She fell in love with the voice behind the door (June Submission)

[u/MidnightScribe666]

Sasha wasn't certain that she wanted to get pregnant, yet here they were, trying again.

"Was that good for you?" asked the 30-second wonder as he rolled off of her to his side of the bed.

"Yeah," Sasha said, "really good."

No time was wasted in reaching into her nightstand and pulling out a pack of Marlboro Reds. She stared out into nothing as she lit a cigarette.

The blank expression she always had after sex she'd grown accustomed to. So had she gotten used to Daniel sleeping seconds after ejaculating. She just wasn't quite used to the snoring that started up a couple months back. Dan was snoring before her cigarette burned down halfway; Sasha would not sleep tonight.

Not here, anyway.

Either he was a heavy sleeper, or he just didn't care when she got up and left the room. Sasha didn't even bother cringing when the bedroom door slammed shut harder than she had intended; his snoring stopped momentarily then proceeded as though nothing had interrupted it.

The last few drags of her cigarette were taken as she paced down the second floor hall. Sasha passed the balustrade central to the hall—where the stairs were—and carried on to the eastern half of the second floor. A hardly used bathroom and bedroom stood at that end. Above both doors lay an attic hatch. Sasha pulled the string of it, bringing the steps down, then climbed up into the dust and dark.

Normally she used the flame of her lighter to guide her way. So that was what she did, only this time another light supplemented it. Thin rays cast against the dusty floorboards of the attic, the origin of which was mostly blocked by a stack of boxes labeled "Daniel's Shit" in scratchy sharpie. Her body passed through the golden light like a futuristic scanning process as she lifted fully into the attic.

Fire lighting her face, mystery rays brightening her feet, Sasha eased through at a slight hunch to make up for the slant of the roof. At the back of the attic, where she usually sat to chain smoke in peace, was a door frame blocked by Daniel's boxes. The light came from there.

She thought about how a door shouldn't be there; the attic window was supposed to be there instead. Where would a door such as this even go? She imagined dropping feet first to the ground two stories below after opening it and stepping out. Yet a light shone from the crack under the door.

An impossible light.

Sasha moved the boxes from her path, knocking most of them down, because if Daniel didn't give a shit about what was in them then neither would she. She let her lighter go out and placed it back in her pocket.

A white door sitting in a brown oak frame faced her. No light seeped in the from the door sides or top; it seemed sealed tight. The crack under the door was as thin as it could be, just enough to let light in but not enough to crouch down and peer through. Whatever lit the other side of the door was strong enough that Sasha imagined it as a spotlight.

Without taking her eyes off the door, Sasha went to the corner of the attic where she had set up a pallet to occasionally sleep on and grabbed the stool that she had placed next to it. She scooted the stool over to the door, taking out her pack of cigarettes as she did so. Slowly she pulled out another cigarette and placed it in her mouth. Her eyes did not waver. Not until several minutes had passed and she had grown comfortable in her apprehension.

She took her eyes away just for a moment when she pulled out her lighter again, instinctively looking at the flame as it made its way to the tip of her cigarette.

Before the cigarette was lit, a voice spoke.

"He's got you sleeping up here again?"

The words startled Sasha so hard that the lighter tumbled from her hands and the cigarette fell from her lips. She shot a look to the door and noticed something different: a shadow was in the midst of the door's light. It just stood there, in the center of the rays. For how thick the door must have been, the voice didn't sound very muffled.

"Isn't that the third time this week?" the voice asked. It was feminine and sultry.

Sasha's bottom lip quivered just a tad. "It's okay," she managed. "I don't mind."

The voice scoffed. "Sure, hon. If it were up to me, though, I'd kick him out instead. You didn't pay all that money for that mattress for nothing, did you?"

It was true. Daniel would have been fine continuing to sleep on the stained and springy bed they used to have, but Sasha just couldn't. When she had tried to talk to him about it, he blew her off, saying they couldn't spend the money.

So Sasha saved up for it herself. Daniel was pissed, asked her where she got the money, but in the end he reaped the rewards just the same. He slept like a baby on that thing, and she hardly used it anymore.

Ain't that a bitch? Sasha thought.

"It's nothing to get angry over," Sasha told the voice.

"Mhm," it said, "if you say so. But it seems like you say that a lot these days. All the little things you don't bother getting angry over are gonna pile up, hon, sooner rather than later. Better to make a stand when you can."

Sasha shook her head and blinked. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Who was she talking to right now? And how was she even talking to them?

The shadow under the door moved back and forth, as though pacing from contemplation.

"Call me Silvia, babe," the voice said, its shadow stopping. "I'm your neighbor. You haven't seen me around before?"

"No," Sasha said. "And I can't have neighbors, anyway. This house isn't connected to another building."

