“Auuuuugh,” Emerald groaned, “I can never get this door open” We were standing alone in her driveway as the sun was seeping into darkness. Emerald struggled with the door as a little border collie wandered up the driveway and then stopped.
“Hey little buddy,” I whispered gently trying not to scare him, “where’s your mum and dad?”
“Maggie get your butt over here and give this door a try,” Emerald growled at me. I wandered over to the door and took the keys from her icy hand.
“Jeez you’re hands are like ice!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, hurry up so we can get inside to the warmth,” she mumbled. I was jiggling the door handle and fumbling with the keys. I couldn’t open it either, it was stuck.
“It’s no use. I can’t open it!” I gasped in exasperation, “is the back door open?”
“No we never leave it open and even if it was unlocked we couldn’t get in. I barricaded the door so no one could get into while my parents are overseas,”
“Well then. I guess that we just have to keep trying,” I said.
I went back to the door and wiggled and jiggled some more until Emerald stopped me.
“Where did that dog go?” she asked.
“It must’ve gone home. Don’t worry about that now. Worry about this door,” My voice sounded strange and shaky, “I can’t get it open still,”
“Does-does that mean we are locked out?” Emerald said, shaking now with a mixture of fear and a lack of heat. We huddled together both wishing that we could be inside with the door locked.
Emerald turned her attention back to the unco-operative door. “One more time,” she muttered through gritted teeth of determination. I walked toward the spot where the dog was a moment ago. The sun was gone now and all I could see in the dogs place was a pool of shiny liquid. A smell spilt through the night air. I was sweet and copper like. Blood? Why was there blood?
“Ummm Emerald,” I called, not taking my eyes off the liquid, “Come here right. Now it’s rather urgent” She didn’t reply. I turned around and she was gone, the keys still in the lock swinging from side to side. I realised a shadow standing around the side of the house. It was a male. My heart raced and I began to move slowly backwards. I tripped over a large lump on the gravel. I landed on my butt and grazed my hands. The stinging lingered but I turned my attention to what I had fallen over. My eyes had adjusted to the dark and I could see a dark lump surrounded by a pool of blood. Guts were spilled on the drive way and when I reached out to touch it I could almost feel the life slipping out of it. Poor dog.
I remembered the shadow. I could feel my heart beating in my feet as the footsteps crept closer. I didn’t want to look up. I was scared. “Just bolt Maggie,” I urged myself but I couldn’t move. “don’t look up,” I said but I couldn’t help it. I tilted my head upwards slowly. I was him. He was wearing and black top hat and a tuxedo. His gloves were dripping with blood that pooled around his polished leather shoes. I looked at his face. Half of it was bruised in the shape of a hand print. His lips stretched into a sinister smile. “Dance with me you filthy woman,”
