The Door

Chapter One
They could see it through the chocolate colored water. Just the outlines at first, but they could see what looked like the outline of a door. It had rained steady for the last two day and nights and the creek had been dangerously close to leaving its familiar perimeter and spilling her waters into the few homes scattered near her banks. The water had been receding and as it did it gave up her treasure as Bob and Michele looked at it with some surprise.

“It probably came from somewhere upstream,” Bob said. “There is always someone’s' trash coming down from the yards further up.”

Michele nodded in agreement and said, “it is strange though don't you think? I mean a door floating down and now it is resting at the bottom. The water is still moving pretty fast, you would think it would still be going until it came up against the dam.

” Yes you would think so, but it did not and there it lies. When the water goes back to normal we'll wade down and see what kind of door it is. Maybe we can drag it up here and use it when we build the tree house.”
“Oh you silly dear,” she said. “A door in a tree house?”

“Why not?” Bob answered. “Joey will love it. He will have not only the best tree house this side of Rocky Gap, but he will also have the only one with a real honest to goodness door to walk through.”

She smiled and snuggled under his arm and they watched as the water struggled to find her boundaries, while slowly giving up her mysteries.

That night as they ate dinner, Bob told Joey about the door they saw under the water in the creek. “I thought it would be neat to drag it out and use it for the tree house. What do you say son?”

Joey answered through a mouthful of potatoes and said “hey cool dad! When can we go get it?”

Bob smiled and said, “Well, seeing as how tomorrow is Saturday and you have some chores that need doing, what say we go about 11:00 in the morning?”

Joey yelled hurray while Michele gave him a warning look that he knew by heart. It meant don't talk with your mouth full and no yelling at the dinner table. He smiled to himself and thought how maybe now the other boys would want to be his friend. After all he would have a cool tree house. He thought excitedly, a club, that's it! We can have a club in my tree house and I can be president and the boys will want to come over and be in my club.

He was too excited to sleep and when it came time to wake up and do his chores the next morning he was a little groggy from lack of sleep. He finally finished them and ran to get his trunks on and grabbed his mask and snorkel and he even grabbed his swim fins. His dad laughed when he saw him and told him they were only going in the creek, not scuba diving. Joey just looked at his dad and told him he was going on an underwater expedition and besides, what if he had to go under if the door was stuck in the mud. Bob tousled his hair and smiled at his ten year old, remembering what it was like to be his age. They jumped in old blue and drove to the creek. It was really close enough to walk with no problem, but they had to have a way to get the door home, if they could retrieve it.


As Joey joined his dad on the banks they could see it. The water had dropped and was more like weak tea today and they could see the outline through the water. It was about six feet under and Joey thought it looked like an old door. He had never seen one like this and thought it would make his tree house look really spooky, kind of like a haunted house. His dad got a rope out of the truck and holding it waded into the water. He looked at the excitement in his son's face and remembering the boys want for adventure said, “Joey go ahead and swim down there and see how deep the door is buried in the mud. Then you can tell where to tie the rope.” Joey straightened his shoulders with pride and pulled his swim mask over his face and waded into the cold water. He dog paddled to where he thought the door lay and as he looked through the dark water he got a scary feeling inside as he looked down at the door. It is a door that leads to something bad, he thought. That is stupid you big baby, he told himself. It's just an old door washed down from the storm. He tried to ignore the creepy feeling he had about the door as he took a breath and went under water.

The door was much heavier than either of them thought it could be. Joey could see the metal that framed the glass and the curly lines that formed a design across the front of it. He could see it lying in the mud and for a second he had the uneasy feeling that if he pulled on the cut glass door knob it would open to a very scary place. He was not too sure he really wanted it for his tree house, but he tied the rope around it and motioned his dad to start pulling it out with the truck. Joey scrambled up on the bank and watched as the door slowly came across the bottom and up the side of the creek bank. The door was muddy but strangely unhurt. It looked as though just wiping it off would make it look good as new. They struggled together and lifted it into the back of the truck. Joey still had an uneasy feeling as he looked at the door shining in the sunlight. He watched it all the way home, wondering why it was so scary to him. Later that evening his mother took some rags and soap and started cleaning the old door. With her ministrations the beauty of the door took on a life of its own. Joey thought the door was beautiful but creepy at the same time. He looked at his mom's face and could not see any of the fear he felt hidden there. She was enamored of the beauty of the old door and he knew she felt nothing like the fear curling in his belly like a snake coiled to strike. He wondered how he could tell his parents there was something wrong and knew how silly he would sound. He got ready for bed knowing that tomorrow that door would lead into his tree house.

Saturday dawned bright and you knew by the feel of the dry breeze it was going to be a hot summer day. Joey could hear his mom making breakfast and his dad had loaded the door in all its glorious beauty into the back of the truck, waiting to take it to the tree house at the edge of the woods. Joey went slowly downstairs to his breakfast and dawdled over his eggs.

“Come on son,” said Bob. “The way you are eating your breakfast you would think you were going to your doom. What's up?”

“Nothing” said Joey. “I am just tired dad. I was too uhhmmm, excited to sleep.”

He finally finished and put his plate in the sink and slipped his sneakers on and ran out to the truck. His dad had some tools in the floor board and a rope and pulley to pull the door in place.

Bob glanced several times over at Joey and finally asked, “what is wrong today Joey? You were so excited yesterday and today you act like you really don't want to put the door up. Did you change your mind about having a door in your tree house?” Joey wondered how best to tell his dad the way he felt about the door that had washed into their lives.


“Dad, where do you think the door came from? It looks a little bit spooky to me. Do you think it came from a haunted house or something?”