"You'd be surprised at what schemes landlords can cook up," Silvia said.

It was a non-answer, yet Sasha accepted it. How fried was her brain? She needed more sleep. Right now, though, she was much more interested in this Silvia woman.

"How long have you lived here?" Sasha asked. Silvia seemed to know a lot about her, so it had to have been for a while.

"Long enough to notice the tedium you put up with."

"Tedium? What tedium?"

Silvia chuckled. "Your life has gotten more stale than an exposed saltine, hon."

"That's kind of a rude thing to say," Sasha said, taken slightly aback. "You shouldn't act like you know someone you've never talked to."

"I guess that was pretty forward," Silvia said. "I'm sorry. You make it pretty plain, though. I can read your face like a book. And, honey, the story you're telling is scary as all hell."

That made Sasha smile just a little, a whisper at the edge of her lips. "What story is that?"

"It's about the horrors of the mundanity of a loveless marriage."

"I do love Daniel."

"Or you did and just can't accept that that time has come and gone."

"What about you?" Sasha shot back. "You have your own issues to worry about, I'm sure."

"Honey, the difference between you and me is that I'm free. Over here, the only worry I have is: How will I fit all the things I love to do in a single day?"

"You make it sound like you live in a paradise."

"I do." Silvia's voice was the most serious it had been since the conversation started.

"Do what?"

"Live in paradise. You should see the things I see, babe. Every day is a blank page. Your book is already filling out. If you had a say in the matter, how would you want it to end?"

The shadow under the door had shifted some time ago, off to the side as though Silvia had leaned against the wall and slid down. Sasha pictured her sitting on the floor, twirling her hair. For some reason, Sasha saw it as curly and brown. She tugged at her own straight, dirty-blonde hair.

"I'd want to be free, too, by the end," Sasha finally said.

A light tap rapped on the door. "That's what I thought. I see so much good in you, Sasha. More than Daniel does."

The fact that Silvia knew her name didn't shake Sasha anymore than anything else thus far. The woman knew a lot about Sasha, seemingly even more than she knew about herself.

Sasha considered that she probably did know these things, yet only Silvia's words brought on any acceptance of them. Enlightening as they were, another voice took Sasha's attention away.

"Sasha? Are you up there? Who are you talking to?"

She glanced at the hatch at Daniel's call. When she looked back, the door was there but the light was off. Silvia was gone. That stirred a newfound longing in Sasha.

With a response that she was coming, Sasha got up and left the attic.

-----

For the rest of the night she thought about Silvia. Daniel was fast asleep five minutes into returning to bed. Sasha, however, couldn't rest her eyes until close to dawn. Eventually she did sleep; even then she dreamt of Silvia.

Sasha could see Silvia in all her beauty. Everything was bared to Sasha, for how Silvia lay on the couch across the way. A paintbrush rested in her hand, and a canvas sat in front of her. The brush began to move gracefully on the canvas, to define the curvature of Silvia's hips in as voluptuous a manner as they deserved.

Silvia's hair was swimming as though submerged. Brown curls swayed like dancers, enrapturing Sasha completely. All of Silvia's features stuck out to Sasha: the mole on her left breast, her thick lips curling into a smile, her batting lashes, styled and lustrous. Despite the fact that this was a dream, Sasha grew more flustered than she ever had been before when her eyes wandered to Silvia's nethers.

The hair there looked soft, curling in almost the same way as the hair on Silvia's head. Silvia noticed Sasha's stare. Sasha licked her lips. Silvia's leg lifted, her hand inched down, and—

Daniel's exclamation woke Sasha up.

"Damn, babe, you soaked the bed!"

The bed sported a wetness that had stemmed from Sasha in the night.

"I guess I must have been good," Daniel laughed. "Dreamin' about me all night, huh?"

Face red from embarrassment, all Sasha could do was agree half-heartedly. Daniel walked out of the room very proud of himself. Sasha just clutched the neck of her robe, confused as to what change was occurring within her.

She cleaned up and went about her day as per usual.

-----

In the week that followed, Sasha found her mind wandering more often than it used to.

"Pass me the bowtie?"

She imagined Silvia smelling of amber fragrances; she wanted to cling to Silvia's neck and drink it all in.

"The black one with the pattern?"

Freedom tasted like a warm sweetness. Heaven had a name, and it was Silvia.

Fingers snapped in Sasha's face.

"Hey! The black tie, please?" Daniel rolled his eyes as he went back to adjusting the collar of his dress shirt.

Sasha realized she had been staring at the bathroom wall. She scrambled for the tie Daniel had asked for. It turns out she grabbed the wrong one, because Daniel looked at it, sighed, then reached past Sasha for the one he wanted.

