Blood Lust

In a house where shadows whisper secrets and the wind carries hushed tales, married couple Jessica and Chris stand on the precipice of a chilling discovery that could cost them their lives. 

On the day they move into their dream house, the couple finds a sinister drop of blood on the driveway.  The property holds a hidden truth: an underground chamber, absent from any known blueprints. 

Within this subterranean chamber, they find coffins placed suspiciously on wheels, lingering in unsettling limbo.

Believing contraband is hidden in the caskets, they peer inside, inadvertently stepping from the known world into one of shadows and whispers where they face death head-on.

That’s because they've just unwittingly ensnared themselves on the wrong side of the Doorway to Darkness.

For more horror, visit caseyburrin.com.

Transcript

Welcome to Doorway to Darkness, horror stories by Casey Burrin, narrated by the Night Creeper. Please follow or subscribe to Doorway to Darkness on your podcast app of choice.

"Enter Jessica and Chris, a married pair radiant with hope, preparing to embark on the next chapter of their lives, aided by family – Chris's brother, Kyle, and his wife, Cheryl. Their new grand house awaits, an embodiment of a hard-earned future as a dream come true. 

But as is often the case, dreams turn into nightmares.

The day they move into their dream home is marred by a foreboding drop of blood on the driveway, an unsettling precursor of the enigmas about to unfold. The land, it seems, harbors a secret: an underground chamber, an anomaly conspicuously absent from any official blueprint. And within? Mobile coffins, suspended in an eternal limbo between departure and destination.

Fueled by a mix of courage and curiosity, a decision is made to unveil the contents of these caskets, an act that, unbeknownst to them, serves as an irrevocable passage – a door that swings from the tangible to the otherworldly.

As we journey with them, we'll witness how a single choice can lead one from the familiar comforts of reality into the chilling embrace of the unknown. Jessica, Chris, Kyle, and Cheryl are about to learn that some doors, once opened, can never be closed, especially here in the Doorway to Darkness."

I can’t say I’m innocent, but I won’t be held to account either. No one can kill the dead, but that’s exactly what I’m accused of now. 

On that fateful day, we stood in front of our 10-acre estate that my husband Chris and I had purchased from the proceeds of our business that we’d just sold. 

With liquid cash and well-placed investments, at just 35 years old, we’d perfectly laid out our life plans. But we were blissfully unaware that we were about to plunge us into a nightmare without end.

On that day, we were moving in, and the estate owner - who we’d never met - was moving out. So we were on the verge of taking possession of what was ours – a triumph for our little family – Chris and I – who had worked so hard to build our dream life. 

On the driveway, not far from the front door, laid a perfectly round red circle that I wanted to know from where it came. So Chris and I stood in a circle with Chris’ brother, Kyle, and his wife, Cheryl, discussing this red blob. 

“No way that’s blood,” Kyle said, jutting a can of soda toward the spot before taking a sip. “You’re so dramatic, Jessica.” 

“Kyle, be nice,” Cheryl said like she was scolding a naughty dog. 

“If it’s not blood, what is it?” I said. “Please enlighten me, Kyle.”

“Don’t you know the difference between blood and rust?” Kyle said, before taking another sip from his soda can.

 “A perfectly round drop of rust?”  I said. “Are you serious?”

“Would you two stop?” Cheryl said. “You guys are always doing this, yammering on about this or that, leaving me and Chris watching as spectators.”

“Love, what does it look like to you?” I said to Chris. “Blood or rust?”

“Hard to say,” Chris said. “Could be blood.” 

“Really?” Kyle said, taking another swig of his soda. 

“Could be rust,” Chris said. 

“Great, Mr. Never Take Sides has spoken,” Kyle said. 

“Alright, then it’s blood,” Chris said. 

“Or rust,” Cheryl said. 

“Let’s not fight about it,” Chris said. “Blood? Rust? Who cares. Maybe one of the workers accidentally cut himself carrying in our furniture and boxes. We can’t worry about everything.”

