The nights spent in the boarding house were dreadful. The kind of place you were sent to when no one wanted you. Abandoned, orphaned or not. It brought along pain and anguish, fear of the door that never open failed to open at 12:30am. Each boy knew when the door opened for him, each boy knew of the darkness that laid in wait behind that door, each boy knew of the silent screams. Each boy except one. The newbie - Sam.
There were twenty four boys in the boarding house, twenty four boys in the room but two nights ago, only twenty three saw the morning. It had been Daniel's night and he knew it. He couldn't sleep. Wouldn't sleep. Neither of us could sleep. Daniel had gone through that door twice, he had screamed more than any of us had and he, like the rest of us, never wanted to go beyond that door but wishes never came true in here so Daniel had found another way out.
At exactly 12:25am, Daniel had torn himself away from our embrace and made a head dive through the window, before any of us could reach him he was already out. He had escaped that night. He had escaped every other night. By morning he was hanging on the fence, his five storey fall had sent the spikes deep into his abdomen.
Just this morning, Sam had arrived, the caretaker had received him heartily. Daniel's replacement. Another innocent victim to warm his bed. Four nights with the caretaker and he would be needing diapers. But this night, I sat opposite his bed watching him sleep innocently. He smiled in his sleep, he was so cute. This was my brother and I loved him!
I looked at the clock, 12:27am. In three minutes the door would open and he would come, the caretaker, call my name and I'll go beyond the door. I cried and the other boys consoled me, but I wasn't crying for me, I cried for Sam my innocent brother. If nothing changed he would face the same fate tomorrow night.
12:30am.
I looked at the door as it opened, heard him call my name. I stood, turned to look at the window, cool air rushed in.....
.....that was the only freedom I could reach.
This is deep and scary. I DO NOT like Horror movies, so half of my face was covered with a pillow as I read this. It is sad that in some scenarios, death actually feels like a better option.