The voice behind the door

“Elena.”

My name sounded so strange from the other side of the apartment.

It didn't sound like a real person called me.

It sounded as if something was trying to copy a human voice.

I couldn't move, I stood still 

My phone was still in my hand, but the screen had gone black and I kept staring at it like it had all of the answers I needed.

The woman's whispers stayed in my head.

Don't let him inside.

Her voice sounded scared but real.

But the hallway was empty, and I had lived here for years. I knew every sound that came from this building.

But this sound was extremely different.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Slow and careful knocks like someone knew I was scared and enjoyed it.

“Elena,” the voice said again.

I stepped back quickly, and I hit my back on the wall. It was so cold.

“This is not real,” I whispered to myself.

“I'm tired. I'm stressed, that's all.”

I looked at the door. The white roses were still on the floor beside it looking beautiful, fresh, and the white handkerchief was still tied around it.

Adrain Vale.

His name flashed in my mind.

I forced myself to move. One step, then another, my hand shook as I reached for the flowers.

Then the second I touched them.

The knocking stopped.

Everything became so quiet, like someone had moved away from the door and was now listening.

I froze again, no footsteps, no breathing, nothing happened.

I picked up the flowers, maybe someone is playing a joke on me, maybe someone saw the crash outside.

“Elena.”

The voice came from behind me.

I screamed so loud and dropped the flowers 

I turned around fast.

No one was there. 

The hallway was empty, but the voice didn't come from the door, it came from inside my apartment.

My mouth went dry.

“No,” I whispered.

The light above my head started blinking. 

Once.

Twice and then it stayed on.

I slowly moved towards the door, and I pressed the handle.

“I didn't open it,” I whispered to myself 

Then I heard something inside.

A soft dragging sound, like a cloth moving across the floor.

My phone notified me again.

I nearly scream out of fear.

A message from an unknown number.

My hands were shaking as I opened the message.

It said: 

YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE SAVED HIM.

My heart stopped for a second. 

The light blinked again.

Half of the room went dark.

And in the darkness, I saw someone standing near my kitchen table.

Tall and standing still watching me.

My whole body went ice.

I couldn't scream, I couldn't move.

The figure slowly carried its head then raised one hand and pointed it at the flowers.

And whispered.

“You brought him home.”

The lights came back on.

The kitchen was empty, and no one was there.

But the air inside my apartment felt super heavy, like someone was still there.

I rushed inside my room and slammed the door shut.

I locked it again and again.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking, I leaned against the door and tried to breathe.

“There's no one here,” I said.

But then again I looked at the flowers.

My heart skipped.

The roses were changing, the petals were turning dark, drying out so fast.

Like they were getting old in seconds.

My phone notified me again.

Another message.

CHECK THE MIRROR.

I shouldn't have looked.

Out of curiosity, I turned to the small mirror near the door.

At first, I saw myself with wet hair, wide scared eyes, and a pale face.

The light blinked so fast again.

And for a second, someone stood behind me in the mirror, not in the room.

Only in the mirror, and watching me.

Dark suit, blood rolling down his face, grey eyes.

“Adrian Vale.”

I screamed and spun around, but no one was there, an empty room.

I looked back at the mirror, and he was still there. I was so terrified.

I looked at the mirror again and he smiled, my phone rang, and this time it was a normal call.

The screen lit up.

Adrain Vale.

My whole body went numb.

The phone kept on ringing.

The third time, I answered.

“H-hello,” I stammered.

My heart was beating so fast, then his voice came calm and slow.

“Elena Hart.”

My knees nearly give way.

“How did you get my number,” I asked.

He paused for a few seconds.

Then he said “I didn't.”

Cold blood ran through my body.

“I don’t understand,” I said quickly. 

“I'm home, I just got here. How are you?”

“You didn't bring me home,” he said softly.

For a few seconds, I was silent.

“What?”

Then his voice became even quieter.

“You invited me in.”

The call ended.

The phone slipped and fell from my hand.

At that same moment.

Knock, knock, knock.

Soft knocks came from inside my apartment.

“Elena…” a whisper came beside my ear

I didn't turn around.

Because I finally understood that something terrible was going on.

The door never stopped it from coming in, it was already inside.

The whispers stayed long in my ear even after the sound ended.

“Elena.”

A warm breath touched the side of my ear.

I ran.

I didn't even stop to think. One second I was beside the door frozen with fear. The next second I was running across the room as fast as I could. My wet feet slipped on the floor, and I hit my shoulder on the wall hard.

I felt serious pains but I didn't stop.

The bedroom door was half open, It was so dark, then I heard it again.

Knock, knock, knock.

Three slow knocks from inside the bedroom, I moved backward so quickly that my foot caught the rug, and I fell to the floor, my elbow hit the tiles, and tears filled my eyes from the pain. 

But fear pulled me back up, “No!” I screamed. “Who's there,”

No answer came. The apartment was filled with silence.

Then the bedroom door moved a little.

Creeeeeeeeek.

My chest felt so tight that I could hardly breathe.

I looked around for something to protect myself with, and my hand touched the metal candle stand on the shelf beside me. I grabbed it so tightly that my fingers were shaking so badly.

“Leave me alone!” I cried.

The lights started blinking again, and the bedroom door opened widely. Now, I could see the side of my bed and the wardrobe.

My curtains were moving so fast even though the windows were closed.

Standing in the corner was a woman.

For seconds, I stopped breathing.

She wore a white gown. It was wet and stained with something darker. Her long hair covered parts of her face, and one hand rested on her stomach, as if she were protecting it.

Slowly, she carried her other hand and pointed it at me, then at the mirror, and then at the white rose near the front door.

I blinked.

She was gone.

I screamed and almost dropped the candle stand.

“ No…No…”

I turned my eyes to the mirror on the wall.

Words were appearing on the glass, but no hand was writing them, the letters were forming themselves in the mist.

HE KEEPS US HERE

I stumbled backward. Tears rolled down my face.

The roses near the door had changed again, the white petals were now streaked with blood. Blood was spreading through the cloth.

My phone rang on the floor, and I picked it up, an unknown number, I answered instantly. 

“Please!” Who are you?” I answered immediately.

Then several female voices whispered over one another, so many that I couldn't count them.

“He chose you…”

“Don't sleep…”

“Don't eat his food…”

“Find the room..”

“Burn the portraits…”

They started crying, then a voice cut through them, very fast and urgent, she said “he's outside your window.”

The call ended.

I turned my head slowly towards the living room window.

At first, I didn't see anything, everywhere was dark, then lightning split the sky.

And for one bright second, a tall man stood behind my window, in a perfect suit, his hands behind his back.

He looked so calm even in the storm, his eyes were fixed on me.

Adrain Vale.

The lights went off, and everywhere in my apartment was covered with darkness.

I couldn't see anything, I could only hear the sound of rain outside.

And somewhere inside the darkness, very close to me, he said softly.

“You should have answered the door.”