“Love, we need to find out what it is,” I said. “How many drops of blood do people have on their driveways? And this is a particularly large drop.”

Just as I turned back to the spot, Kyle poured his soda over it, removing the red splotch entirely. 

“That takes care of that,” Kyle said. “No red spot. There - I solved it.”

As Kyle tipped the can back, taking his last sip, the thought of smashing that can of soda into Kyle’s forehead crossed my mind. But I decided to control my urges because it was Chris’ brother, and it’d be bad manners. 

As I turned away from where the red spot used to be, I noticed soda had spilled down the drive toward a congregation of ants, who were summarily murdered by the bubbly onslaught. 

Now that the blood spot couldn’t hold our interest anymore, I decided we’d head out on the estate grounds as I’d wanted to investigate a refurbished one-room schoolhouse that came with the property.

Walking nearly 10 acres to the further reaches of the estate, passing stands of oaks upon an open prairie dotted with wildflowers, we finally came upon it. 

We stood before the time-worn remnants of the estate – an old schoolhouse that doubled as a chapel, built in 1852. Over the years, it had been restored, so it was adorned in a coat of white with a crimson door that stood out like a red rose amidst snow and a bell over the door with a rope to ring it. 

“Love,” I said to Chris. “We are going to have so many gatherings here for our friends. Can you imagine how delightful this little schoolhouse will look if we bring some tables and string lights across the top? It’s just big enough for about 20 people. We can bring them out here for a soiree. I can just see it now. I want to see the inside. Let go in right away.”

I pushed the front door open, revealing seven or eight table rounds before a chalkboard in the back. 

 As I was about to walk in, Cheryl called to us. 

“Hey, where is Kyle?” Cheryl said. 

I looked around the grounds, lush with green grasses blowing in the wind on this fall day. In the distance, I saw him standing beside an overgrown oak by what looked like a storage bunker as he waved at us. 

“Over here!” Kyle said. “Come here, you guys. I’ve found something.” 

Chris and Cheryl immediately headed in that direction despite my protestation that we should go into the little school/church we’d just found. 

As I trudged behind them, it got muddier the closer I got to this dilapidated bunker built into the side of a hill. 

Kyle had disappeared behind an iron gate that looked like it’d just been pried open. 

“I don’t think we should go in there,” I said. But Chris and Cheryl had already disappeared into the doorway of the bunker. I thought it was just another one of my endeavors squashed by Kyle, but he was Chris’ brother, so I had to make do. 

I walked in behind them until I came to a submerged room resembling a basement. I planned to humor them and then usher us out of this place and back to the little schoolhouse as fast as possible. 

I spotted a string of windows rimming the seven-foot-high ceiling. They were covered with dark tarps to keep the sunlight out, so it looked like nighttime inside, except for scant shafts of light seeping in.

Chris brought out his cell phone and clicked on the flashlight feature to get a better look at this room, at least 10 degrees colder than the outside world. 

“Maybe it was used to store liquor or wine,” Cheryl said. 

“It’s certainly big enough,” Chris said. “But that’d be a lot of product, if true.”

“Why is it so cold and damp in here? It’s like a haven for mold,” I said. “It’s creeping me out. We should go.”

“Where’s Kyle?” Cheryl said. “He came in here, but I don’t see a way out.”

We all turned around in this room that wasn’t more than 30 feet long by 20 feet wide, but no Kyle. 

“Not again,” I said. “This disappearing act is getting a little boring.”

Chris shined the cell phone flashlight into the darkness, but we saw nothing but more blackness, as if he was shining it into a void.

“Kyle!” Chris said. “Get out here! You’re not funny!”

“This is giving me bad vibes,” I said. “Let’s hop.”

“Not without Kyle,” Cheryl said. “We need to find him. Something is wrong.”

“Hey Kyle!” Chris yelled. “Buddy, you’re scaring the ladies.” 

