Don't Open the Door... Final Chapter

The creature reached out for Derek. Derek backed out of it's reach and searched for Sarina. He could hear her breathing, smell her fragrance, but he could not see her.

"Sarina, I know you are here. Why can't I see you?"

The voice was soft and tender that answered. "I am here, Derek, hidden from the creatures site. If he finds me, he Will devour what is left of me."

Derek realized now, how complete Sarina's sacrifice had been. Tears flushed out of his eyes and he could feel a change within him.

"Sarina, I know now. I don't know how you have been here with me for all of these years. I thought you had given him your virginity, Sarina. I was angry at you for that. I do not understand all of this. I only know that what the creature demanded for my soul was your death. You died to save me from this thing. You gave up your life to save me from myself. I am so sorry, love. I will finish this and have you forever."

"Where is she, boy? I hear youi talking to her and I know she is hiding. Let me find her and have her andf i will let you live."

Derek turned towards the creature, He stared at Himself, an ugly, cold replica of his inner self. He realized that though Grammie had brought the essense of the creature to this world, it was Derek himself that had fed it and made it stronger. He had in essence, created the creature he stood in front of now, himself.

"Creature, it is now that we will do battle. I will fight you and I will win."

"You??? You are going to fight me??!?!?!?" Hideous laughter filled the house. Derek did nothing to silence the sound. He walked towards the front door. "Where do you think you are going? If you step outside you are mine completely."

"If that were true, you would be trying to get me outsider. Never, in the many years that we have met have you ever tempted me to go outside nor have you tried to pull me outside. That tells me that This, this house is where the evil dwells. The very house that you were borne into. The battle I seek is out there," Derek said, pointing to the shed. To kill you, part of myself must die. I will take that exchange."

"Derek, don't do that, Love... you don't know what part, what emotion or character you will lose. It could change you forever."

"Didn't already, Sarina? Isn't that what happened when the creature first came here and killed my parents? From that moment on, someone has been sacrificing themselves for me. No more! Tonight is this things last night. I will need you to come with me, Sarina. I can not do this alone. I need the strength of your craft, combined with our unconditional lover, to rid the world of this creature and to cleanse my soul of the anger I have allowed to live for way to long."

The creature hissed at Derek as he walked past it. It seemed a little smaller to Derek. He thought it was his imagination at first. The creature slashed out at Derek with blood covered talons. The first swipe cut deeply into Derek's back and shoulder. Another slice came through, striking Derek across his chest. The skin opened wide but Derek kept walking. He stepped outside and walked to the shed. The door stood wide open and he could see his parents and Grammie inside.

"You will all be free soon. Mom and Dad, thank you for coming back. It will take us all to destroy this creature. Remember the before's. Think about the time prior to this creature coming. Fill your hearts with love and fight this thing. It can not stand against such love as we all share. To lay down your life for a loved one is the greatest proof of true love and each of you did that for me. Creature, do you feel it??? Can you sense how great our love is? Come fight me now! Let me see your pitiful strength."

The creatured moved at lightening speed and was standing directly in front of Derek. It lashed out with hatred and anger in it's talons. Derek took each slice and smiled, angering the creature even more. The flesh peeled from Derek's body, leaving him bleeding every where.

"See your blood boy?" the creature yelled as it bent to the ground and drank it. "M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m" it growled as it scooped up as much blood as it could and drank it. "It is your life ebbing out of you. Soon, you Will be all mine!!"

"You boast to soon, Creature. Each slice you take of me, they get stronger." Derek pointed towards Grammie and his parents. He saw Sarina getting more visable but said nothing. He was winning and he liked it. For the first time in his life, Derek felt he had a chance to live and not be afraid. "I will send you back to the Hell you came from and be free of you forever."

"You are not strong enough, Derek. Do not close that door! If you close it, you will shut me out but you will cease to exist with me. We are one and to kill me is to commit your own suicide."

"I don't know if that is true, Creature. What I do know is that all of these people gave their lives for me. I think one life in exchange for theirs is a fair trade. Get ready to die or go back to Hell, which ever is the way of this filth and digust."

Another slice of the creature's talons opened Derek's chest wide open. Derek winced and then cried out in pain. "Ah-h-h-h-h, you see, you felt that one and you will feel it when I teart out your heart. I can see your heart now. It doesn't look very big to me. Perhaps you took on more than your little heart could handle, huh, boy?"

