Knock Three Times

1. Uninvited

        A YOUNG LADY STOOD before a newly built home, its structure identical to another across the street, and a third just six houses down the suburban street. It was a relatively warm summer's day in the west end of the small city of Bellville—a small city or large town, few could distinguish with its ever-growing population.

    The drive to the familiar house was celebratory in nature, lawn signs and balloons could be seen along every street as the populous honoured the latest crop of graduates. Horns honked in every direction as gowned students cheered, passing vehicles decorated with cheap dollar store décor and upbeat music blaring at every turn. This was a time of great pride, as parents throughout the area basked in the academic achievements of their matured children, looking forward to a bright and promising future.

    This was the last day of school for every other student, as summer vacation had officially begun at 3pm that very day. However, not every youth in the humble harbour town was in a celebratory mood. While the populous celebrated a grim task was underway, one lined with uncertainty and a harsh reminder of those who had sacrificed their very lives for this moment, and as such, one young teen stood out from the rest.

    Jean was not like these children, not even a little bit.

    While the city celebrated and cheered the end of the school year a hidden mourning crept behind an invisible veil, in which only a small handful of Belleville's citizens were even aware. Of course, the young teen had witnessed these horrific events which had taken place not long ago, the night of Halloween—the night everything changed. Many had perished, countless lost and forgotten. The future many were looking forward to that day was but a glimmer of hope that was fleeting and seemingly futile with the foreboding times that would soon come to pass. This was no prediction, but a mathematical certainty through the eyes of young Jean.

    Hers was a complicated mind constantly scrambled, ever working out the past and future in incredible detail, historic accounts and forbidden documentation, prophecy and connections of ancient relevance, ever wondering if there was something she could have done different. If there had been a small factor she may have overlooked which could have spared the human race of the inevitable doom that now approached, she was determined to know. These were concerns of but a small few, as the rest of the world was completely unaware or refused to humour such thoughts.

    What is the human mind but a means of denial or escape? In the worst of times, we flee to our comfort, clinging to nostalgia to remember that things weren't always so grim. In our ignorance of the inevitable, what hope remains?

    'Are you quite positive you want to go in there alone, child?' asked a white-haired priest with a hint of a British accent. As he leaned against the hood of his rental car, parked in the driveway, his hesitant but mindful gaze remained locked on the house in question. Jean took a deep breath and gave her head a shake, trying her best to focus on the problem at hand. Her long brown hair frolicked with the warm summer's breeze as she turned to him.

    'I'm sure.' As she turned back to the house her restless eyes narrowed, knowing what dwell within. A strange presence lurked within its walls—more than one, the young girl was positive. She had put off coming to the house for quite some time, a clear reason as to why, though she would share this with no one.

    'This couldn't wait for another day?'

    'No, Shawn; I've already worked out all the possibilities in my head.' She sighed. 'Change has come, and there is much work to do, I'm afraid. I don't imagine I'll have another chance, knowing what awaits us this very evening.'

    'Very well,' the old man nodded, straightening the white collar in black dress shirt. 'I suppose I'll just wait here, then.' He let out a sigh, the young lady perhaps overconfident, he thought. However, Jean was much more than her appearance revealed, and the seasoned priest knew her to be quite stubborn, but knowledgeable nonetheless.