Just off the main room, I spotted what looked like a swinging double door that was slightly ajar. I pushed on it, feeling a draft of cold air hit my face, moving my hair off my shoulders. 

“You can’t go in there,” Chris said. “Too dangerous. Stay here, Jessica.”

“I’ve had it with him,” I said. “I wanted to see that adorable schoolhouse, but now I’m in this moldy underground mouse trap. Now Kyle has disappeared – on purpose. He’s playing games with us.”

“Maybe he’s hurt,” Cheryl said. “That’s why he’s not responding. ”

“Chris, I’m worried this moldy room will trigger your asthma, and Cheryl can’t see anything without her glasses, so I’ll go in and be right back,” I said.

I didn’t want to go in there, but it was the fastest way to get us out of this dank place where I never wanted to go in the first place. I expected to find Kyle, engage in a pointless conversation with him where I win ultimately, and we get us all out of there. 

I walked through the opening using my cell phone light, feeling like I’d entered another world. I felt the baby hair on my arms prickle up, as I sensed someone watching me from the gloom of the chamber. 

“Kyle!” I yelled. 

I came to the end of a corridor, forcing me to turn a corner down another passageway. I continued to walk until l realized I stood in the middle of a vast expanse. 

My cell phone light split the darkness, simply revealing more impenetrable blackness as if I stood in a sea of nothingness. 

But then I saw it. I wasn’t sure at first, but as I walked toward it, I couldn’t deny what lay before me. 

I grasped the cell phone so tightly my hand began to throb until it shook as the light danced across the darkness. 

Intricate scrolling embossed on dark wood that appeared hand-carved into the rectangular box, just big enough for a corpse resting on rolling casters like it was about to be moved. 

Who laid in that coffin, I did not know, but I did know I wanted to put as much gone between me and it as I could. 

I bolted out of the room, down the corridor, until I saw the faint outline of light coming from the door I’d originally passed through.

Only in nightmares did I recall feeling so terrorized as I ran out of that room. All I wanted to do was leave this place, and that was my plan. 

When I returned to the main chamber where I’d left Chris and Cheryl, I thought I was done with coffins, but four new coffins lay before me. 

“Look what I found!” Kyle said, standing next to one of the coffins. “Coffins on wheels. And you know what that means.”

“Where the hell were you!” I said. 

“He came back shortly after you went in, and he brought us a coffin,” Cheryl said to me. “Chris and I were shocked, and then Kyle got three more, so here we are with four coffins. Can you believe this day?”

“Right, I was in there where you were,” Kyle said, pointing through the doorway where I’d just come from. “Didn’t see you. It’s a maze in there, so I’m not surprised, but I found these babies. They are on your property technically. These coffins are yours.” 

“Put them back, you loony-bin lottery winner,” I said. “Who steals four coffins? Kyle does. See, asked and answered.”

“I think we need to look inside,” Kyle said. “Now, hear me out.”

“Kyle, your sanity just packed its bags and left on a permanent vacation,” I said. “Dead bodies, no thank you. Put them back.”

“Listen, one time, I worked on a case where a guy hid contraband in a coffin to move dirty money,” Kyle said. “You’ve got coffins on a cart with wheels. Not a speck of dirt on them. Doesn’t make sense.”

“Love, would you tell him to put them back?” I said to Chris. “He’s not listening to me.” 

“Who moves coffins? Think about it,” Kyle said. “You bury the dead and leave them. You don’t dig them up and cart them around on wheels. No, this is for transport. Could be contraband in here.”

“Maybe we should put them back,” Chris said. “It’s upsetting Jessica, and to be honest, these aren’t our coffins. They belong to someone else.” 

“If there’s something in these coffins that’s illegal, you need to know to protect yourself,” Kyle said. “I don’t believe dead bodies are in here. In fact, I’m positive. There’s no other reasonable explanation. Another possibility is bonds might be in here. You should know that.”

