Secrets From Beyond

there was only one rule, don’t open the door

But the key lay there on the table, begging to be held, pleading to be plunged into that lock, fulfilling its purpose.

He’d waited his whole life to know the mystery it kept. What secrets lingered behind that splintered wood. What forces conjured the imagination of the ones proceeding him.

Everyone he’d ever known feared the unknown retribution for betraying the warning. So, this moment demanded the fear he was feeling. It had been the talk about town since he was a kid, followed by the same warning that he honored, until today.

Today, he grasped that key, like it was his last breath. Every moment he had survived before, led him to this place at this exact time. He knew he had been predestined to be the one who would unveil the mystery of the door.

As he took his next breath, the air turned cold and he watched as the vapor from his lips floated to the lock and danced around it like an invitation he was unable deny.

The floorboards moaned a warning as he slowly approached the door. His heart racing faster than the wind proceeding a hurricane.

As he placed the key into the lock he heard a small voice from the other side call his name, and he froze.

“Welcome home, Charlie.”