The Door

There was only one rule: don’t open the door.

“Don’t!”

The tall lanky male stopped dead in his tracks. When he turned his head to a 90-degree angle to look at her, she shrieked. Not once, but twice.

Who was he? He looked normal, wearing jeans, Nike's, and a flannel shirt. Just like the other boys in her college classes. That was until he unnaturally turned his head, like an owl. Inhuman, or double-jointed, she thought.

Silence ensued at that moment. His eyes pierced her soul. While a canary yellow light glowed through the bottom of the door.

She was frozen in shock. His head turned the 90-degrees back towards the door.

“Don’t” Again her scream bellowed throughout the room.

This time he turned his full body around, walking towards her.

“Don’t.”

His long strides were sturdy. She walked backwards, stumbling as her backside hit a wall. Why did she come to the top floor of the dorm? Why, she kept asking herself? It was because of that note she found under her door. She thought it was a sorority pledge prank. Something harmless.

“Stop!” She screeched at him. Both her arms straight in front of her, and hands palm up.

He paused inches from her. Her breaths grew deeper in fear. His eyes were glued onto hers.

Shaking her head, she mumbled, ‘don’t.’

His head turned that awkward 90-degrees to glance at that door.

In that moment, she shimmied inches against the wall towards the dorm stairs. And ran down.

Halfway down the stairs, she glanced up as a bright halo of yellow canary light enveloped the staircase.

She screamed, ‘don’t!’