“Maybe he’s right,” Chris said. “Maybe putting coffins on a metal tray with wheels like you’re carting it around is strange.”

“Kyle’s usually right,” Cheryl said. 

“I’ll put them back if you want me to, Jessica,” Kyle said. “But I think we should open at least one. Could be cash. Lots of it too.”

I’d be lying if Kyle’s last prospect didn’t entice me. Suddenly, I envisioned a mountain of $100 bills all bound together that would spill out of the coffin as soon as we opened it. It wasn’t the money. We had that, but it was rather the adventure of it all that excited me. Why were those caskets on wheels ready to be moved? What was the ruse? I wanted to know, but still, I felt leery.

“Love, do you think we should?” I said. “It’s a coffin. It’s not like we're opening a can of chips.” 

“Maybe we should just peek?” Chris said. “What if Kyle’s right, and it’s something we need to know about.” 

It’s up to you, Jessica,” Kyle said. “What do you want to do?”

As I stared at them, part of me wanted to return those coffins where Kyle found them. I hadn’t told them yet about the other casket I’d found – the ornately-scrolled coffin so unlike these four that appeared more plain. 

“I can’t fight those long faces,” I said finally. “Just do it.”

When Kyle popped the lid, I expected to see any manner of bills or drugs or at least a wizened, dried-out body. But I saw nothing of the sort. 

As if on cue, all four of us leaned over the casket to get a better look at her. She didn’t seem more than 25, with skin almost glowing even in the darkness of the room. 

Dressed in a gown that reached her ankles, she reminded me of a life-sized porcelain doll with an ethereal luminescence I’d never seen before. She appeared utterly at peace, and in some odd way, I envied her. 

“Are you sure she’s dead?” Cheryl whispered. “She doesn’t look dead.”

Before I could protest, Kyle yanked open all the coffin lids. Without exception, the occupants – two women and two men – were perfect, luminous beings who were simply sleeping. We all walked around the coffins in sheer silence due to stunned disbelief at what we’d found. 

“Are they dead?” Cheryl said again. “They don’t look dead. “I’m not sure they’re dead.” 

Chris poked one with his cell phone, but she didn’t rouse. 

“Can you remove the window tarps so we can see better?” I said. 

Kyle and Chris removed the tarps, allowing the sunlight inside. They glowed even more when the sunshine hit them.

“Wow, they are beautiful,” I said. “But it’s very creepy.”

Then, I gazed at the young woman with the white icing complexion, so perfect, so young. But then I saw it. I wasn’t sure at first, but then I saw it.  

A black speck appeared on her cheek, and then a tiny whiff of smoke emanated from that spot, rising into the air as the sunlight caught it in its beams. It smelled slightly acrid, causing Chris’ asthma to kick in. 

“This one’s smoking,” Chris said, coughing and wheezing. 

I glanced over at the other body that did, in fact, look like it was charring up. I turned back to the young woman. The black spot had expanded, and instead of white porcelain skin, it appeared ashen. Then, in an instant, with literally no warning, their bodies imploded into a hellscape of ashes. 

“Holy crap!” Kyle yelled. 

The entire room was engulfed in ashes that flew around. We all gasped for air as the particles swirled all over.

“Cover the lids!” I said. “Cover them!” 

We slammed the lids on the coffins as the soot fell to the dirt floors. 

“What the hell was that!” Kyle said. 

I felt a cocktail of shock and fright as we stood in that room. I couldn’t understand what had just happened. How could they fall apart like that? What did we do? It didn’t seem real. When I pulled myself together, I started barking orders because I wouldn’t be bullied into not leaving again. 

“Put them back!” I said. “Put everything back right now where you found them!”

We all helped Kyle return the coffins back into the darkened room, replaced the window tarps, and swept up the dust with a broom we’d found in a corner. 

We ran out of that bunker and fell onto the grass, laying there, gasping for breath for a few minutes, grateful to be back in the sunlight and fresh air. 

