The Book

Peter was sitting alone in his living room. He was living unmarried since his wife died in a car crash a year ago and his child is with his friends right now. He had a day off after a week of torture at work.

He got up to go to the kitchen and drank a glass of water. He has been daydreaming and wondering if he could change jobs to have a higher salary. He had not been married since then because he is not yet ready to move on from his wife. They were both childhood best friends and it’s hard for him to just let it all go.

He was feeling shattered at the moment then something caught his eye. It was a book. He went back to the living room to pick it up. “A Knock” it said as it was in the title. He had not seen the book ever since his wife and his kid moved in few years ago. Though the book had a name imprinted on it at the back that says the name of his wife, Lucia. Aware of what the book is all about, he sat down and read on it.

“This book is dedicated to my late husband and to the kid we had. I will never forget you.” – Amara

The book’s entire story reads:

“The year was 1997; John is sitting down in his veranda. He is looking at the kids outside waiting for his son to come home. The cloud appears to make fall of the rain. Several raindrops can be seen from above to the ground. A number of kids started running back to their home. John was starting to get nervous as no sign of his son was seen anywhere. A big truck passed by, stopped at a nearby house and brought down a big box that looks like it can fit a whole refrigerator. A woman approached the men carrying it and went inside. After a while, the men came out with the woman bid goodbye to them and got back to their truck. When the truck departed, a man in his hoodie was seen. He was staring at him. John looked around to see if there is someone behind or beside him but there was nobody except him. He looked once again at the man. The man was in no move, completely blank in stare at him. The drops of rain and thunder made the situation worse.

Another truck passed by then the man was gone. John looked around and there was no man standing in the rain no more. He started to think of what he saw. Could it be just hallucination? Or was he just in a dream? He closed his eyes in order to feel calm and to forget everything. As he opened it, he saw the man already in front of his house. This time, a knife was on his hands. John was shaken and his eyes widened like it was never opened for a long time. The man with the knife shockingly ran into him in attempt to stab him. He quickly got up and went immediately to the door to open but it was too late. He was stabbed in the back several times. He felt unconscious and his eyes blank.

Silence was the sound he heard.”

Peter was stunned to read the book. He became speechless on to what he read.

After a while of sitting down, a knock was heard from Peter’s door. He thought it might be his son. He then got up and went to the door. A thunder was heard from outside. It might be raining he thought.

He opened it. There was no one.

Someone might be joking around he wondered. Usually it happened a few times when the kids in the neighborhood are being silly. But on second thought for him, it will not happen for now since it’s raining.

He closed it again. Take a step, about to go upstairs but another knock was heard. This time it knocked three times. Alarmed to what it is again, he opened it.

He saw a young man in his hoodie at his yard with a knife.