Bob struggled to keep a straight face because he could tell from his son's face that he was serious. “Son, I really do not think this old door came from a haunted house. I do think it is old though and maybe someone is tearing down an old house and the door must have washed away. If you don't want it we can just use a regular piece of plywood or something.

As much as Joey was afraid of the door, he was more interested in having some boys over and having a club. He smiled at his dad and said, “Pretty silly huh dad? Yeah let’s put that old door up and really fix it up real cool.”

Chapter Two


“Joey!” Michele called. “Let's go Joey, we are running late.”

Joey hurried and tied his shoes. This was the day of the town picnic and Joey could not wait to see the guys and ask them over to play in his tree house. He thought it looked good with the door and wanted to share it with the boys who had always shunned him before. He helped his mother carry the home made potato salad to the car. After loading the car they all piled in and drove to the river where the picnic was to be held.

The picnic was a hit with everyone. The weather was hot, the river cool and all the children made a joyous sound as they played in the shallows with the band playing on the band stand. The adults laughed and drank apple cider and the men grouped together by the old dock sampling moonshine. The food was plentiful and horseshoes were being played by the older kids and it was there that Joey saw Kenneth and Johnny. He used to be afraid of them but in the last couple of weeks he had undergone a change and now he knew they were no better than him. In fact they would love his tree house. He just had to talk them into coming over. They saw him standing there staring at them and they both shared a look that said he was not welcome.

“Hey guys” Joey called. “How would you like to see my new tree house?”

“What tree house?” Kenny sneered. “What kind of tree house does a little mama's boy like you have?”

Joey smiled big and said “oh it is so cool, you would not believe. It has a door you walk through to get in and everything. You guys want to come over and check it out?”

The two boys looked at each other and smiled a little smile then turned to Joey and said, “Sure, we would like to see your tree house. We can go now if you want. There is a short cut across the river. Come on, we won't be missed.”

Joey looked for his parents and saw them watching the band. He knew it would be a couple of hours before they quit so he turned and said, “Okay let's go.”


He watched the car pull into the driveway and met his parents at the door.

“Joey!” His mother cried. “Where have you been? We looked all over for you. You had me scared to death. She ran over to him and shook him. Why did you leave and say nothing to anyone? You know better than that. There are two boys missing, three including you. What happened?”

“Mom, didn't someone tell you I was sick and was going home?” Joey said.” I told a couple of the guys I was sick and they said they would tell you. I swear.”

“Oh Joey, Joey, I was so worried. There are two boys who were also missing; I hope they too went home. Oh my, their mothers must be so worried” she cried as she grabbed Joey to her breast. “Son, Robert said, “the two missing boys are in your class. Do you remember seeing Kenny and Johnny? The last time they were seen was at the horseshoe pit.” Some of the boys said they saw you over there. Now do you know anything?”

Joey looked at his dad and then his mom and said, “Yes dad they were there, but I don't know where they went. I talked to them for a few minutes and then I started feeling sick and I left. I don't know what happened to them."

Chapter Three

The sheriff stopped by later to talk to Joey. He knew Joey was the last one to see the boys before they went missing and he had some questions he needed to ask him. Joey knew he was seen by the other kids and finally decided to tell the sheriff he had taken the boys to see his tree house but that after that they had left.

He looked at his mom and dad and said, “I did not want you to know I snuck off without telling you. I am so sorry; I just did not want you to be mad at me.”

The sheriff asked Joey's parents if he could look in the tree house and they said that was fine. Joey offered to walk the sheriff out to the edge of the woods so he could see his tree house. When they got to the door Joey asked the sheriff if they ride out to the tree house in the patrol car.

He smiled at the sheriff and said, I have always wanted to ride in a police car, please?” The sheriff agreed and Joey jumped in the front and showed the sheriff the way to the tree house. When the car stopped Joey said, “there it is, pretty cool don't you think? The sheriff looked up through the huge Oak tree and could see the house against the bright blue sky. One thing that drew his attention was the old door leading into the tree house.

“Where in the world did you get that old door?” the sheriff asked.

Joey looked sideways at him and said, “Me and my dad pulled it out of the creek the last big rain we had. Pretty neat huh? Come on.” Joey said. “Come look inside if you want to.”


Moving the car was easier than he thought it would be. It was just a matter of putting it in neutral and pushing it until it rolled on it's own down the bank and into the creek. Later as he sat at the kitchen table eating cookies and drinking milk his mother walked in and was startled to see him sitting there.

“Joey, what are you doing here? Where is the sheriff? Did he drive you back up? What did he say? I really thought he would come back up here and talk to your dad and I.” she said.

Joey shrugged his shoulders and with his mouth full of cookies said, “I guess he left, he looked around and then said he had to leave and keep looking for Kenny and Johnny. He really didn't say anything.”

Chapter Four

Through the rest of that summer and into the fall four more children disappeared and the town was scared. There was talk of gypsies, perhaps off one of the trains, coming through and stealing the kids. No bodies were ever found and some of the townspeople even wondered if the sheriff might have snuck back into town and took the other four children, for in their minds he had to have done something with Kenny and Johnny. Why else would he have run off like he did? Joey was just glad he had his tree house to play in. At first he tried telling his parents about the door and the way it changed things but they just smiled that adult patronizing smile and he knew they would never believe him. So he kept it to himself and pretty soon he grew accustomed to the change and now he welcomed it. It made him forget he had no friends, in fact if he thought about it he really did have friends. He saw them every time he went into his tree house. They were there waiting for him even now.

Maybe his dad wanted to come up for a visit.