We heard the rumbling of all-terrain vehicles coming toward us, so we ran and hid behind the old schoolhouse. We watched as a group of men loaded the coffins in the back of a truck before leaving. 

“We’ll all laugh about this one day,” Kyle said. 

“No, Kyle,” I said. “We will not.”

Never a truer statement had I uttered. I didn’t know it at the time. But I would. 

A few weeks after the incident, I began to believe we’d put it behind us. But all that changed one night. 

Nightfall had just descended as our new home's automatic outdoor lights clicked on. Kyle and Cheryl had come for dinner, and now, at about 8 p.m., we were hunkering down for an after-dinner drink in our main room. 

Standing in front of my nearly 200-year-old antique mirror inherited from my grandmother, I fixed my hair as Kyle and Cheryl talked on our sofa sectional while Chris retrieved a bottle of wine from our car parked out in front. 

I’d placed this monstrosity of a mirror in my main room for all to see instead of sequestering it in a bedroom. This looking glass infused any space with a touch of panache and a sense of depth and always becoming a conversation piece.

When our front doorbell rang, I assumed it was Chris, who inadvertently locked himself out while fetching our wine. Instead of Chris, he stood before me. 

I noticed his eyes first – dead orbs swirling in their sockets. He towered over me at a height well over six feet with a body so gaunt he almost appeared sickly. A smile ripped across his face, yet the deadness of his eyes remained unchanged.

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end as I experienced the same unsettling sensation I recalled back in that bunker as I stood before that ornately carved coffin, so different from the other four plain coffins. 

“May I come in?” he said, leaning into me. 

But I couldn’t move or say a word. I felt locked into his eyes as if he was speaking to me with his mind. Part of me longed to let him in, but the other part recoiled in dread at the mere thought of it. 

“We’ve not been properly introduced,” he said. “I know who you are, but I doubt you know who I am. But you will.”

“Who is it?”  Kyle yelled from down the hall as he headed to the front door. 

“Please, let me not be a stranger. Those who know me call me Thomas,” he said to me. “I’m the previous master of this estate. The one who sold this home to you.”

“So, who are you?” Kyle said, who had walked the length of the hallway and now stood next to me. 

As I told Jessica, I’m Thomas, and I’m the previous homeowner,” he said. “There’s a significant development that I must tell you about.”

“Ahh, something is wrong with the home that you sold Jessica and Chris. Could cost you,” Kyle said. “Just kidding. Come on in. Let’s talk about it.”

Kyle swung his arm around as if inviting Thomas to follow him into the main room, but Thomas didn’t move. 

Kyle disappeared down the hall, leaving me and Thomas exactly where he’d left us. 

“May I come in, Jessica?” he said finally. 

“How do you know my name?” I said. 

He inched toward me and grasped the door frame. His lips curled in a light smile, looking upon me in anticipation of what I did not know. But I couldn’t help feeling uneasy as he stood in the door, although I didn’t know why as he seemed entirely harmless. 

"The night seems draped in shadows and mischief, doesn't it?" he said. 

He leaned even closer to me but stayed on the doorway's other side. He seemed to be waiting for me to do something. His eyes narrowed as he stared at me when he realized I wouldn’t do whatever he wished.

Chris bounded in from the outside, past Thomas and stood beside me. 

“Oh hi,” Chris said to Thomas. “May I help you?”

“I know it’s ill-mannered to come uninvited, but the urgency of this matter required me to contact you immediately,” Thomas said. “As I just told Jessica, I’m the previous estate owner, and I have essential details about your home I’d like to impart to you as a favor. Please may I come in, Chris?”

“Of course, certainly,” Chris said, beckoning him inside. 

Thomas pursed his lips while looking directly at me. He stepped into the foyer, walking past me like he still owned the place.

I felt uneasy about his entrance and decided I’d make his visit as short as possible. 

Thomas positioned himself between Cheryl and Kyle, who were already seated on the couch. Chris sat on a chair, but I preferred to stand with my back to the antique mirror now facing Thomas. 

