Free The Open Door by Brian Brahm

.45
hollow-point.
    Feeling more secure than the night before,
Cody was actually able to relax.
    “This is more like it. I can actually sit
here without my heart pounding out of my chest.” Cody said.
    “I concur. If something comes near our door
tonight, it’ll have a rude awakening.”
    “You need a nick name. How about,
Spookster?”
    Cody’s sense of humor was returning.
    “I like it. What shall we call you?”
    “You’re the one heading this expedition, I
don’t need a moniker. Cody will do just fine, thank you.” He said
with a smirk on his round squinty-eyed face.
    Six hours had passed, and there was no
activity detected by the high tech equipment, or their natural,
organic, God given senses. It was almost as if the creatures of the
night knew what a camera was, and were avoiding them.
    Midnight was now upon them, and Cody’s
eyelids were becoming heavy. Every once in a while they would stand
up and walk around to get their blood pumping, but the confinement
was getting to both of them.
    “Did you see that?” Cody asked. He pointed to
the monitor, which had the basement bedroom on display.
    “I thought I saw movement on camera-six! It
looked like a shadow—nothing clear.”
    Scott looked closely at the monitor, hoping
and praying that something would show itself. His prayers were
answered. The door the camera was facing was open. A black, blurred
object came from the lurid adjoined room, and closed in on the
camera lens. Suddenly, the blurred image was gone. The camera
started to shake violently, and then the picture from the camera
became lined and grainy, as if something had interfered with the
signal. A few moments later, the monitor went black. They lost
their signal completely.
    “What was that, Spookster? There’s no way
that was a cat!” Cody fearfully said.
    “I don’t know. I couldn’t make it out. Maybe
tomorrow we can review the footage and enlarge it.”
    “Whatever it was went right for our camera
and disabled it! What if it finds the rest of the cameras?”
    Cody made a good point. The camera sat four
feet above the ground, which ruled out any type of small animal.
Besides, whatever it was, it appeared shapeless, formless, and was
intelligent enough to take out the camera.
    “We’re going to be all right. Even if it
takes out the cameras, it won’t be able to open our door far enough
to enter, and I have the ability to blow a hole right through it.”
Scott said in an attempt to convince Cody.
    Cody calmed down a little, but Scott wasn’t
convinced. If what they were dealing with came from the spiritual
realm, his gun would be of no consequence.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
     
    Watching the number-four camera closely to
see if their mystery guest would attempt to head up the stairs,
Scott contemplated whether or not Cody and he should leave out the
front door while, IT was still in the basement. Scott didn’t dare
mention his thoughts to Cody, as he knew he would jump on the idea
and be out the door before he could finish his sentence. He had to
think things through before suggesting anything.
    Camera-four started moving forward and
backward, as if the tripod sat atop a rocking horse that had been
put into motion. Ever so slightly, the image displayed on the
monitor—via the camera—swung in a downward motion and then upward.
Gradually picking up speed, the camera went from rocking only a few
inches to nearly touching the ground, and then as it rolled back it
pointed directly at the ceiling.
    The movement became violently nauseating.
Faster and faster it rocked, until finally . . . the camera thrust
forward one final time, smashing against the floor. The image on
the monitor went blank.
     
    Another camera signal down, and this time
there wasn’t even a glimpse of what had caused the damage.
    Petrified, Scott and Cody stared at the dead
screen, uncertain of what their next move should be.
    Only one camera remained that could possibly
capture the image they