"The Red Door"

The Red Door

Dense, charcoal clouds hang over the land. Heavy rain saturating the earth resurfaces the soot and worms once hiding underneath the dirt. 

The storm has washed away any traces of civilization except for a black, unmarked Crown Victoria that sits in neutral on the shoulder of the empty road. Light from its head beams refracts off the glazed concrete. Smog emptying out from the exhaust pipe adds to the layer of fog blanketing the ground. 

Despite the dark tinted windows preventing outsiders from seeing inside, one could sense there are eyes behind the glass watching. Like a predator stalking its prey.  

Inside the vehicle, Detectives Wallace and Kelly share a small flask of whiskey. It's just after midnight on a Friday in October. Both the years and the heartbreak have started to show on the detectives.

Only the soft chatter buzzing through their police radio interrupts the constant sound of rain pelting down on the car. With the rain washing over the windshield, their surroundings look almost mosaic. Nevertheless, the two detectives have fixed their stare on something outside. 

Wallace flips the wiper blades, revealing a decrepit, colonial house that has been slowly deteriorating from years, maybe decades, of neglect. 

The house sits at the end of a winding, gravel driveway between a pair of giant, bare willow trees. 

A flash of lightening ignites the gray sky, followed by a rumble of thunder. 

Kelly turns to Wallace and finally breaks the silence that has seemed to last an eternity. 

"1267 Grove Road, this is it" a determined Detective Kelly says. 

"How long have we been running in circles just to end up right here?” Detective Wallace grumbles. "It almost defies possibility that we even ended up here. It was right in front of us the whole time but we were to close to the puzzle to see the picture that was forming.” 

"We've been working this case, looking for him, looking for..." Kelly trails off before adding, “…we've spent our whole lives on this even before..."

Wallace cuts her off. “And look at what its cost the both of us!”

“How could we have known where this whole thing would end up? Nobody could, not you, not—” says Kelly.

“—STOP!" Wallace barks. ”Don't you see? Everything that happened, not just to us, but to everyone we promised to help...it all ends tonight.”

Kelly snaps back, “Then what are we waiting for” as she steps out of the vehicle and into the torrential downpour. 

Wallace tips the flask up, salvaging what remaining drops of alcohol cling the bottom, and follows Kelly to the back of the car.  

As Wallace and Kelly strap on their bulletproof vests stored in the trunk of the squad car, silence along with a steady rain fall and distant cracks of thunder are all that can be heard. Emphatically closing the trunk of the car Wallace takes a deep breath which Kelly can't help but take notice. A crack of thunder and a flash of lightning. 

“Wallace, I know that its been over 10 years since Charlie disappeared. And I know that we both want to wake up from this nightmare but..." Kelly stops, hesitant to finish her thought. 

"What?" Wallace says, almost daring her to finish her sentence. 

Kelly showing a look of regret and yet at the same time total clarity struggles to speak. A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder both more intense than earlier. 

"I'm not saying that I've given up.. even though no one in this case has ever been found and despite how close we came with all the patterns found and all the evidence gathered.” Kelly continues, “I just don't want you to get your hopes up that tonight will resolve anything.”

"Well standing out here in the rain all night sure as hell won't either." Wallace quips.  

Another long silence ensues as the detectives finish prepping to enter the house. Each of the detectives un-holster their service weapon and switch off the safety. They fasten the final straps on their vest and Wallace hands Kelly a flashlight. A crack of thunder and a flash of lighting.

"Let's go" Wallace says.

The detectives move from behind the car with guns and flashlights in hand and begin to move up the seemingly endless pathway to the front door. The silence continues as they both make a beeline toward the home in the rain until Kelly begins to talk to Wallace. A flash of lighting and a crack of thunder. 

Wallace and Kelly meticulously continue to make their way up the long cobblestone pathway. It's complete darkness around them expect for the flashlights in hand, and the streaks of lightning brightening everything around them for a brief moment. 

Wallace looks at Kelly deeply taking in every word she has said to him almost as if its triggered memories he has tried to suppress for years. Then Wallace speaks to Kelly again, a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning. 

Wallace breaks the silence, ”I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess.” The comment catches Kelly off guard. He adds, "I mean the first vic in this case was in the 60's for christ sake. I had no idea what I was getting into.” 

Kelly sees the sincerity on Wallace’s face. Without responding, she marches closer to the front door. Wallace follows. 

The storm around them continues to grow in intensity. The detectives do a visual scan of the house, noticing the decaying state gives them a sense unshakeable dread. They make sure all entry and exit points are accounted for, and they prepare to enter. Leaning with their backs to the wall of the house on either side of the doors, Wallace looks at Kelly. A crack of thunder and flash of lightning. 

"You remember our link...what we're looking for?" says Wallace.

"The Red Door." says Kelly with a confident tone but a nervous expression. 

"3..2...1" Wallace motions with his hands and mouth but never saying a word. 

Then Wallace jumps off the wall and smashes his boot into the middle of the front door which flies open. The Detectives swiftly invade the house with weapons drawn and flashlights in hand. 

It's quiet and dark in the house as Wallace and Kelly now at a frantic pace scan the home. Using the light from their flashlights, and the lightning coming through the windows and panels of the broken down home, the detectives search every room. A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. 

The detectives split up, clearing each room individually. Wallace heads down into the basement. The wood creaks as he creeps down the stairs. A crack of thunder a flash of lightning. 

His flashlight scans along the wall. Finding nothing, Wallace lets out a sigh. Suddenly— 

“I see the door!” Kelly yells. 

Wallace sprints up the stairs and finds Kelly on the top floor, standing at the end of a dark hallway. At the end of the hall, visible through the lightning and the streak of light from the flashlights, is a red door. In complete silence, almost transfixed, both of Wallace and Kelly slowly walk toward the door. Simultaneously they reach for the door knob. Slowly turning it they push open the door to a room of complete darkness. They're staring into the abyss. 

"Charlie?" Kelly whispers. 

A flash of lightning and a crack of thunder...