He introduced himself again, and Chris poured him a glass of wine, which he sipped as Kyle dominated the conversation as usual. I didn’t say a word as I focused my eyes on Thomas. 

When the niceties were finished, Thomas dropped his bomb. 

“I wanted to discuss the little matter of the coffins,” he said. 

I glanced over at Cheryl, who had frozen mid-swig of her wine, while I noted Kyle leaning away from Thomas like he’d smelled something foul. When I turned to Chris, he was already looking at me with his mouth slightly ajar and his eyes so wide he looked sickly. 

We all knew what he meant, of course. I felt entirely stupid, perhaps the most foolish I’d ever felt. Even with all that had happened, it never dawned on me that he’d inquire about that.

I think that’s because I’d convinced myself we’d thoroughly gotten away with it. For some reason, I thought he’d just stopped by to say hello, but that was perhaps the silliest thought I’d ever had. 

But what actually had we done? We’d stupidly opened four coffins whose dead occupants imploded on us. It was a silly mistake that we never wanted to happen, but I still felt ashamed. 

The silence hung in the air as Thomas looked us over, waiting for an answer. As the seconds ticked by, I became more panicked. What do I say? I had no words, but then Kyle spoke. 

“What coffins?”  Kyle said. 

“I find it interesting how you bring up coffins with such dispassion, Kyle,” Thomas said. “Most people wouldn’t be so matter-of-fact once the matter of coffins was brought up.” 

“Listen, Thomas,” Kyle said. “I don’t know what you think you know, but why don’t you tell us what you think happened.”

“I didn't come here to upset or hurt you,” Thomas said. “The coffins were moved, and the contents inside were destroyed. I just wanted to know if you knew anything about it?”

“What’s so special about those coffins?” Cheryl said. 

“What a wonderful way to dance around it. But please don't insult your intelligence by insulting mine,” Thomas said. “I need closure and clarity on what happened, and I hope you can understand that. When I found out what happened to their bodies, it was very upsetting, but I can understand that it was an accident. I can understand that somebody might have come upon them and maybe didn't realize what they were looking at. But I also can understand that maybe my enemies who have long sought my demise might have done the dirty work.”

“What are you accusing us of,” Kyle said. “I’m an attorney, just so you know. If I were you, I’d rethink what you are saying now.”

“I'm not accusing you of anything,” Thomas said. “I'm just asking you to do the right thing and tell me exactly what happened.” 

“Look, Thomas, I understand being sentimental,” Kyle said. “Chris and I had a much-loved grandmother die on us once. But those people in the coffin, like our grandmother, are dead. They were dead before. They’re dead now.”

“I find it fascinating that none of you – not one of you – have even inquired what I mean about the coffin?” Thomas said. “Most people would ask more questions about what I meant. But not you. Not the least bit curious.”

He looked around the room, deliberately locking eyes with each of us while adjusting his sleeves to recover his composure. 

“They were my family in those coffins,” Thomas said with his voice cracking. “I don’t expect you to understand fully, but I need to know the truth.”

I had reached my breaking point. He appeared genuinely distressed. Why didn’t we admit what we’d done that day? For some reason, it never dawned on us to admit our mistake. Had we known the upset we’d caused him, we’d done so, but now he sat in our home so despairing. 

“It was an accident, Thomas,” I said. 

“Oh, Jessica, honestly,” Kyle said, throwing up his hands. “Why?”

“I am so sorry,” I said. “We came upon the caskets and opened them because we found them suspicious. We thought something was illegal in there, and you were transporting that in coffins because they were on wheels. It was wrong. It was stupid, and we’re deeply sorry.”

When I finished, Thomas gazed at me, nodding his head, making me feel uneasy. I looked over at Chris, who silently gave me the thumbs-up sign as he agreed with my confession, even if Kyle didn’t. No one dared speak as we waited to see how Thomas would react to the news of our guilt.

