When the Door Creaks

By: ArcRomero

Graphics by: Marcus D. Agustin

Behind the wooden door, someone paces the room.

A person showing signs of discomfort,

A soul deep in thought,

Unfamiliar with the storm quietly brewing inside.

Desperately searching for an answer to what they are feeling,

They slowly approach the only escape they can see—the door.

After countless moments of hesitation and heavy breaths,

They whisper, “Am I ready to open this door? I don’t know what lies ahead.”

Beyond their better judgment, they turn the knob.

And as the door creaks, two voices rise—loud and clear.

“Come with me. You’ll learn more about yourself beyond this door,” says a voice, gentle and inviting.

“Don’t go! There’s nothing good out here!” shrieked another, sharp and terrifying.

Startled, they slammed the door shut.

Afraid of the unknown,

Afraid of what might happen the next time it creaks,

They step back—uncertain, confused, and alone.

That was years ago.

Even now, they remain behind the same wooden door,

Scared to escape. Scared even to get close.

Until today. Today, something shifts.

With the same trembling hand, they reach for the knob once more.

The feeling is familiar—

The cool metal, the slow turn,

The creak, exactly as they remembered.

But this time, the voices are gone.

Confused, they open the door fully…

And what greets them is far from what they feared.

A burst of color,

A breeze of joy and freedom swirling in the air.

They step out, awestruck.

And when they turn to look behind—

They realize:

They were in a closet all along.

It all becomes clear.

The voices that once screamed and whispered were their own fears,

Their mind is torn between hiding and becoming.

One voice urged them to embrace truth; the other begged them to stay hidden.