The Cracked Open Door

By Fiore Nelson

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Another dream of her. Her forest eyes, her pearly smile, her flowing floral dress he loved, she never left his dreams. Even in his waking mind, he couldn’t help but see her. He found her scent taunting him as he stepped out the door. Poppies followed him no matter how far he would go. Her voice echoed in his suburban home. From morning to night, at work or at the store, she was with him, not always in the physical sense, but she was always beside him. Tonight was cold with rain drilling into his roof. He sat alone on his worn-down brown couch. There was harsh knocking at his door, she had never knocked before. It must have been thunder or the rain. Something in him couldn’t help but feel his stomach drop as the banging grew against his door.

“Jacob Harold?!” A gruff voice shouted through the door. Jacob nearly jumped from his seat at the next word from the voice. “Police!”

“Jacob, you should answer it.” A feminine voice he once worshipped, practically whispered in his ear. He looked down the hall to the cracked-open door.

“Why? I’ve done no wrong. There should be no reason for them to be at my door!” Jacob proclaimed to the crack in the door.

“Open the door.” Her gentle echo commanded before the banging hammered in his head. The drumming of the rain, the banging at the door, and finally a voice through the front door.

“I know you’re home, Mr. Harold! I just want to ask some questions!” The officer asserted. With shaky steps, Jacob approached the door with caution. He took a breath and calmed his body, even if his mind wasn’t. He opened the door with a welcoming smile.

“Sorry, I was dozing off. Is there a problem, officer?” Jacob questioned as his hand gripped the bronze knob of the door until his knuckles were a pale hue.

“Yes, I was wondering if you could answer some questions about a friend of yours. The family of Katie Lorenzo has reported her missing. According to eye witness accounts, you were the last person seen with her before she disappeared.” The officer explained as he tried to scan as much of the inside as he could see. Jacob was quick to block the view as he leaned against his door frame.

“Katie’s missing?” He questioned with a voice full of concern.

“She has been missing for nearly a month.” The officer informed with a flat tone. “Her family never mentioned it to you?”

“Her family and I don’t keep in contact.” Jacob replied.

“Did she say anything? Mention where she might have gone?” The officer questioned.

“We just caught up over coffee, I didn’t get much out of her.” He answered. As if a thing of fate, a door swung open in his darkened hall a few feet away. Jacob’s head nearly snapped with how fast he turned to look.

“What was that?” The officer questioned.

“It’s an old house.” Jacob chuckled anxiously. “Crappy hinges, sometimes I think the place is haunted.”

“Uh huh.” The officer nodded. “May I take a look inside?” He asked. Jacob’s heart dropped, and his blood ran cold.

“A look? You want a look? At an old door?” Jacob questioned with a tone of disbelief.

“Just want to be sure no one broke in.” The officer said with a tight-lipped grin.

“Sure.” He said calmly as he let the officer in. The door was quickly closed and locked once the officer was inside. Jacob watched the officer with a neutral expression. Jacob followed as they passed through the large living room and the kitchen beside it. The only thing separating the two spaces was a long marble counter where a used serrated bread knife sat beside a homemade loaf of sourdough bread. “The door that opened is probably down the hallway.”

“Down here?” The officer pointed to the dark hallway, only illuminated by the livingroom and kitchen light.

“The only hallway here.” Jacob replied, almost joking. He watched the officer disappear behind the wall. He paused for a moment to grab what he needed before following after him. He noticed which door had opened. Of course, it would be her room, she would be so careless to slam open the door. There was a pause as the officer stood in the doorway of the pitch-black room. Before the officer could ask about the chemical fumes hitting his nose, lightning struck. That’s when they saw her. Katie, his Katie, the same Katie Jacob had adored since his youth. The one thing he wanted and finally had. The woman who haunted him and whom he believed to have driven him to such insanity. The officer whipped around. A quick slash and the loud bang from the officer’s smoking gun were muffled by the thunder and rain.

“You did this!” Jacob hissed at the pale, stitch-riddled body in a floral dress. It was sitting up in bed, watching as he held his aching stomach.  Blood pooled in his hands as he passed the officer who remained on the floor, nursing his nearly fatal wound. Jacob spoke again in a violent rage as he dragged his body to the bed. “You couldn’t listen, could you?! You couldn’t let me have you! After everything I’ve done! You made me this monster you-” The thunder roared to obscure another echoing gunshot. The shaking arm of the injured officer coming down to rest as Jacob’s body dropped beside the bed.

“Was it worth it, Jacob?” Katie’s voice questioned as he met the fate he had forced upon her. Death would be the end for his body on earth. Katie was not given such a grace.