To open or not to open
That was the question
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. So I didn't.
I was safe behind the door. I could come to no harm. Nobody could hurt me, make me cry. No worries, no bad memories, no loss, no hurt.
Living my life behind the door was my choice. You can keep the hustle and bustle of the wicked world outside. I was happy with my cosy interior. My little nest of solitude, seclusion and safety.
Only once was I tempted to take a peek behind the door. Just a little peek. But I resisted the temptation. Can't even remember the girl's name. Caution won out and so did I. No regrets.
Today, I don't need to open the door. Today, the door lies open.
As I look back through the open doorway I see many things. Many frightening things. Many things I would not have wanted to confront.
I don't need to now. I will never need to again. Looking back through the doorway, I see everything:
The loves I never found, the tears I never shed, the smiles stillborn. The opportunities I missed, the little children I never knew, pets, friends and conversations. The career breaks, promotions, the journeys, vacations and adventures. Successes and failures. The ups the downs, the highs and the lows. The book I never wrote. The song I never sung.
Open the door! There are no rules. Don't wait, don't hesitate. Just open the door. Open the damn door!
Open the goddam d...
About the Creator
Raymond G. Taylor
Author living in Kent, England. Writer of short stories and poems in a wide range of genres, forms and styles. A non-fiction writer for 40+ years. Subjects include art, history, science, business, law, and the human condition.
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More stories from Raymond G. Taylor and writers in Horror and other communities.
One to See, One to Speak, One to Listen
Contains gore and horror some readers may find disturbing. Rated 14+ Author's Intro: This story is meant to revive the Gothic literature so famously crafted by one of my favourite writer's, Edgar Allen Poe, and as such, the language and style is deliberately antiquated. Thank you for reading my all time favourite work of horror - Les
By Call Me Les18 days ago in Horror
Comments (3)
A well-wrought and clever twist on the challenge, Raymond!
See, that's the thing. I don't want successes with failures, highs with lows, or ups with downs. I only want the good but if it comes together with the bad, then I'd rather keep that door closed hehehehe. Loved your story
Do you remember the country song titled 'Behind Closed Doors' and the singer I believe is Charlie Rich. A song about relationships and then some.