"Derek, please, don't do this! All of our deaths will mean nothing if you die!"

"Sarina is right, Derek. We all have willingly died for your safety. Please close the door, but stay outside."

"No Grammie, I think that I will not die. I am going inside the shed. I will pull the door shut as I do. Sarina, you are visible now to both me and the creature. Come to me and hold me. Give me the love that I thought you gave to this creature so long ago."

"No-o-o-o-o-o-o!!!!" The creature jerked as if he were shocked by electricity when Derek pulled Sarina's to his body. "I will shred you both into tiny pieces and eat your flesh!"

Derek turned to look at the creature. "You will do nothing, Creature. The feel of love is something you can not stand. I know this... I made you that way. The fear that everything I touched died left me without a way to leave that house. I shut out the world so that I would not hurt anyone's heart. Now, I see it all differently. I am Not afraid!"

Derek kissed Sarina deeply, not like a child would kiss but a deep, loving, passionate kiss. A kiss like an adult in love would kiss. Sarina's body shivered and she was suddenly solid as if she had never gone away. She kissed Derek back, full and sensual, allowing her every thought to be absorbed by him. Their bodies melded together and Sarina felt the completeness of Derek's love. Together they went from Valley to the highest peaks and back again. A roller-coaster ride to rival the greatest thrills this world had to give. She felt herself surging with energy. Her body began to glow brightly.

"Do not stop, my love, we are one now and I feel alive again."

"Shh-h-h-h-h-h, sweetheart... just enjoy the ride. We are winning."

Derek could hear the creature screaming in pain. Talons sliced the air where Derek and Sarina gave their all to one another. they passed through Derek and Sarina's body without a single cut.

"No, no no, curse you, Derek. I do not want to return. Stop this now. You must die!!!!!!"

As Derek and Sarina peaked once more, the creatures screams were further away. They faded into the walls of the shed. The door of the shed slammed shut as Derek kissed Sarina softly.

"Sarina, this day will happen again. We will be one and we will live our lives together, forever. But today will end and become our future. There will be no creature, no deaths. Grammie knows now what she must Not do, ever."

"I don't understand, Derek. What are you saying?"

Derek stood and walked to Grammie. "I know that you understand. You must never allow that creature to enter this world. You know what you did then. Correct it and let us grow up together until Sarina and I are grown. Mother and Father, I can not bring you back. I have to go back to just after you died. Not at the hands of some creature but gone to your resting place peacefully. Perhaps when I grow up again, I will know how you died. It is not important now. Only that I will not allow such anger and hatred to manifest in me ever again."

Derek walked towards the door. As he began to push it open, Sarina cried out.

"Derek, Don't Open the Door!!! It will start all over again."

Derek turned and smiled at her. "No my love, it will not start over. I traded something so that you and Grammies could live and my parent's could know peace. It was simply life for life. Come with me and see. Remember, our love has saved us."

Derek pushed open the door. As the sunlight flooded the inside, they all heard the creature scream one last time. The walls began to shake and the ceiling began to fall in. Derek watched his parents fade away, knowing they were now at peace. Grammie followed Derek and Sarina outside, into the daylight. As they stepped out of the shed, suddenly it burst into flames. They turned to watch the fire engulf the entire shed, as if it were devouring the wood.

Sarina watched and smiled. "Look Derek," she spoke, "Grammie is getting rid of the old shed. She said it was just an eye-sore." Her hand squeezed Derek's tight. Derek looked at her and laughed out-loud.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Sarina?"

"Derek, we are only 10 years old. Is it o.k. to be that when we are so young?"

Derek, in his most grown up 10 year old voice answered, "I think so. We will grow up and maybe even get married or something."

"Ew-w-w-w-w-w, that's for big people, Derek. Where do you get such thoughts?"

He shrugged his shoulders as she took his hand in hers. "It's o.k., Derek. I wouldn't mind if we fell in love one day." She kissed him on the cheek and ran to play in the woods. Not like an adult kisses, but like a friend kisses. Derek smiled and chased after her into the woods.

Grammie smiled at the two of them. A month had passed since Derek's parents were killed in the car accident. He seemed to be doing well. Time to heal and a good friend like Sarina would help him along. She walked towards the house. The shed had burned to ashes. She needed to summon a friend to talk to. She smiled as she spoke outloud to no one in particular. "I will be very careful this time, I promise."