The Doorknockers
Stanley was shivering; more from fear than from the cold. But it was cold - so very cold you could see it. The air was thin: Pockets of ice seemed to be floating; cutting you, and you would shiver - no matter how scared you were.
There were three of them. Josh, Stanley, and Toni. Josh was the brave one, who wanted to show how brave he was. Stanley was the weak one, who wanted to hide how weak he was. And Toni was just there because she had always been friends with Stanley; now she wanted to be friends with Josh too. Perhaps more than friends, she thought.
"That's it." Josh said, pointing out to the sea.
Stanley gulped when he saw it. The lights were down in the house; it was visible only because of it's silhouette against the setting sun. Like blood the sky was red: bleeding. And that house, with it's odd shape - it set his nerves on edge; set his heart beating. The foot of the cliff was surrounded by grey water. The ocean was like stone, grinding and rolling - grey and harsh. And above them, behind wispy clouds, the moon was on the rise, casting blue light on everything.
Somehow that blue light even reached Stanley's mind.
---
Josh was smiling: giddy, almost. He looked at Toni and smiled - she smiled back in earnest - then Josh looked at Stanley. Stanley must have shown the apprehension in his eyes - the fear in his heart. Josh could see it - straight through him - there was a scared, little boy, fighting with his demons. Josh had one too, only - he hid it well.
"C'mon. Stan. What's the problem buddy - we've done this before. No sweat."
"I know. I'm fine - let's do it."
His voice was shaky.
"Alright!" Toni shouted.
Both Josh and Stanley jumped. While Stanley motioned for her to calm down, Josh put his hand over her mouth and pulled her to the ground.
"Shhhh!"
Toni giggled behind his meaty hand - probably at the fact that he was crouched over her, rubbing her with his person. Stanley rolled his eyes. Josh jumped off of her, but didn't apologize. There was no need. A few moments passed, Toni calmed down, and the three of them peered over at the house way over on the top of the hill.
"She mustn't be home." Josh said, before moving away.
The lights were still off.
"Toni, please please please please..." Stanley asked "- be quiet."
She smiled, put a finger to her lips, mouthed that she was sorry, and then chased after Josh. She giggled as she ran - Stanley shook his head.
---
Stanley was the last of them to tread foot on the neglected, hungry lawn. Even in the dark he could tell the grass was dead. There were no bushes to hide behind, so they settled for the next best thing: a dead tree stood in the backyard. Stanley reeled in with speed and dived behind it, landing awkwardly beside the others.
Toni failed to suppress a giggle.
"Okay Stanley. This is it." Josh said - so low they could only hear.
Stanley looked at the house. The lights were still off.
"..."
Josh grabbed Stanley by the shoulders and peered into his eyes.
"C'mon Stanley. I've door-knocked this house a billion times. That's why we're here... so you can impress Toni with your daring."
He paused for effect.
"You don't want to look like a girl in front of Toni do you?"
Toni giggled.
"I hate you Josh."
And he really did - he hated him.
Stanley shut his eyes and stood up. He was scared. Frozen stiff. He couldn't move even if he wanted to. He thought he was going to wet his pants.
"What's the big deal Stan?" Toni whispered. "It's just some crazy old cat lady."
Josh hopped up next to him. "She's right, Stan, and if you're not gonna do it, then I'll just have to do it for you."
Josh took two steps and then stopped: Stanley had suddenly found his feet. His skinny figure moved like a dart toward that door, and when he hit it, he knocked it good. Would have woken the whole neighborhood if there was one - it shook the whole damn building; damn near broke Stanley's hand.
Toni let out an excited scream before running off towards the beach. Josh looked back at his friend, and when he was close, he started running too. None of them stopped running until they hit the sand. And even then, they only stopped long enough to make sure Stanley was following after; then they were running again.
When Josh and Toni finally stopped, they were in viewing distance of the car parked on the road.
"Sh*t Stanley. You sure knocked the fu*k out of that house didn't you?" Josh said. He turned around look at his friend but there was no one there.
"Where'd he go?" Toni asked.
Josh didn't answer because they were interrupted by a loud glass-shattering sound near the car.
"Sh*t!" they cried.
They both dropped down onto the ground and stared.
A woman was up there, next to the car, staring straight down onto the beach. Her hair was wild, and she was wearing a dirty white dress, torn on one side. With bare feet she walked over all the broken glass on the ground. Then, she picked up another rock, and threw it straight through the windscreen.
"Teach you to vandalize you fu**ing pri*ks!" She shouted - in no general direction.
Josh started "Oh my God..."
Toni: "What the fu*k was that?"
Josh crawled over to her.
"Toni, shut-up!"
He held his hand over her mouth again, but this time it hurt her.
They both looked up in rapt attention at the scene on the road. The woman broke the back window. Then she walked around to the front and opened the door. She was rummaging around in the car when Josh told Toni the truth.
"We lied to you, Toni."
She looked at him with bliss tearing eyes.
"This house - it doesn't belong to an old cat lady... this house... it belongs to a witch."
The car door slammed shut, causing Toni to stiffen up. She looked up at the car with new eyes, just in time to see the car roll away.
"Sh*t!" Josh said.
The witch had taken off the hand brake, and now, Stanley's car was rolling towards the cliff. It picked up speed, left the road, and dropped into the ocean.
Toni commenced screaming.
The witch was before them.
She kicked Josh in the shirt with her bloody feet – the glass in her soles cut his chest. He was lying on his back when she sat on him and grabbed his throat.
Josh wet himself.
Toni screamed.
The witch squeezed his neck so hard he thought he was going to die.
Josh shut his eyes.
“I know you.” The witch said, so loud. So loud.
And then, Josh fell asleep.
---
to be continued - maybe.
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