Finding Love in the Face of Fear

Chapter 10: A Door to Darkness

The knock at the door sent a chill racing down Dominic's spine. His heart pounded so loud he was sure whoever—or whatever—was outside could hear it. Sarah's eyes widened in terror as they both stood frozen, not daring to make a sound.

For a long moment, silence reigned.

Was it their imagination?

Just when Dominic thought they might have imagined the sound, the knock came again—louder this time. More insistent. A slow, deliberate pounding.

"We can't open it," Sarah whispered, her voice shaking.

Dominic nodded. Whoever—or whatever—was outside wasn't here to help them. He motioned for Sarah to step back, and they both edged away from the door as quietly as they could. His mind raced, weighing their options. The cabin had windows, but they were boarded up tightly, letting in only slivers of moonlight. There was no back door, and the one they were staring at was their only exit.

"Should we hide?" Sarah's voice was a trembling whisper, barely audible in the thick, oppressive air of the cabin.

Before Dominic could answer, the knock came again—three times, slow and steady. Then a voice.

"I know you're in there."

The voice was calm, almost gentle. But it carried a coldness that sent shivers through Dominic's bones. He exchanged a look with Sarah, who had gone pale. The voice continued, every word dripping with malice.

"You can't hide forever."

Sarah squeezed Dominic's arm, her breathing coming faster now. She mouthed the words, What do we do?

Dominic's eyes darted around the room, desperate for a solution. The cabin was small—barely one room with a few old chairs, a dusty table, and a long-abandoned fireplace. There was no way out except the door. His pulse quickened as the gravity of their situation sank in. They were trapped.

He motioned for Sarah to stay silent and crouched down to inspect the floorboards. Maybe there was a hidden hatch—some old cellar they could hide in until whoever was outside lost interest. But the boards were solid, nailed down tight.

The knock came again, this time more forceful. The voice was now unmistakably amused.

"You're making this harder than it needs to be. Open the door."

The words slithered through the gaps in the wood, wrapping around Dominic's mind like a vice. He could feel the unnatural pull in the voice, like it was reaching inside him, trying to force him to comply.

"No," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head to clear the fog creeping in.

"Dominic..." Sarah's voice was barely a whisper, her wide eyes fixed on the door. She was shaking, and Dominic could see the fear etched into every line of her face. The desperation was growing in both of them.

"I won't hurt you," the voice crooned, but Dominic could hear the lie hidden beneath the false kindness. Whatever was outside wanted them, and it wasn't human. Not anymore.

A sudden thud against the door shook the entire cabin, rattling the windows and sending dust falling from the rafters. Whoever—or whatever—was out there was done waiting.

Dominic grabbed Sarah's hand. "We have to make a run for it."

"Where?" she breathed, panic rising in her voice.

"The trees. We'll lose them in the forest."

Another slam against the door. The hinges groaned under the strain.

"On three," Dominic whispered, pulling her close. His heart raced, and his palms were sweaty, but he didn't have time to think. "One... two..."

A crash. The door exploded inward, splintering into pieces as a dark figure filled the doorway. Its eyes glowed in the shadows, burning with an unnatural light. But there was something worse—something in the way the air seemed to warp and twist around it, like reality itself was bending in its presence.

"Three!" Dominic yanked Sarah toward the nearest window. Without a second thought, he grabbed a chair and smashed it into the wooden boards covering the glass. The sound of shattering wood and glass filled the cabin as they scrambled through the broken window, Sarah first, followed by Dominic. He barely managed to squeeze out before he heard the creature's footstep behind him—heavy, deliberate, impossibly fast.

They hit the ground hard, rolling to their feet, and without a second's hesitation, they bolted into the woods. Branches whipped against their faces as they sprinted through the dense trees, their footsteps pounding against the forest floor. Dominic could hear Sarah's breath coming in quick gasps beside him, but he didn't dare slow down. Not with the thing that had been at the door still chasing them.

Behind them, a low, guttural growl echoed through the trees, growing louder with every passing second. It wasn't just following them—it was hunting them.

"Faster!" Dominic urged, though his own legs were screaming in exhaustion.

The forest around them seemed to close in tighter, the trees growing denser, their roots twisting and rising from the ground like obstacles designed to trip them. And all the while, the growls grew louder, closer, until Dominic could almost feel the creature's breath on his neck.

Suddenly, Sarah stumbled, her foot catching on a root. She cried out, collapsing forward into the dirt. Dominic skidded to a stop, his heart lurching in his chest.

"Sarah!" He rushed back, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet, but her ankle twisted painfully under her weight. She winced, her face contorted in pain.

"I can't..." she gasped. "I can't run."

Dominic's mind raced. They didn't have time—he could hear the creature closing in, crashing through the underbrush just behind them. They were out of options.

Without thinking, Dominic threw Sarah's arm over his shoulder and hoisted her up, half-carrying, half-dragging her forward. His muscles screamed in protest, but he pushed on, determined not to let the creature catch them.

"There!" Sarah pointed ahead, her voice weak but urgent.

Through the trees, Dominic saw it—a rocky outcrop, its surface jagged and uneven, but offering a slim chance at escape. If they could climb it, maybe they could lose the creature.

He pushed forward, gritting his teeth against the strain as they reached the rocks. With all the strength he had left, Dominic helped Sarah scramble up, then followed behind her, clawing his way to the top just as the creature burst from the trees below.

It screeched, furious, as it slammed into the rocks beneath them, but the slope was too steep for it to follow. For now, they were safe.

But only for now.