“Help. Me”
The three knocks were accompanied by the faintest voice. Looking out the peephole, I saw the figure, a lanky, thinly looking man with a ragged pair of jeans on, a long black sweater with gloves, and a black ski mask that obstructed his face. I was about to let him in when when the voice of Grandma shocked me from behind.
“DONT OPEN THE DOOR!”
I stopped, facing her while I took my hand off the doorknob.
“You think its a melt, don’t you?”
As I said these words the voice repeated its plea, slightly louder now.
“Help. Me”
“Don’t let him trick you” Grandma demanded. “These creatures want you to feel pitiful as they rob you blind.”
I went back to the door, trying to figure out how to prove to Grandma this thing wasn’t a Melt.
Heading back towards the door, I formulated my line of questioning.
“What is your name?”
A quick hesitation, and then a response
“Harold”
Looking back to Grandma yielded the predicted response.
“That means nothing!
Back to the questions
“Why are you outside?”
In fragments, he said “Car. Broke. Down. Need. Warm”
I peered through the window next to the door and saw nothing. Snow was coming down in sheets, and our house was the only one for miles, so it was plausible he walked from his vehicle.
Grandma would believe none of it, staring at me intently with her arms crossed.
The man knocked on the door again, three times, more heavily than the first time.
“HELP. ME” he yelled louder
I looked to my grandmother as she mouthed one word to me. Don’t.
“LET ME IN” the man screamed.
Three more knocks, feeling like they were shaking the foundation of the building.
“LEAVE US ALONE” Grandma yelled at the voice.
“HELP ME”
Silence for a second. I peered out the keyhole again. The figure stood like a sentinel, with only its breath signifying that it was alive.
I stood at a crossroads. My options before me were both grim: on the one hand, I could keep the door closed, satisfying my grandmother and dooming the person outside. On the other, I could let him in, likely putting my grandmother into hysterics and possibly endangering ourselves to a complete stranger.
Considering what I had to do, I stepped towards the door, looked out the keyhole, and began to turn the doorknob.
To Be Continued.
Mile High Guy 