The Visitor

It cries out to you in the night;

“Attention!” it says, “Please you need me and I need you. Just let me in”.

You hear the calls and awaken from a fitful slumber. Then you rise, go to the door, and open it just enough to see what's on the other side.

“No”, you say in a voice barely more than a whisper, “I shall never let you back. I decided that long ago when you hurt me so. I cannot bear the pain of you again. Leave me be!”

Then before you realize what’s been done you find the door has been slammed shut and locked.

You aimlessly walk around the house and find yourself sitting in your favorite chair. As you sit there you look around in vain for something that will ease your pain. Then you find it - something intrigues you. A book. A very simple book with a deep burgundy cover and golden pages, however, that isn't why it catches your eye. The thing that startles you is that you haven't left your house in weeks, nobody has visited in even longer, and that book is most definitely not yours.

You look around one last time for the intruder before cautiously grabbing the book. It has no title anywhere you see, but you find that there is a small inscription, a heart, and a date on the inside cover. You can no longer make it out.

“The rain has ruined it.” you mutter to yourself half-heartedly.

You begin to read the crumbling pages and realize something. It's an old love story, the oldest one that everybody knows. You perk up for a bit realizing this. It's your favorite story! But wait, as you continue on you find that it's not the same. What you once recalled as a beautiful tale is now a tragedy.

“This isn't right.” you cry out through the tears streaming down from your eyes. “This isn't how the story goes! It...it's supposed to be happy”.

You throw the book down at the ground as your sadness turns to rage. You scream into the night at the top of your lungs, “Why? Why is there no dawn to this perpetual night? At this place I am in nothing but a pestilential prison! I must get out. What have I done?”

You pick up the book and run to the door. You stop. You look around and decide that you're ready to leave this dismal trap. It's time.

You open the door and there it is still waiting for you.

“I'm here. I never leave. I just seem distant when you lock me out. Your perception of me changed when you were in pain, but only I can heal you”.

A hand stretches out to lead you and you follow into the dawning of a new chapter of your life.