Page 1 of Please Open Me
Prologue
Sebastian
???
Hartwood, Maine
It was weird walking out of work and onto the Main Street of Hartwood before the sun set. Normally, Lucian and I didn’t leave until well past ten. He’d been working late every day, trying to squirrel away enough money to give Mason her dream wedding. Since I wasn’t fond of driving, I usually waited for him.
But today, I’d wrapped up my last appointment right around four-thirty. The June sun was high in the sky, emitting the type of heat that made my skin feel like it was burning within minutes of contact. Still, for some reason, I was walking to Pueblo Fiesta.
Mason had texted hours earlier and asked me to bring home Mexican food: a quesadilla, street corn, and a slice of tres leches cake. At first, it seemed like a lot for her, but I assumed her voracious appetite was a direct result of her never fucking eating. So, I agreed. Plus, I loved her, so if she saidjumpI might complain a bit, but then I’d askhow high.
It usually took less than ten minutes to get to the restaurant from the tattoo parlor, but today, no matter how long I walked, the lines of brick buildings seemed to stretch on forever. A looming unease caused my brow to crease asI stopped dead in my tracks. Casting a glance over my shoulder, I saw nothing out of the ordinary...
But as soon as I looked back, it was like the world had shifted.
The dreaded heat of summer faded, leaving me in a blissful, albeit balmy, fall day. Wind rustled through the maple trees lining the street, casting a vortex of tangerine leaves around me. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to fend off the chill.
I ducked my head for just long enough to warm up, and the second I lifted my attention, the world shifted once more. What remained of the day had vanished, leaving me surrounded by an unyielding blackness. As the wind picked up, I twisted my body to look over my shoulder into the abyss. I was looking for something; I just didn’t knowwhat.
The smell of smoke and rot permeated the air. My stomach churned as goose bumps prickled my neck. I had no idea what the fuck was going on, but something told me if I looked hard enough, I may stumble upon an answer.
Like a fucking moron, I began to spin in circles as if I were a dog chasing his tail. With each revolution, I was no closer to the truth than I’d been the moment prior. The realization caused me to stop on my heels.
My chest heaved as I started walking forward again, gaining speed with each step. The only sound was that of my sneakers hitting the pavement. Eventually, the darkness gave way to a wicked glow, almost as if a massive hearth had replaced the sun.
I stopped and looked down, that’s when I realized the sidewalk had vanished, leaving a dirt road under my feet.
From somewhere far away, a bell tolled three times.
Dong... Dong... Dong...
I whipped around violently, desperate to find the source.
No such luck. All I saw washer.
Mason stood beneath an archway, draped in white and bathed in firelight. The thin white fabric hung from her, attempting to provide a level of modesty Mason never cared to display. Instinctively, I ran to her. My gut told me weneeded to get the hell out of here, and I wasn’t leaving her behind. But, as I drew closer, I noticed she was cradling her stomach.
My blood turned to ice when I noticed howroundit was.
“We’re having a baby?” The words came out breathy and shrill.
Oblivious to my concern, she beamed and nodded. “A little boy… Aren’t you excited?”
No. No. No.My eyes burned as I stumbled toward her, as if being pulled by an invisible string. I pressed a trembling hand to her distended stomach. Bitter bile rose to my mouth, but I swallowed it down.
“Mason, we have to get rid of it.” I was full-on sobbing now. No part of mewantedto get rid of a child I’d made with Mason. I was desperate to have a baby with her, but now wasn’t the time.
Not withhimlurking.
Her smile shifted, becoming sickly sweet with a hint of scorn. “We can’t do that, silly.”
“What? Why not?” I grabbed her by the hand, trying to tug her away. We could run, we could go to the hospital. I had no ideahowfar along she was, but I’m sure any reasonable medical professional would understand that she was going to die.
“Because, Son. It’d be unbecoming to get rid of the Lord’s second coming.” Dale’s voice reverberated throughout my body before he materialized into view.
He rested a palm on Mason’s shoulder and smiled at me with those disgustingly yellow teeth.
