Warning: It’s not a good idea to respond to calls for help coming from behind doors that were made specially for the Halloween season.
Why? Well, when you read what happened to me recently upon responding to calls for help coming from behind the rather scruffy door in the image below, you’ll believe me.
“HELP! GET ME OUT OF HERE. HELP!”
Those were the words I could hear coming from the other side of the October door.
With its light blue paint having almost peeled away and signs of having been kicked from the scuff marks along its bottom, the door looked unloved and old. People passed me and the door by without taking any notice. Was I the only one who could hear the calls for help?
I watched as the flap of the letterbox lifted and two eyes appeared. They looked shocked when they saw me.
“I’m trapped. Please, you need to get me out. Just turn the knob to the left, then to the right, and once more to the left, and the door will open. I’ll be truly grateful for your help. It’s jammed. I’ve been stuck in here for over forty years.”
As the flap closed, I questioned what I had just heard. Forty years? That should have told me not to open the door, but the writer inside me said this would make a great story.
“Hold on. I’m coming in. Step away from the door,” I announced, as I approached it.
“Left, right, and left again,” I muttered under my breath, as I tried the door knob. The door opened without any problems, but I hesitated before stepping into the black void that now faced me.
“Hello,” I called out, as I took my first step inside.
Nothing but silence met my ears. Even the world behind me seemed to go to sleep. I hesitated and wondered if I should take a step back; to maybe get some help?
“In here,” came a voice, “please help me.”
On my fifth step in, the door slammed behind me.
Turning, I ran towards it, but it wouldn’t open. I told myself not to panic and to feel for the door knob, but there wasn’t one. Then, I heard a terrifying sound from something behind me. I banged on the door hard with both hands, hoping that somebody on the other side would hear me.
“HELP! GET ME OUT OF HERE. HELP!”
As the sound behind me got nearer, I had a strange feeling that somebody on the other side of the door had heard me. Then I remembered that the door had a letterbox. I bent down and pulled open the flap. My eyes opened wide with shock.
I hadn’t expected to see myself staring back.
***
This week’s door is located in Llandeilo, South Wales, in the United Kingdom.
Have you ever come across a door that isn’t all it seems?
Linking to the weekly photography challenge ‘Thursday Doors,’ hosted by Dan Antion who blogs at No Facilities. Click here to join hundreds of other participants with your Thursday Doors.
If you’re enjoying the pieces of flash fiction I’m including with my Thursday Doors posts then you may like Glimpses, my first book of flash fiction and short stories.
The above piece of flash fiction features in Glimpses.
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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Check out some of other Thursday Doors Posts
Thursday Doors – Door To Another Time, Another Place
Would you accept an invitation to another time and another place?
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Hugh's Views & News 
Knowing you, Hugh, I expected that he was going to get trapped. I did not expect what he saw! LOL It’s so perfectly your signature piece! 🙂
Thanks, Marsha. You know how much I love writing twists.
And you know how much I and all your other readers, enjoy reading them! 🙂 Well done!
This kept me on edge. Wonderfully done!
Thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hi Hugh, a most entertaining story. I think it is in one of your books because I’m sure I’ve read it before.
Thank you, Robbie; yes, I mention in the post that ‘The above piece of flash fiction features in Glimpses.’ So you will have read it before when reading Glimpses.
Thanks, Hugh. I thought it was Glimpses and I actually did dive straight into the story. Both your books were really good.
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed them, Robbie.
OH MY GOSH, Hugh, what a great story! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, so I’m glad it was a short story! 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it, Marsha, and that it kept you on the edge of your seat. Thanks so much for reading it.
You are the king of Halloween stories. I hope you are on the roster again for the first Story Chat of Year 3!!! I think Year 2 is full. Yay! 🙂
Of course, and great to hear that Year 2 is full.
Me too! So you’re on!
Absolutely loved it!
Thank you.
Woo hoo! Definitely Twilight Zone worth!
Thank you. Anything can happen in the Twilight Zone.
Excellent!
Thank you.
Oh! 😮 Slickly done!
Thank you, Manja.
Scary and very good!
Love,
Janie
Thank you, Janie. Glad you enjoyed it.
Can you actually go back to somewhere you’ve never been, considering that “going back” means you’ve already been? 🙂 Sorry. Just the English/grammar person in my pushing to the front. Enjoyed the story either way.
janet
When you’ve entered the Twilight Zone, anything is possible, Janet.
🙂 Evil laugh.
Nicely told. I suppose you must have let yourself out, Hugh. Otherwise we would never have heard the whole story.
Unless, of course, it’s not Hugh who wrote this story and responding to comments, Jean. 🎃
Yikes!
Great to read the twisty tale you are known for, Hugh. From Glimpses, right? More October doors in the making, I hope!
Yes, that piece of flash fiction is taken from Glimpses, Terri. It seemed to perfect time to share it again, especially with the image of the door.
I hope you feel free to share a couple of your stories in a 3 weeks for my “eerie” theme on 10/31, Hugh!
I’ll certainly dig into both my books and see what I can find, Terri. ‘Lipstick’ is one I’d like to republish on my blog.
That would be great!
Haha! That’s quite a door.
I fell in love with it, even though it tricked me into going through it.
Oh my! Definitely creepy but I loved it!
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Terrifying! Nice job 🙂
Thanks, Aimer.
A good one!!
Thank you.
Spooky Halloween story…you had me going!
That’s good to hear. Glad you enjoyed my spooky tale about this door.
I have to admit that it did startle me a little…
Then I felt haunted as if your character was me! Lol
Just don’t answer any calls for help when they’re coming from behind strange doors this Halloween. 🎃
🤣😂🤣 thanks for your advice! I’ll be sure not too!
Excellent! The ending was amazing!
Great piece of writing Hugh!
Thank you, Nadine.
Hope it didn’t scare you too much.
Creepy, clever ending
Thank you. I’m glad you saw the creepiness in it.
This is wonderful, Hugh – I love it!
What a great story. I love the twist at the end. It’s a great door for the plt, too.
Thanks so much for sharing this with Thursday Doors.
Glad you enjoyed it, Dan. I figured with it being Halloween month, creepy looking doors should appear on my blog. I loved this particular door, even though it was in such a poor state of repairs. It must have been at least 50 years old and never seen a fresh lick of paint or clean water. I felt sorry for it but glad I captured it like that.