The Visitor Revisited

She woke with a start. It had seemed so real, all had been lost; she’d been terrified. But now, as the realisation dawned it had just been a dream, albeit a vivid, terrible one, the relief flooded through her veins like a palpable force. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the awful apparition. It had been so convincing, so…

The loud banging came at the front door, the rapping of bony knuckles against glass, grating on her nerves, impossible to ignore. It had infiltrated her dreams, it was what had woken her… but, this time, it was real.

She felt her body turn to ice, the fear rising inside threatening to paralyse her. He’d come for her, just like the dream… it had been a warning, a premonition. What could she do, was there any way to escape?

The noise was unrelenting, refusing to stop, going on and on. She’d just stay here, ignore it; he couldn’t get her if she didn’t answer the door. But she was compelled to follow the same path, unable to resist, as if she had no control, no free will. She struggled out of bed, pulling on her housecoat. “Alright, I’m coming,” she winced as the pain shot across her temples…

Going down the stairs slowly, careful not to trip in her old slippers, she approached the front door. She could see him through the frosted glass, a tall figure dressed in black. “Who is it?” she demanded, knowing there would be no answer. The visitor tapped the glass again, loudly, insistently, compellingly.

“Go away or I’ll call the police,” she shouted, cursing herself for following the same script, letting herself be led to the same dreadful conclusion, only this time it was no dream, no premonition… it was actually happening.

The dark figure paid no attention, knocking the door yet again; the sound of those bony knuckles against the glass driving her crazy, the compulsion to open the door taking hold of her senses. She had no choice, no control over her actions; she reached out, turned the latch… and pulled.

Staring at the visitor, she stammered, “Oh… it’s you, I…”

He gave her the same cold, thin smile, “It never ceases to amaze me how you are always surprised, when…”

“Oh, just fuck off, will you.”

She slammed the door, bolted it shut, and went back to bed.