's and it was long overdue for an interior face lift. John got the contract to design and oversee the project. All went well, and the project was ahead of schedule and under budget. Construction crews made a surprise discovery during the removal of an interior wall. Hidden behind the plaster was a second red door. John told Abigail about the find and they shared the discovery with the society at the next assembly.

The find fascinated the members, and some wanted to open the door immediately. They bandied various ideas about, and the winning suggestion was to wait until the October meeting. The opening would take place during their annual Halloween party. What made it more noteworthy was October's meeting occurred on Friday the 13th. One could not ask for a better date to open a hidden door in a reputed witches' church.

The restoration and cleanup were complete by the first week of October. It left ample time to decorate for the Halloween party and the hidden door reveal. At 8 p.m. on October 13th, the society members began arriving, decked out in various Halloween garb. There were several devils, a Dracula or two, and an overabundance of witches. John and Abigail realized that many of the attendees were unfamiliar to them and assumed they were visiting from neighboring towns.

"Why are there so many witches?" Abigail asked her friend Sarah Good, who was also wearing a witch costume.

"You can't have a proper coven without an abundance of witches," replied Sarah, without a hint of jest.

John had a similar experience when he started a conversation with a man in a devil's costume. "Those long up-curled horns are amazing. I don't know how you did it, but they look like they really are growing from your forehead, and those cloven hoof shoes can't be comfortable."

The man replied, "Reality is a matter of perception," as he walked away.

At 10 minutes before midnight, the attendees gathered in front of the newly discovered red door. The revelers began a low chanting in a language unfamiliar to John and Abigail. An ebony-skinned woman stepped forward and began speaking in a strong Caribbean accent.

"My name is Tituba. As a slave, I cared for many of Salem's children. You, Abigail Williams, accused me of witchcraft. John Hathorne, you sentenced me to death. Powerful magic saved us all, the survivors of those dark days. Now the cycle is complete and the two of you will pay for your crimes."

"Ok, this joke has gone far enough!" exclaimed John. "It's time to end this nonsense and go home. The witch trials were over 400 years ago and my wife and I were certainly not around for them."

Tituba walked to the door and opened it. "Your names and lineage carry the stain of those events, and now you must pay and sacrifice your souls to the Dark Lord."

With that proclamation, two nightmarish beasts glided through the door. They pulled the struggling couple into the gaping abyss beyond the door. Tituba closed the door.

"Now, after 400 years," proclaimed Tituba, "our task is complete and we can continue with our original mission to remake the world in the Master's image."