The Open Door Rule

In my house, doors stay open at night. All of them. Bedroom doors.

Bathroom doors. Closets too. My parents say it’s habit. But habits don’t

make people afraid. Every night before sleeping, my mom walks through the hallway.

She checks every door. If one is even slightly closed, she opens it fully.

If you ask why, she says, “Because it doesn’t like obstacles.” The rule started

the night my uncle stayed over. He said the hallway felt wrong. Like someone was

standing too close to his door. He shut it. Locked it. At 1:48 a.m.,

the house woke up. Not to screaming. To dragging. Slow footsteps. Something heavy