Lights Out

The Locked Door

Something was in the room. It's been locked for as long as she can remember, a whopping nine years that she was proud of, but now the curiosity was too much. She remembered that last summer she decided to peek through the key hole, just to see what kind of treasure had to be sitting in the room. It was a locked back room, it had to have something like treasure in it, right? But she didn't see treasure when she looked into the small hole. She saw a pair of blinding red eyes staring back at her. Veronica almost screamed; a loud whimper came out instead because she knew if she screamed then her mother would find her and she would get in big trouble. Veronica didn't have many rules to follow, but this was a Big One. No one goes in that room.

But now she understood why. Veronica couldn't bring herself to look into the room again, and winter brought school and homework. But now she was a big girl, she even makes her own lunches. She isn't afraid of the red eyes anymore. So, that's why Veronica parked herself in the rocking chair in the play room. She could see all down the hallway and into the kitchen, and if her mom was there she could pretend to play. But when her mom wasn't in there, she could sneak to the hidden room.

It took fifteen minutes for her mom to leave the kitchen which was really pushing Veronica's patience. But as soon as her mom darted off with a mug and a load of laundry, she quickly but quietly snuck over to the hidden door. She felt like a spy and sang her own spy music in her head, doing a quick ballerina twirl she was learning in class. She would have giggled if she could. Veronica knelt below the door handle but needed to get up the courage to stretch.

She called herself a big baby and then reached up all in one motion so she couldn't talk herself out of it. There wasn't any eyes this time but rather a little girl in the middle of the room. She was wearing a muddy thin dress and she had matted blonde hair, maybe a ribbon tied in it. Veronica could tell the girl was younger than her and much too thin for any age.

"Hello? Can you speak?"

The girl twitched. "Who's there?"

"I'm..." Veronica couldn't finish the sentence. Something deep in her belly said not to say a name. "I'm a friend. I want to talk to you...will you be my friend?"

At first, she thought the girl was ignoring her but then she stood and Veronica heard her sit against the door. She felt something touch her knee, and found a piece of paper and a tiny pencil under the frame. She took it and saw the girl had written a short note.

'I'm Annalisa. Your mom is back in the kitchen.'

Veronica's heart leapt into her throat. She whispered, "I'll be back," and then took off for the play room. Her mom was peering in so Veronica hid in the corner, pretending to play house with her dolls.

"Hey, sweetie. I thought I told you to stay in front of the door so I can see you."

Veronica smiled apologetically, dropping her dolls. "I'm sorry. I couldn't slide the dollhouse over."

Her mom moved it for her, taking the odds and ends that fell out with it. She patted Veronica on the head, something she has always detested, and said, "How does grilled cheese sound for dinner? It's kind of hot out to use the oven."

Veronica nodded, wanting to be left alone. But she wasn't going to have her way, it seems. Her mom began to leave but then turned around to face Veronica again. "I almost forgot, I have to go to the pharmacy today so please put on something clean so we can leave."

She pouted but stood anyway, deciding on the pretty coral blue dress in her closet with the shiny black shoes. It was her favorite outfit, mostly because her daddy bought it for her a long time ago. It made her feel like a little porcelain doll. Veronica paused by the locked door, torn between saying she would be back to the little girl and hurrying back to her mom before she got angry. She ultimately decided on the latter, ignoring the shadow that appeared behind the door the moment her shoes touched the hardwood.

After an hour in the pharmacy with her mom Veronica wanted to scream bloody murder. All she wanted to do was get back to the little girl but her mom was taking forever, between talking to people and waiting by the counter. She decided she couldn't take it anymore and went outside, standing by the car on the sidewalk. She leaned her back against it and watched her mom, wishing this was over with and she could go back home.

"It's not all bad."

Veronica jumped, whipping around to see the same little girl from the room beside her. She was fuzzy around the edges like a blurred photo and couldn't stay still; she kept swaying slightly as if she couldn't feel her feet.

"What do you mean? How could it be better?"

The girl shrugged, pointing to an older man who was walking his dog. "You could be like him, smiling and walking an animal."

"That doesn't make me feel better...hey, how did you get out of the room?"

"I followed you, Veronica. You're my friend. I'm so lonely."

Veronica was startled the girl knew her name and took a step back in fear. "I didn't tell you my name."

The girl smiled, revealing rotting teeth. "I'm not just somebody, Veronica. Don't you know why I'm locked up there?"

Veronica didn't care much now. She wanted to go back inside with her mom and she never wanted to see the girl again. "I don't know, but I don't care to know either. I want my mommy."

"Please don't leave me, Veronica. I have nobody and I'm so lonely all by myself. They didn't leave me any toys when they locked me up. You're my only toy." The girl reached for Veronica's arm but Veronica kept backpedaling to get away from this horror of a child. Her heel slipped on the curb and it opened a window for the girl to lunge, wrapping her translucent arms around Veronica's waist. The girl began to disappear and it scared Veronica more. She could hear people shouting, doors opening and footsteps but she didn't care. She wanted away from the ghost girl.

Veronica saw the car coming. It was going too fast to stop now and all Veronica could do was stare at it as it slammed into her. But she felt no pain. She closed her eyes on impact and now opened them to see a bedroom. The wallpaper was yellowed and torn, a small cot with moth eaten blankets in the corner. Veronica ran for the door only to find it locked from the outside. She peered through the key hole to see bright red eyes staring back at her. Veronica was in the locked room, her bedroom not even five feet away.

She screamed.