“Thank you, Jessica,” Thomas said finally. “I already suspected what you had done, but I wanted to hear it from you. As I said before, my family has many enemies who want to cause us harm, and I didn’t know if you’d been one of them with ill intent. But it looks like you aren’t one of my enemies. My family is irreplaceable, and it's impossible to tell you the depths of my despair I have experienced in the last few weeks, knowing they are gone forever.”

“Listen, this is my fault,” Chris said. “Not Jessica, not Kyle, not Cheryl. It was my idea to open the coffins.”

“Oh, Chris, please,” Kyle said. “Don’t be a hero. You’re already in it knee-deep.” 

“We will compensate you,” Chris said. “We should’ve come clean right away. That day. But we figured you’d bury them and never know what happened to the bodies. I am truly sorry, but we will make this right.”

Thomas leaned back on the sofa, seemingly studying Chris for a moment as if he were evaluating a newly bought car. But then he composed himself, leaning forward again to address us all. 

“When you opened the coffins, what did you think?” Thomas said.

“Where are you going with this?” Kyle said. “You’re going to have to be more direct.”

Thomas leaned forward as if he would whisper a little secret to all of us. 

“Don't you believe in vampires?” he whispered. 

I took a step backward, stunned by the ridiculous yet seemingly sincere question. I glanced at Chris, whose expression was a shock and amusement. 

Kyle pressed his lips together, visibly restraining his laughter while Cheryl held her hand over her mouth like she knew better than to speak. I struggled to keep my composure, but Thomas seemed so in earnest with his question, so I responded in the most appropriate way I could.

“No one believes in that silly folklore anymore,” I said finally, hoping it’d break the tense mood. 

Thomas sat back on the couch, seemingly relaxed. After a long, uncomfortable silence, Thomas continued. 

“I only say that because I don’t want you to get any ideas about my family,” Thomas said. “We have a history, and some people believe in that silly folklore, as you put it, Jessica. Because I bring my family with me in their coffins, some might find that odd and start some rumors about me. See what I mean?”

When I glanced into the antique mirror, I saw it – or, to be more precise – I didn’t see it. 

I felt lightheaded as I hadn’t taken in a breath since gazing into the antique mirror hanging opposite Thomas. The room began to spin as Thomas, Cheryl, Kyle, and Chris made small talk while I couldn’t take my eyes off the mirror. I couldn’t tell you what they said as I only made out the semblance of conversation as my brain struggled to reconcile what I saw – or didn’t see – in that mirror. 

I desperately needed to talk to Chris and explain what had happened. I ushed Chris into the kitchen, making an excuse, leaving Thomas to be entertained by Kyle and Cheryl.

“Did you look into the mirror?” I said, almost whispering because my mouth was so dry.  “The old mirror in our hallway – my grandmother’s mirror?” 

“Why are you so tense?” Chris said. “You look sick. What happened?”

“Listen to me!” I said. “You’re not listening to me. Are you listening to me?”

I grabbed Chris’ arm, pulling his face close to mine so as not to be heard by Thomas. 

“He doesn't have a reflection,” I said, nearly out of breath. “In the mirror. Everybody had a reflection - Kyle, Cheryl, you. I saw all of you in the mirror. You all had reflections. But not Thomas. He doesn’t have a reflection!”

"Jess, he's not a vampire,” Chris said, pulling away from me. “Your imagination has just gone wild with all the vampire talk. I know what happened. You saw the reflection on an angle, and it only looked like he wasn’t there.”

“It all makes sense. We killed them,” I said. “He said we killed his family. We snuffed them out. That’s why they imploded in the sunlight. But what does he want from us now?” 

“Jess, if this is a joke you cooked up with Kyle and Cheryl, it’s not funny,” Chris said. 

Suddenly, I felt a wave of dread wash over me. I immediately knew that I had to return to the main room. Why did I leave Kyle and Cheryl alone with him?

