The Doorknocker

This is a short story I wrote a couple years ago now. I haven't really worked on anything else since as I don't find the time to really write anymore. This is not a contest entry or anything, just a short story to present.


Four years ago now, before I was in a home and before I awoke every night with chills wracking my entire body and nurses rushing into my room to sedate me and stop the images from that night ravaging my mind, I was on my own and a very rich secluded man. Back in my days of youth, I owned one of the largest bank chains in the entire city. I bought and sold so many men that Donald Trump himself would've cried at the very might of my wealth and success. I bought and sold so many people that I could've very well owned the entire city of New York and they basically ate out of the palm of my hand. With money, sleeping with a few mens' wives, blackmailing a few men to the brink of suicide? Nothing matters when you have the money to do the job, and there's no remorse when there's more wealth to be added to your collection.
Nowadays I need to write in this journal just to stay sane because what happened that night, is unexplainable and gives me vibrant nightmares to this very day. That night was just... WRONG as it played out, but some things cannot be stopped and some things happen without a wish or a damn.. Not a mother #ing damn... I at this moment before another spell of chills takes me, will take you back to that night and the terrifying events as I try to hold onto my very sanity.
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Back to that night, I remember it was very dark and breezy, a dead quiet night. Some people think the cliche "dark and stormy night" is unnerving, but a dead quiet breezy, muggy summer's night is much worse. Such a night where the moon is full and it feels like the dead themselves could rise from the grave to stalk the land once again. A night so silent that the breeze blowing branches against the window sounds as the scream of a banshee would, or fingernails scratching at your window.. Fighting to get inside to take you in the night and drag you off deep into the forest, never to see daylight again.. This was one of those nights as I sat upstairs in my study.

Me being extremely wealthy, I had a huge manor secluded from the rest of the city out in a wooded stretch. Nobody bothered me and if they did trespass, they would set off the many security devices around my property.. Only this "guest" did not. For some reason the sensors did not go off when he made his way up to my doorstep, and then and there I should've known something was wrong.. Something was VERY goddamn wrong with this.. I didn't know then.. I curse myself every day for not knowing... Oh God why did I let him into my home??!! ... The more I think back now, what I can remember of that night, there would've been no stopping him anyway. He seemed to have an appointment with me.

As I wrote notes at my desk in my study, I glanced at the clock.. 11:54.. Almost time to pace off into my bed and dream up ways to invest my fortune.. To think about my legacy.. I told myself I'd jot down a few more things, and then make my way to my room. Just as I bent down to begin working once more, all of a sudden, I heard a rapid knocking on my door downstairs.. Nobody should be visiting at this hour.. Not that I had visitors anyway, I have no family as I stayed to myself most of my days.. No room for wealth AND family.. I decided I would ignore the knocking for now and the person would leave soon enough, why wouldn't they? As I sat glancing back down at my work, the knocking only got louder.. Louder and sharper as the noise pierced and cut through the still muggy air of the night.

The sounds of the pounding echoing through my manor finally made their way into me long enough that I HAD to stop the knocking, I HAD to answer the door.. Why in the name of God did I ever let him in?... Why?.....

I grabbed my cane and made my way carefully down the stairs and to the front entrace, where I peered out of the peephole.. There was a man outside, a tall man.. He must've been over six feet tall.. He was wearing a worn black suit that had huge brass buttons going up it until the collar, where he had a tie on black as pitch. The man's hair was slicked neatly back and his shoes were shined neatly that I could even see the shine in the dark. As I continued peering through the hole, the man perked up as if he noticed me there on the other side of the door. He peered at me through the peephole and began speaking in a deep slightly gravely voice.

"Excuse me... I was driving along the main road down the hill.. My car broke down and I would really enjoy using your phone.. I saw the lights from your manor through the woods and made my way up here.. I hope you don't mind..", said the man almost nervously as he seemed to be staring straight into my eyes deep into my body causing me to shiver nervously.

"I'm sorry, but I don't want any... Please go down the street and find someone else to help you!", I spat as I began walking away from the door of my home. Oh how I wish now that I changed my ways...

"I'm sorry, but it's very dark... I could really use YOUR help..", uttered the man as I heard his voice seem to leap sharply through the door, not muffled at all.. As if he wasn't a physical being.. This made me want to rush back to my study and lock the door.. But of course I didn't.. Why was I so blind?...

I turned back to the door, undid the deadbolt, and slowly opened it for the man. He smiled as he glanced in at me, and I opened the door the rest of the way, letting him into my home.

