There was a knock at the door. If Joel hadn't been standing close to it he would have never even heard the insistent beats emanating from the solid oak. The music was too loud for that. It was a heavy door, and it was old. Joel's parents always liked to brag about the aged door saying they got it from some dilapidated church on the East coast. Somewhere called Innswitch, or Ipsmouth: it was something odd like that. Joel could never remember. He didn't care. There was a knock at the door.
Pushing past some of his friends he opened the door. He was glad he did too.
"Hey girls, welcome to the party! Come on in and get something to drink."
As Joel closed the door behind them, he took notice of some the inlay that adorned the solid entrance. It was a mother-of-pearl design that looked like some sort of underwater city. It was actually very intricate. Joel just shook his head and wondered how much his parents spent on the damn thing.
It was a typical high school party, smuggled booze, smuggled cigarettes, smuggled virginity: the works. Joel's parents were away, so he took advantage of it. Most of the seniors were there. Good times. There was a knock at the door.
Making his way back to the door, Joel was intercepted by one of the football team's giant linebackers. He couldn't remember the kid's name, but it didn't matter.
"Excellent party, man!"
"Glad you are enjoying yourself. Have another drink."
Joel walked around the giant and moved to the door. When he opened it, nobody was there.
"Hello?"
Getting no response, he shut the door. As he was walking away, he noticed that the door smelled like the ocean: salty and old. Had it always smelled like that? Why notice it now? It didn't matter. There were drinks to be had and women to talk to.
The night wore on and the drinks got stronger. Joel had made the rounds about three times. Moving from group to group, talking, joking, and laughing. He was about to start the process again. There was a knock at the door.
As Joel walked closer to the entryway, the knock grew louder and thicker. The resonating thrum pounded through the house, deeper than the full bass emanating from the stereo. No one seemed to care. Joel cared.
"All right, all right, just a second."
Joel moved faster to open the door. The knocking grew quicker, became hurried. He finally reached the knob and the knocking stopped. Joel opened the heavy door and revealed the empty night sky. Nothing was there.
Shutting the portal, Joel turned back to the party. He was halfway to the kitchen to get another beer when it happened again. There was a knock at the door. It was an angry knock. Just as loud. Joel was in disbelief that no-one would answer the door to stop it.
"Can't you guys hear that?"
They ignored him. They ignored it. Joel got to the door and swung it open. Nothing was there, just an empty porch.
"This isn't funny!"
Joel walked out and looked around. Nothing, but empty streets: nobody was there. As he returned to the house, he noticed something on the door. Something that glinted as the door moved beneath the porch light. Joel looked closer. It looked like a small scale. A fish scale. He also noticed that there was a puddle of water on the porch. Considering it a tacky prank, he went back inside.
This time, as he was shutting the door, Joel noticed a small inscription above the deadbolt. It read: "Property of the Esoteric Order of Dag…" the rest had been worn away from use. He shrugged his shoulders, and shut the door. There was a knock at the door.
Joel quickly turned and threw the door open. This time, Joel saw the thing that had been knocking.
No one noticed when Joel never returned. The music was too loud. There were drinks to be had and women to talk to.
Pushing past some of his friends he opened the door. He was glad he did too.
"Hey girls, welcome to the party! Come on in and get something to drink."
As Joel closed the door behind them, he took notice of some the inlay that adorned the solid entrance. It was a mother-of-pearl design that looked like some sort of underwater city. It was actually very intricate. Joel just shook his head and wondered how much his parents spent on the damn thing.
It was a typical high school party, smuggled booze, smuggled cigarettes, smuggled virginity: the works. Joel's parents were away, so he took advantage of it. Most of the seniors were there. Good times. There was a knock at the door.
Making his way back to the door, Joel was intercepted by one of the football team's giant linebackers. He couldn't remember the kid's name, but it didn't matter.
"Excellent party, man!"
"Glad you are enjoying yourself. Have another drink."
Joel walked around the giant and moved to the door. When he opened it, nobody was there.
"Hello?"
Getting no response, he shut the door. As he was walking away, he noticed that the door smelled like the ocean: salty and old. Had it always smelled like that? Why notice it now? It didn't matter. There were drinks to be had and women to talk to.
The night wore on and the drinks got stronger. Joel had made the rounds about three times. Moving from group to group, talking, joking, and laughing. He was about to start the process again. There was a knock at the door.
As Joel walked closer to the entryway, the knock grew louder and thicker. The resonating thrum pounded through the house, deeper than the full bass emanating from the stereo. No one seemed to care. Joel cared.
"All right, all right, just a second."
Joel moved faster to open the door. The knocking grew quicker, became hurried. He finally reached the knob and the knocking stopped. Joel opened the heavy door and revealed the empty night sky. Nothing was there.
Shutting the portal, Joel turned back to the party. He was halfway to the kitchen to get another beer when it happened again. There was a knock at the door. It was an angry knock. Just as loud. Joel was in disbelief that no-one would answer the door to stop it.
"Can't you guys hear that?"
They ignored him. They ignored it. Joel got to the door and swung it open. Nothing was there, just an empty porch.
"This isn't funny!"
Joel walked out and looked around. Nothing, but empty streets: nobody was there. As he returned to the house, he noticed something on the door. Something that glinted as the door moved beneath the porch light. Joel looked closer. It looked like a small scale. A fish scale. He also noticed that there was a puddle of water on the porch. Considering it a tacky prank, he went back inside.
This time, as he was shutting the door, Joel noticed a small inscription above the deadbolt. It read: "Property of the Esoteric Order of Dag…" the rest had been worn away from use. He shrugged his shoulders, and shut the door. There was a knock at the door.
Joel quickly turned and threw the door open. This time, Joel saw the thing that had been knocking.
No one noticed when Joel never returned. The music was too loud. There were drinks to be had and women to talk to.
There Was a Knock at the Door
Cody Langille
Cody Langille
copyright 2008 © Fear knocks press
Cody is making his first appearance in Fear Knocks. When asked to tell us about himself, he replied, "After reading The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore back in sixth grade, I was hooked on fantasy novels. My love for reading produced a wonderful byproduct, writing. I've been writing stories for many years, and will probably be writing stories until Death comes a knockin' at my door. My love started with fantasy, but has turned darker; horror caught my fancy awhile back and sank its claws deep. I became enamored with H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos. I'm a sucker for Bentley Little, and I always make time for Jim Butcher (not really horror, but entertaining nonetheless). I enjoy spending time with my lovely wife, riding my Harley, and practicing Kung Fu. I fully endorse the second amendment (I mean, one must be ready for when the zombies rise): we can't all be Chuck Norris." By the way, Cody, is that the Superior II Hunter VR-MC 12 guage?
