To start this off simply, I haven’t been doing too great, money wise. I recently lost the only job I’ve ever had in my entire life, I didn’t go to college so it’s not like I can just find another one super easy and fast. I applied to McDonald’s, and other places but no one responded. Just when I had accepted that I may as well go ahead and pack my stuff to move back in with my parents, my phone rung.
I recognized the number immediately, it was one of the jobs I applied for calling back. I answered the phone, this was my last chance. If these people didn’t hire me I was doomed.
“Hello? Yes this is him.” The caller on the other side introduced themselves as Iris, an old lady just wanting a little help around the house.
“Of course, when should I come? Oh okay, that sounds good.” I hung up the phone, excited.
The job sounded pretty easy, at least I thought so.
All I had to do was come to the house where Iris lives, stay until 11:00 at night and leave. Of course they’d be some stuff happening in between, like me cooking for the old lady or cleaning around the house.
The pay wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t bad either. I took a shower that night to prepare for the day ahead, I was to come to her house in the morning at 9:00, she gave me directions to her house and it was only 20 minutes away from where I live. My old job was at least 35 minutes away, so less gas money would be used.
I woke up the next morning at 7:00, I ended up leave at 8:30. I found her house easily with no problems.
The house was old, which makes sense because so is the lady.
Before I could even knock on the door it was already opening, an old, short lady standing on the other side. “Welcome sweetie, I assume you’re Mark?” She said, with a sweet smile.
“Oh yeah, um- hi?” I’ll admit I was a bit nervous, this is the first time I’ve worked for a person and not a company and as I mentioned before I’ve only ever worked for one company.
“Come on in,” she moves out of the way of the door, motioning for me to come in, “make yourself at home, young man.”
The moment I stepped in the smell hit me, old woman smell. It was nasty but inevitable, of course an old lady’s house would smell of old lady.
“Thanks, um- you’re Iris I presume?” Of course she was, but I was just trying to make small conversation.
“Indeed, right this way, boy,” she led me through a kitchen and into a hallway. “This,” she pointed at a door, “is the bathroom.” She pointed to the other doors, one was her bedroom, the other was the guest bedroom and then she pointed at the last door.
“This door, as you can see, is locked. And it is never to be opened by anyone but me.” And yes, I could very much see that the odor was locked. It had a padlock on it. Strange, very strange. What in the world could some old lady be hiding?
The way she said it wasn’t necessarily rude, but stern. Making sure I knew she was serious.
“Uh okay..” whatever it didn’t matter I wasn’t about to lose this job over a stupid locked door, I just wouldn’t go in it.
After a small tour of the house I was told to make some food, that would be my first task. And so I did, I made some food for her then we both ate. Then I did the dishes and swept the floors. After a couple of long boring hours doing nothing it was finally time for me to go home.
The entire ride home I couldn’t stop thinking about that locked door, how odd and mysterious. What old lady keeps a padlock on a door? What was in it.
The next few weeks went smoothly I mostly forgot about the door, that was until the old lady told me she was going to church. It was Sunday, I found it odd she was going to church so randomly. She hasn’t been to church since I’ve been working for her I assumed she didn’t go.
“Make sure not to open that door.” She said, yet again. Pointing her finger at me.
“I know, I won’t open the door.” And I really, really tried to forget about the door. But it was so hard to do when I kept hearing weird noises coming from inside it.
I managed to get through the day, without demanding she opens the door. I assumed she had animals in it, like a weird old cat lady who was ashamed of having so many animals so she kept them locked away.
The next Sunday, she went to church again. And this time the banging noises turned into muffled screaming, I knew there were no animals in there. I had to open it, I just had to know what was in there. And so I went out and bought a hammer, I busted the padlock open and… I opened the door.
There were dog cages, and it took me a second to realize that there were people inside them. But once I did I froze. I was frozen in shock and fear and other emotions I couldn’t put together.
I didn’t know what to do, I only had a hour before she came home. I ran to one of the cafes and unlocked it, “what the hell? What’s going on?!” I questioned, demanding answers.
“Y-you gotta get outta here man, you don’t know what’s gonna happen,” the guy I let out from the cage pointed at the top of the door. I turned to look, a camera. There was a camera. And it was flashing blue, meaning someone was watching, I cursed.
“Get out and get us some help- cough- be-before she comes back.” The guys voice was raspy like he hadn’t had something to drink for awhile. He was old, his skin was wrinkly and dry.
Actually looking, so was everyone. Everyone was old. ‘So fucking weird’ I ran, I was out the door and almost in my car when another one pulled in the driveway blocking me in.
It was Iris. ‘Shit shit shit shit’
“Son, I thought I told you not to go in there?” She said getting out of the car,
‘it’s just an old lady what can she do?’
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I wanted to know, needed to know why or how she could do this.
“I guess it was inevitable anyways.” She walked up to me it felt like I was frozen, too frozen to do anything. She raised her hand up and touched my face. Suddenly everything felt weird.
The old lady Iris, started- de aging?! What the hell.
I looked down the my once young hands to see them slowly getting wrinkly. As if I had aged years in a mater of seconds. Suddenly I fell over, hitting my head on the ground.
I woke up in a dog cage with a young girl watching me.
It took me a second before I realized it was Iris, she forgot to take my phone so here I am writing this. The cops will never believe me so I’m hoping you will.