I Told You to Never Close the Door

Living in a new house is scary. There are sounds that fill a room late at night - creeks, moans and voices that aren't really there, but real none the less. For Heather, living in a new house offered more beauty than fright. The honeymoon was over, but the life she and James desired was finally tangible. They had shared good times and bad - talked over secret pasts and future desires. Nights were heated and passionate with one exception. James was afraid of the dark.

James had not admitted to this fear at first, but he told Heather every night before bed, never close the bedroom door. Early on, Heather didn't ask why the door needed to remain open, but after three years together, she finally broke the ice. James simply said he was afraid of the secrets the dark held. Heather left it at that.

This was the first night in the new house as a married couple. James climbed into bed, exhausted from the final day of unpacking. Within minutes, Heather heard the gentle breathing of a very asleep James. Heather was the type of sleeper that needed complete darkness to achieve truly deep sleep, something she gave up two years ago when she and James started living together. New house, new life - right?

Heather slipped out of bed and tip-toed to the open door - tonight she was going to sleep in the dark even if James was mad at her for closing the door. He needed to learn the dark was nothing to fear and now was the perfect time to start that lesson. Heather grabbed the door knob and something told her not to close the door, but sleep overpowered the feeling and she quietly pulled it shut.

Despite just moving in, Heather knew her way around in the dark. She rounded the bed and slid under the blankets. She could still here the gentle breathing of her new husband - how she loved him. With a smile on her face, Heather settled in to her first and last night of deep sleep as a married woman.

"James, I love you, but can we do this another time?" Heather woke up with James over top of her. She turned her head to the side and read 2:00 a.m. on the clock. "I have to get up in three hours to meet the realtor, James."

"I told you to never close the door." James growled.

Heather noticed his voice sounded different. "Do you feel alright, honey? You sound congested."

"I told you to never close the door." James repeated, this time louder and more of a moan than a growl.

Heather turned back to face James who was still on top of her. His eyes were open and despite the darkness of the room she swore she could see the color of his eyes. "James, get off me right now - you're scaring me. This is not funny!" Heather could hear the panic in her own voice.

James pressed his body closer to hers, almost as if trying to suffocate her with his weight. He felt heavier than she remembered. Suddenly, Heather realized this was not a dream. She twisted toward the edge of the bed faster than James expected. Standing beside the bed, Heather looked for her husband, but there was nothing there or at least nothing she could see.

She ran to the door and grasped for the knob. Nothing - there was no knob on the door. In a panic, she ran to the window and yanked down the freshly hung curtains. Nothing - there was no window. Complete darkness, no door knob, no window and a low growl that was coming from somewhere across the room.

She ran around the bed and reached for the reading lamp James had given her on her 23^rd birthday. The lamp was there - "Thank God," she whispered.

She reached under the lamp shade to feel for the light switch.

"I told you to never close the door." James whispered from behind.

Epilogue

Sara was in love and everything felt right. Her boyfriend was the most loving person she had ever met and she was now moving in with him after just three weeks of dating. Her mother thought things were moving too fast, but Sara was sure James was the one. The only thing she would have to work on was his fear of the dark.