There Was A Knock At The Door

My name is Greg Peterson. You aren’t going to believe what I’m about to tell you. Hell, I still don’t believe it and I lived it. Bang! Bang! Bang! I was startled from my sleep by the aggressive pounding on my front door. I stumbled to the door, pulling the sheets from around my legs. Bang! Bang! Bang! The intenseness of the sound made my blood run cold. Surely something happened and someone was trying to get my attention. I flung the door open but there was no one there. I’m in my boxers as I stepped onto the porch and glanced up and down the street. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Nothing looked to be out of the ordinary. I just stood there, scratching my head. I turned back to the door and noticed a small dent right at eye level. “What the f**k,” I muttered under my breath as I tried to make sense of it. I know I was awake when I heard the banging the second time. I went back into the house, closing the door behind me. I checked the clock and saw that it was 8 in the morning. I proceeded to cook some eggs and bacon. I took my plate to the table and switched on the TV that is on the counter. I sat and began eating as the news droned on. Nothing of significance was being reported. Without warning, the electricity went out. “Oh, for f***s sake.” I peeked out the window and noticed the neighbor’s power was also out. I got dressed and decided to go into the city to run some errands. Hopefully the power wasn’t out everywhere. I grabbed my keys and headed out the door, locking it behind me. As I made my way to my car, the silence washed over me. There were no vehicles driving past, no one in their yards, no one on their porches. I lifted my sunglasses and glanced around. ‘Strange,’ I thought as I reached for the car handle. I tried to start the car but it did nothing. There wasn’t even a sound to indicate the engine was trying to turn over. “f**k,” I muttered. I took out my phone to call my brother. There was no signal. I am extremely perplexed at this point. I exited the car and stretched, thinking what my game plan will be now. I leaned on the car and turned my face to the sky. The sun was warm and a cool breeze gently stirred the leaves on the trees. Seems a decent enough day to go for a walk. At least the city wasn’t too far from my neighborhood. As I started strolling down the street, it dawned on me that there wasn’t the usual sounds of dogs barking or birds chirping. Odd. This time of day is usually bustling with life. I shrugged and stuffed my hands in my jean pockets as I continued walking. I turned the corner and stopped dead in my tracks. I stared up at the enormous skyscrapers ahead of me. Even as a grown adult, they still fascinate me. With a smile, I started to walk with a little more pep in my step. Once I was right outside of the city, a feeling of dread washed over me. There was a heaviness in the air that I can’t really describe. It was almost suffocating to say the least. I glanced behind me to see that the sun was still shining but ahead of me looked gray and cloudy, like the sky was split in two in two different worlds. I took a step back and carefully observed my surroundings. My jaw dropped as I took in the apocalyptic scenario that lay before me. The more I stared, the more bizarre it seemed to get. With a bit of hesitation, I moved forward into the grayness. As I moved further into the gray, I realized it was ash falling. The sun beams behind me were growing weaker and fainter. I gulped hesitantly but still kept going. Cars lined the street with doors wide open and headlights beaming dimly through the ash. Emergency vehicle lights were silently flashing blue and red. Buildings stood empty. Even though there was a slight breeze. The trees and brush remained still. There wasn’t a soul in sight. This was extremely unnerving. I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I could toward where the sunlight last was. I ran and ran, turning this way and that. But the sunlight had completely disappeared. I had no where to go. I stopped, my hands on my knees, panting for breath. Something came up behind me. I slowly stood, feeling it’s breath on my neck. Unsure of what comes next, I slowly turned around.. ********************************************* I woke up in a panic. My breath labored and sweat soaked my bed. I batted my hands against the back of my neck, half expecting something to be there. I looked around as I tried to regulate my breathing. A beam of sunlight slithered from under the blinds. I rubbed my hands over my face as my vision adjusted to the dimness of the room. I let out a sigh as I slid from the bed. I shivered as my feet touched the cold, bare wooden floor. I rubbed my eyes as I stumbled to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face, letting the cool droplets drip down as I stared at myself in the mirror. “Man. You got to get it together.” I lightly slapped my cheeks before grabbing a towel. BANG! BANG! BANG! I dropped the towel and spun on my heel. My blood ran cold at the sound. Chills that felt like thin, sharp fingers ran up and down my spine. I quietly stepped into the living room. “Wh…Who’s th—ere?” I managed to stammer. I was only met with the banging once again. I tried calling out again. Nothing. I braced myself the best I could and begrudgingly made my way to the door. I swallowed the fear that was rising in my throat and threw the door open. Not even giving a damn that I was still in nothing but my boxers. I closed my eyes and shook my head from side to side as a nervous laugh escaped my lips. It was my f*****g twin sister. “What the f**k Genevieve?” I said shakily. She looked me up and down and burst out laughing. She tried to speak in between breaths but it wasn’t quite working for her. I rolled my eyes. “Haha. I haven’t had a chance to get dressed yet. Get the hell in here.” I slammed the door behind her and shuffled past her into my room. I could hear her rummaging around in the kitchen as I found a tank top and sweatpants to throw on. Today was my day off anyway so any clothes will do. I could still hear her laughing as I pulled on my tennis shoes. I entered the kitchen and after a minute or so, she regained her composure. “Why do you not only look like you’ve seen a ghost but you’re sweaty as hell?” She put her hand up to stop me before I could answer. “No. It’s okay. I don’t need to hear about your date with lotion and tissue. How are they these days anyway?” She c****d her head to the side with a smirk on her face that I just wanted to slap off. “Very funny Gen.” I paused and breathed in deeply. “I had that dream again.” She narrowed her eyes at me and pursed her lips. “Yeah. About that. There’s something I need to tell you.” Her face paled as she quietly uttered those last words.