I bolted out of the kitchen down the hallway and burst into the main room where we’d left them. But they weren’t there. 

“Maybe they got some fresh air outside,” Chris said. “I’m telling you. There’s no such thing as vampires.”

I wanted to believe Chris, but part of me knew better. As I headed toward the foyer, I found the first body – Kyle, lying in a pool of blood with two puncture wounds on his neck. Not too far from him laid Cheryl, also clearly dead, again with those two unmistakable puncture wounds.  

I glanced up to see the front door was left wide open with no Thomas in sight. 

I felt colder than ever before as my hands shook uncontrollably like an old woman. 

I dragged Chris off the floor as he grabbed Kyle, trying to will him alive again, but I knew what had happened, and we needed to escape, or we’d meet the same fate.  

I grabbed the car keys, bolted outside, and we jumped into the SUV. I turned on the engine and was preparing to gun it when Thomas reappeared. 

“Going somewhere?” Thomas said as he stood directly outside our SUV.

Cheryl and Kyle emerged from the house with ghostly white faces as the blood from their bodies had been drained. They looked completely beholden to Thomas, their new master, as they were now part of his family – replacements for those he’d lost. He only needed two more- Chris and I – and his family would be complete again. 

I hit the gas and sped away as fast as we could while I heard Thomas laughing as he toyed with us. 

We flew down the road leading away from our home, and just as we got to the property line edge, Thomas jumped on the SUV’s hood. I wrenched the wheel to the left, causing the SUV to crash into a ditch. 

The airbags deployed, saving our lives, but Chris had hit his head, making him only semi-conscious. I pulled him out, getting him to a standing position. I looked around, but I didn’t see Thomas. He could kill us at any time, but he was toying with us again. 

I saw off in the distance the little white schoolhouse. I didn’t know what else to do, so I directed us into it, running to the back of it and collapsing on the floor. I turned back toward the open schoolhouse door, seeing Thomas just outside the doorway.

“It was an accident!” I said. 

“Ignorance of the law is no defense of it,” Thomas said, leaning on the doorframe. “Besides, I need a new family.”

“You can’t have mine,” I said. “Chris is my family, and you will never have him. I will never let that happen. Do you understand me? This is no idle threat.” 

“Listen, Jessica, it’s over. You can’t escape. No one is coming to save you,” Thomas said. “You and Chris need to come out here. Join our family. Now come out.” 

Kyle and Cheryl stood in the background, seemingly lifeless but animated, as newly minted vampires just brought into their dark existence. 

“Let’s not make this any more difficult than it has to be,” he said. “Now come out here.”

It was the second time he had ordered us to emerge from the schoolhouse, which struck me as odd for such a powerful being as Thomas, who’d just murdered two people, chased us down, and crashed our SUV into a ditch.

I rose and walked across the room, standing right before Thomas, a mere two feet separating us. He could’ve grabbed me and pulled me out if he wanted to. He could’ve easily stepped inside. But I realized what I’d initially suspected - he could undertake neither option.

My gaze remained fixed on Thomas’ eyes as we engaged in a silent standoff. I reached out and grabbed the door handle, causing Thomas’ eyes to narrow, perhaps wondering about my next move.

I took a step back before swinging the door right in his face. As it closed, his self-satisfied smile changed into a determined scowl. 

We stayed in that little schoolhouse until the sun rose. Chris and I never returned to our dream house. We sold it and moved across the country, hoping to forget all of it. 

But we can’t. Now our lives are as sour as Thomas’ since we never venture out after nightfall. Like reverse vampires, we spend our days in the sun and hidden away in our home at night. 

No matter where we go, he always finds us. And when he does, I see him off in the distance, standing outside our new home, waiting to be asked in. 

Thank you for joining us at Doorway to Darkness, Horror, stories by Casey Burrin, narrated by the Night Creeper. 

Please follow or subscribe on your podcast app of choice, 

Until next time, stay alive --- if you can.