"I assume you need to use my phone..", I began, but he didn't seem to be hearing anything I was saying.

"This is a very nice home.. Very nice.. You must have done quite a lot to become this wealthy.. Stepped on quite a few people? Bought some souls as we might say..", said the man as he glanced at my paintings on the walls and the many collectibles I had obtained over the years.

"Yes, so about that phone ca-", I began again, but he cut me off as he whirled around so he could face me.

"Yeeessss... Done so many dirty things in your days.. So many abominations.. Like that time you raped your sister Esmeralda for instance..", said the man as his eyes seemed to burn and rage.

"-... How did you know about that?....", I said shocked and stricken with utter terror.

"Yeeeeessss... You were such a naughty boy... Back at that age... When you tied her down in front of your friends... When you stuck it in her for the first time and made her bleeeeeed. When you'd finished you made her swear never to tell anyone, she eventually went to the asylum from the trauma!!", said the man as he began to giggle in manic laughter.

I began to pace backwards from him at that point... There was something wrong with this man.. Something extremely demented... The most horrifying thing though was that everything that rasped from his mouth was the truth... In my youth, I had raped my own sister for money.. Anything for money.. Greed.. I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to earn more wealth to add to my collection.. How could this man know about this?.....

"Yeessss, and the time that you LIED and changed all the sales figures of your employees so that you could sell them out and lay them off so you could claim their money instead of paying them that season.. How many did you put out on the street? At least thirty?", said the man as a smirk came across his pale face.

"You are reaching a dark level that even I could never attain...", said the man again as his eyes seemed to begin burning like coals.

"Wh-... Who are you?... ", I said as I began backing up against the wall..

"You don't recognize me? Everyone in the selfish earth knows about me... I have a feeling we've met before and a feeling that you're never getting away from me...", said the man as he smirked again and I saw that he no longer had human teeth, but long points in his mouth that seemed to lead to a large gaping hole as his eyes seemed to ignite even more brightly than ever.

"I... I don't understand...", I said as I began to stumble down.. Began to actually weep as I saw this man transform so viciously..

"You twit! I am what is behind every nightmare you've ever had, I am the reason you've sold so much for your fortune.. I am the reason that you get shivers in the night after neglecting any form of guilt.. I am the creature that made you rape your sister.. I am the king of darkness and the antichrist himself.. I am the devil. There's no leaving here tonight you see, for it is your time for me to claim you. You've sold your soul for money and success, so now it is finally time to pay up.", said the devil as he seemed to stretch as he grew in size and his arms seemed to enlongate as well. His teeth seemed to burst longer from inside his mouth and his fingernails began to formulate into long claws. His mouth stretched and gaped as it grew and grew wider and wider as a snake's does when his jaw unhinges. That mouth grew and stretched to the size to swallow what seemed worlds.. He was swallowing me... That was it, it was over.... My days were ending as I was taken into the darkness..

I felt the teeth gnashing me into a bloody pulp as I screamed, felt what felt like bursting flaming hot coals reupt against my skin, felt what I can only explain as boiling water drip down into my eyes. I looked up.. Something began coming into my sight.. Fire seemed to erupt as I saw bodies begin pacing towards me.... Bodies of people blinded.. Their eyes were in fact completely removed from their bodies... Just deep blank, bloody holes as they seemed to stare me down as they all came for me at once.. All had blistering boiling skin as they reached me and began eating me alive.. Their teeth digging into my flesh... They began pulling me apart as I screamed and screamed.....

I awoke hours later in the hospital, not a scratch on me.. The doctors said I had had a very serious heart attack and was lucky to be alive... A man had heard my screams and had brought me to the hospital after he found me on the floor... When I asked about my door being open or the traces of another man around my manor.. Nobody had a word.. The doors were deadbolted shut as I had left them... I know better.. I review my security tapes every once in a while.. Those are the things I wanted to bring to the home with me.. I see what appears to be a shadow, shooting across the night, then the tapes go blurry as if consumed by a blizzard, and then there's nothing.. I seem to be the only one to see these things on the tapes.. Things look completely normal to everyone else, though they do see what appears to be a black cat run across the yard.. I KNOW it happened because every night while lying in my bed.. I hear that scratching on the windows, feel that random marshy warmth.. And see those red glowing eyes staring through the curtain around my bed... Burning into my soul.. I fear death most of all.. For then I truly will be his...