The Door Opened

Summary

A man named Joe experiences a series of mysterious encounters with a woman who repeatedly appears at his door to retrieve a doll, leaving him with a sense of anticipation and curiosity.

Abstract

Joe's encounters with a woman who comes to his door for a doll evolve from mere observation to an attempt at interaction. Initially, the woman's visits create a sense of anticipation for Joe, who is intrigued by her presence and the recurring situation. Each time she leaves, she hints at a future encounter by saying "It won't happen next time." Joe's anticipation turns to disappointment when the woman doesn't appear for several days, leading him to question whether she will return. When she finally does, Joe seizes the opportunity to speak to her, asking her name, but she leaves with her usual parting phrase and without revealing her identity. The story ends with Joe left in suspense, holding onto the brief interaction they had.

Opinions

The author conveys a sense of mystery and intrigue through the repeated, unexplained visits of the woman.
Joe's emotional journey is marked by anticipation, curiosity, disappointment, and a renewed sense of hope when the woman reappears.
The woman's consistent behavior and enigmatic statements suggest a pattern that is purposeful and perhaps symbolic within the narrative.
The story implies a connection between Joe and the woman, which is strengthened when she acknowledges his presence by responding to his question.
The author thanks the reader for choosing to engage with the story, suggesting a value placed on the reader's time and attention.
The narrative invites the reader to speculate about the nature of the relationship between Joe and the woman, as well as the significance of the doll and the repeated phrase "It won't happen next time."

The Door Opened

Anticipation

This time the knock triggered anticipation. Was it her again?

As the knob turned and the door opened. It was.

She was wearing the same clothes. She walked to the doll and picked it up again. As she stood there this time she seemed to notice he was staring at her.

He started to say something she turned and started towards the door. Just before she went through she said “It won’t happen next time”. She disappeared around the corner.

Joe got up and went to see where she went. Nobody there. He turned and went back to the chair. Something was different this time. She didn’t say “sorry this time”. She noticed him. If she noticed him maybe he could talk to her when she came back next time.

Would there be a next time?

For the next couple of days, he rushed home from work hoping to find the doll. The letdown when it wasn’t there was discouraging. Every day the anticipation to find the doll grew less. He stopped looking forward to finding it. Things got back into a routine. One morning as he got ready to go to work. He came to that room. There it was again. He pulled up a chair. He waited for the knock. He sat there for some time. Still nothing. He was going to be late for work.

He couldn’t wait any longer. He got up and went to pick it up. As he bent down to get it the door opened. “That is mine. Sorry, I left it here”. She walked up and snatched it from the floor. She started quickly toward the door.

Joe said, “Who are you”. She stopped just as she got to the door. “ It won’t happen next time” and then she was gone.

Thanks for reading. There were other places you could have been but you chose to be here.

Just in case you missed it this story starts here.