The Dark Door -Chapter 2 (Re-written)
2
Wave at Darkness
Kids at school often teased Leah for being gullible. Even if it was harmful, she absorbed everything in her surroundings like a sponge. The result was a shy sixth grader who suffered from constant nightmares. Caleb suspected this as one of the reasons behind his sister’s screaming. He and Crystal raced to the furthest room on the top floor of their home. Leah’s door swung open before either of them could reach for it.
“It’s in my closet!” Leah cried, her pigtails flopping as she ran into her sister’s arms.
“Is it a robber?”Caleb asked. She shook her head.
“Was it another nightmare?” Crystal asked next. Still, Leah shook her head.
Caleb approached the room, peering in hesitantly. A small desk lamp kept the bedroom lit while books and toys lay scattered across her floor. He could see some clothes were knocked down from the closet shelf.
“You’re always talking about how you’re in charge when Ma’s not here, so take charge.” Said Crystal, shoving him in the room.
“Don’t push me!” Caleb protested.
Grumbling to himself, he slowly headed to Leah’s closet. Since it wasn’t a robber, he felt there was nothing else to fear. Pushing a path through racks of clothes, he tried to avoid stepping on numerous boxes. The effort was in vain. Caleb lost his balance near the end of his trip, slamming against something hard.
“You ok? Did you find anything?” Crystal called out.
His response was muffled to keep from yelling. Head throbbing, he rose off the floor, staring at another door.
“Yeah, come see this.”
In all their years of living together, Caleb never saw an extra entry in Leah’s closet. He remembered checking the room every night before she went to bed just a few years ago. His mother would have mentioned something like adding more space to either of their rooms. Her door was similar to the one before it, except that it was coated in black paint.
“When did Ma put this in your room?” Crystal asked.
“She didn’t.” Leah replied worriedly.
Caleb thought to himself. “You think she wanted it to be a surprise?” She shrugged.
“Well, the secret is out, so let’s give her a call.”
“Screw that!” opposed Crystal. “I say we open it and stay quiet.”
Caleb and Leah barely had any time to respond before she turned the golden knob, pushing it open. The door creaked loudly, revealing a world of darkness behind it. A cool breeze greeted them, tugging on their clothes as if inviting them in. Dirt began to collect on the sibling’s shoes. Further inside, they could hear the whistling wind.
“Cool,” Crystal whispered, completely awed.
“Nobody move. I’m going to get a flashlight.” Caleb was off as soon as his sentence ended.
“Maybe the room is still under construction. We should leave it alone.” Said Leah.
Her older sister wasn’t listening. Taking a step forward, she reached into the shadowy space.
“Crystal, don’t!” She began.
“Don’t you want to see what’s inside?” Crystal asked.
“But Caleb said not to move!”
She was becoming annoyed. “Look, you either stay here and wait, or come with me.”
“Come on!” Caleb groaned.
This made the fifth time he dialed his mother’s number, yet she never picked up. The missing flashlight wasn’t helping his situation. He sighed impatiently. Tearing through drawers in the kitchen, Caleb tossed various tem aside as his search continued. A loud beep rang in his ears, signaling the voice message.
“Hey Ma, why didn’t tell us about the extra room in Leah’s closet? We just found it. And where is the flashlight?!”
Caleb paused, taking a deep breath. He knew better than to use such a tone with his mother. Slumping into a chair, he resumed.
“Sorry about that. Uh yeah, give us a call.”
Rising from the chair, Caleb racked his mind. Checking again, he finally found it under a stack of old newspapers. Bolting back upstairs, Caleb frowned upon finding an empty closet. Figures, he thought to himself angrily. I told them to wait! The familiar gust pulled at his t-shirt. Tightening his grip around the flashlight, he flipped the switch, setting off into the darkness.
