by Diane
(Tazewell County, VA)
No matter how many times the door to the basement was closed and locked, it always swings open. There was never anybody there. It happened every night. I never knew why. But it was always persistent. I tried to lock it. Still it opened. Even with a deadbolt lock. When the door opened up it was opened into a bedroom in the house. No matter if anybody was in the room or not. If company was visiting and sleeping in the bedroom or not. It always opened. I watched it open so many times. It opened with an easy turn of the knob. Even with the deadbolt lock. It would slowly open. There was never anybody on the other side of that door. Just stillness. You could walk over and check. Nobody. You could shut and lock it again. It would wait a few minutes and it would open again I grew used to it happening. But I should say that other people who visited and slept in the room would always sit up and yell when it opened while they were in the room. It would always take a lot of explaining to them that it always happened. They’d look at you like you were crazy. Then investigate it themselves. It always would re-open every time the door was shut. Some wouldn’t sleep in the room at all. They’d go to another room or decide to leave. But others decided to stay. But weren’t prone to sleep. They’d just lay watching that door. But no matter how many saw it. The door that opened was never explained. I never figured it out. To this day I don’t know why that door opened. Once it opened nothing else would happen. But you never could bolt that door to keep it shut. I’d just love to understand it. But never will. I know most people who hears this think there’s nothing to be scared of there. Most laugh. That is until they are the ones in that room trying to sleep and that dead bolted door swings open. And there’s the silent stillness hanging heavy just waiting. Then they change their minds.