Xmas Spirit

           “Has anyone seen Ed?” The question echoed through the house.

           “I think he is in the bathroom.” He was. Edward had been feeling rather solemn at the Christmas party. He felt distracted. He kept looking behind people while they spoke as if he was looking for someone, or something, else. Now he found himself in the bathroom, staring directly in his own eyes, trying to rally himself to the remainder of the evening. I’ll stay one more hour and then make an excuse to leave. He thought. But somewhere within he knew he didn’t quite have the nerve to lie to his aunt’s face on Christmas Eve.

 KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

“Edward are you alright?” The gentle voice of his cousin Elise coiled around the gaps in the bathroom door.

“I’m fine—I just need a moment to freshen up!” He deflected.

“Well find me when you’re fresh. I want to introduce you to my friend Sarah.”

“I will. I promise.” He was suddenly shaking. Edward did not have the best history with women and he was not feeling capable of impressing anyone at the moment. He hoped she would forget the promise. Edward waited until he was certain Elise had wandered back into a conversation with another one of his relatives and splashed one last handful of water on his face before turning to the door and opening it slowly.

The bathroom he had chosen to escape to was downstairs in a split-level home and far away from the center of the party. To his relief, no one was outside the door. He released some of the pent-up tension with an exhale and turned towards the stairs. Then began to ascend.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

           As he passed the front door the loud knock surprised him. It was unusual for guests to arrive this late after the party began. He did not want to call out to anyone, and it did not seem the revelers upstairs had heard the knocking. He stared at the door and waited.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

           Edward looked again to the stairs hoping someone would intervene, but it was pointless. Nobody could hear the door over jingle-bell rock. He approached the door slowly, still shaken by Elise’s intention to introduce him to someone new.

knock, knock, knock

           The new series unsettled him in a different way. It was half as loud. As if it was meant for only him to hear. He reached for the door knob and pulled the door open deliberately revealing the front steps. That was all. There was no person, or thing. Just steps. Edward looked at the wreath on the front door for answers. It was colorful. His aunt had a Nutcracker theme to her Christmas decorations and the wreath was imbued with small Nutcracker heads of different colors. They were charming, and unique, but they unsurprisingly had no answers for him. Edward poked his head out the door and looked both ways. The street was full of cars. It appeared that one of the other neighbors was having a different, better attended, party. Edward saw his car and started to think how easy it would be to leave. He had only begun to build up the courage when his aunt intervened.

           “Edward there you are! You didn’t think you would escape that easily, did you?” The look in his aunt’s eyes betrayed the forced warm tone in her voice.

           “No—I… there was this knock at the door. I swear. Someone had to have been here.” Edward tried to diffuse her.

           “Well, they are gone now.” She said while grabbing the door and closing it as quickly as possible. “You are letting the cold air in. Now come upstairs. Elise was looking for you.”

           “Aunt Christine it’s just… I’m not feeling very well.” Edward began to realize the jig was up.

           “Nonsense, it was probably all those Swedish meatballs you went through.” Aunt Christine was undeterred.

           “I really mean it... Something feels wrong.”

           “Edward… I’m sorry.” Aunt Christine softened. “What’s wrong?”

           “I don’t know! I was hearing this knocking and I just feel… off”

           “Well, here. Let’s go downstairs. You can lay down. I will tell Elise not to bother you.”

           “Really?”

           “Of course, Edward! It’s Christmas. We aren’t trying to kill you up there. We just want you to be a part of it.”

           “Thank you… I really think that would help.”

           They shared a warm smile sealing a rare moment of familial understanding. Then they began down the stairs. “Here, you can stay in the guest room for now. You know where the bathroom is already… I’ll sneak some punch down for you in case you change your mind.”

           “Ok. I—I’ll try… Thank you again.” Edward began into the room moving towards the bed and his aunt closed the door behind him. He faintly heard her rejoin the party and it began to continue as it had been. Without him. The room was bland. Guest rooms always are. Forged from the once used furniture of the home’s residents and an odd assortment of new pieces meant to complete whatever style whoever is in charge is going for. This room was wooden and red. Not the same wood, nor the same red, but the general theme was consistent.

           The room was not small or large. There was a mirror over the dresser. Across from it was a twin bed, which was wooden and red. Between them, but not evenly, was a window with no blinds or curtains that looked out towards the front of the house. Edward approached it and looked up and down the street again. If anything had changed, he didn’t notice it. He sat down on the red bed. What is wrong with me. What was that sound. He never would figure it out.

           Edward laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The light was on and then it wasn’t. He counted his breaths in sets of ten. Was the light always off. It wasn’t. Suddenly it was entirely quiet. He could hear his heartbeat and then he couldn’t.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

           It came from the door and the window, and then all through the house. From deep inside his chest and from as far as his senses could ascertain. It was louder than anything he had ever heard. His ears rung with such intensity that it drowned out everything else. It sounded a lot like silence. Then it was. The blood trickled down from his ears just before Edward began to vomit. He fell to his knees as the world span and his head ached with such ferocity that he was sure he was dying. Then he was dead.