Behind Closed Doors

Episode 1

Lizzy chuckled and kept exploring the room. There was something off about it she couldn't quite put her finger on. Frowning, she walked back into the main hallway, then returned to the kitchen. "Something is off. It's almost like a hallway is missing." She thought for a moment and considered the layout of the house.

She noticed Ruth and Dolores sharing yet another look as she explored the hallway to the left. It seemed there was an old and thankfully empty pantry, as well as several tiny rooms she assumed were for house staff. A double set of doors at the end led to a formal dining room. A quick glance out the large bay windows revealed Hannah and her friends still lurking outside.

Once again, she entered the kitchen. This time, a shiver ran down her neck. Something was glittering on the far wall, the one that would lead to the right side of the house.

Squinting, she walked over to it and passed her hand over the area. Where she expected to feel paint and plaster, her hand instead encountered the wood of a set of doors. She explored further and found the handles.

"Holy shit," she whispered.

"Lizzy," Ruth said, right behind her shoulder.

She screamed and twirled, placing her hand over her chest. After taking several deep breaths to calm her racing heart, she said, "Don't do that to me!"

"Lizzy, we implore you not to go in there. Once you open this door, the enchantment hiding it will be broken and anyone could come behind you and let the demon out. It's evil. It lies. It will promise you things to convince you to free it, and then it will kill you once you do," Dolores said, standing in the center of the kitchen, her hand wringing in overdrive.

"So, it's not behind this door then?"

"Not immediately. The demon is locked in a bedroom at the end of the hallway," Ruth said. "And for good reason."

"Right. So, aside from lifting whatever thing keeps this door hidden, there really is no consequence to opening it."

"Mama, was I this stupid when I was alive?" Dolores asked.

Ruth chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Obviously, we cannot stop you. Do what you will." There was a glint in her eye that made Lizzy hesitate. Were the ghosts setting her up? But she also really wanted to know what was on the other side of that door.

Lizzy placed her hands on the double knobs and twisted. The locking mechanism on the door groaned and ground together, as if it was trying to offer one last warning of resistance before popping apart. The doors swung inward. She held her breath.

Nothing. The light from the kitchen illuminated a dim hallway with three more doors on one side and a set of double doors at the end. Just like the hallway on the other side of the house. "Well, that was uneventful."

A loud thump reverberated down the hallway, as if something large fell to the floor on the other side. "What was that?" She didn't know if she was asking the ghosts, herself, or whatever could be on the other side of the door at the end of the hall.

Slowly, she made her way toward the far right wall. When she reached the corner, she peered around it and saw a short flight of stairs leading down into darkness. The walls were covered in an old, dark wood paneling that matched the trim on the rest of the house.

Slowly, she made her way down the hall. Her heart beat rapidly in her ears. The air reeked of dust and mold. Sunbeams fought for dominance against the shadows, dancing between the slats of wood covering the windows.

When she reached the halfway mark, she heard Ruth call after her, "Don't get too close! It has a further reach than you would expect."

"What?" She paused and glanced down. The hair on the back of her arms stood straight up. A chill ran through her body. Was it colder than it had been a few moments ago? And what was that smell? She sniffed but couldn't place it, though it reminded her of standing in the middle of the chemistry lab at school.