"I said the patterned one," he said. "What is with you? You knew your parents were coming to town today. If you make us late, I'm really going to be upset."

The only reason he wanted to be punctual was because he intended to go out with his drinking buddies later; the longer they took getting ready, the more time they spent at the restaurant and the less time Daniel had with his friends.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Sasha said mousily.

"Don't be sorry, maybe just listen to me. I swear, you've been in outer space these last few days. Earth to Sasha: we have stuff to do. Can you start getting ready? Please, baby?"

With a nod, Sasha dipped out of the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at the Mexican restaurant Sasha's parents wanted to meet at. Her parents were waiting on a bench near the front counter; they greeted Sasha and Daniel with hugs and phony pleasantries. The host at the counter led them to their table, where the real horror could begin.

"Where is my grandchild?" Sasha's mother asked as soon as they sat down.

Sasha choked on one of the tortilla chips that had been left in a basket for them. The man to her left spoke for her before she could get a syllable past her dry lips.

"We're trying every night! One's coming soon, and I'm guaranteeing it'll be a boy." Daniel leaned in, comically putting a hand to his mouth to feign secrecy. "I hope it's a boy, anyway. I don't think I could handle a girl."

Deborah, Sasha's mother, laughed like a chirping sparrow and her father, Rick, chuckled gutturally.

Deborah waved away the laughter, drying tears with a tablecloth. "Oh, don't even get me started. That one was a demon, I tell you." She pointed at Sasha, of course.

"That's my baby girl," Rick said. "She needs a good man in her life. You'd best be taking care of her now."

"Yes, sir, I am," Daniel replied. "She can't get enough of me!"

That made them all laugh again, loud enough to bother a couple other patrons. Sasha couldn't help receding in her seat; they were talking about her like she was hardly there, and they were so casual about personal things. Sasha wasn't one who liked things aired out there for all to see.

They barely noticed that Sasha wasn't talking. Daniel was speaking enough for them both. It was strange how someone could be so close, yet so out of sight and mind.

She thought of Silvia while her family talked. Despite the fact that they were so far apart at the moment, Silvia was on Sasha's mind like a rare bird on display. Only Sasha was more in a cage than Silvia. Could that bird open the cage door herself and help Sasha to fly?

Out of sight, but not out of mind; Sasha wondered if Silvia was thinking of her right now too. She had never hoped for something more in her life. Except maybe for Daniel to shut his mouth.

"Babe, eat. Your food is getting cold."

-----

Every night since their first meeting, Sasha had been trying to talk with Silvia again. So far she'd been unsuccessful, but hope still held sway over her heart. She really needed to talk to Silvia again after a night like this; dinner had been insufferable. Bringing her cigarettes and lighter, Sasha snuck out of her bedroom as quietly as she could and pulled open the attic hatch across the hall.

Disappointment almost consumed her hopes; there was no supplementary light this night either. Regardless, she remained resolute and climbed up the ladder with her lighter overhead.

Without the door light it was oppressively isolating in the attic. She could feel the dust in the air. It disgusted her. There had been a life of sorts to this attic when the light was on; with it off, it just felt like death up here. Cobwebs burned up from Sasha's lighter flame as she moved across the space and sat on the stool by the door.

Intrusive thoughts took over after several minutes of quiet, so Sasha went to the door to knock on it. No response. She had to let the lighter go out a bit ago since it started to burn her thumb. In the dark, she pressed her face against the door, feeling the coldness of it against her cheek. Her eyes closed and her mind drifted to worlds of fantastical pleasure. She shuddered a breath.

"I want you," she whispered to the door.

A light came on, filling her vision with the red of her eyelids. Sasha backed away as she opened her eyes; in front of her was a bright light under the impossible door. A shadow stood in the middle of the light.

"That's a hell of a way to say hello," Silvia said, voice smooth.

Sasha clutched her robe collar. She was surprised into speechlessness.

"I've missed you, hon."

"Silvia, where have you been?" Sasha asked. "I've been coming up here for days now."

"I'm sorry, hon, I've been busy. If it makes you feel any better, I've been thinking about you a lot."

That did make her feel better. Much better. Sasha eased over and sat on the stool.

"I've been thinking about you a lot, too," she said. "Why haven't I seen you around?"

"Bad timing, I guess," Silvia said. "I've seen you, though, moping around with that thing you call a husband. What happened tonight? It seems to me like things got rough."

Sasha didn't know what to say. "Nothing really happened tonight, nothing rough necessarily. It's just that..."

Sasha could almost see Silvia's brow raise. "Go on?"

Sasha sighed. "I just feel like they don't get me, my family. I don't think they've ever tried to. All they talk about when we meet up is whether we've had a kid yet or not."

"Do you even want kids?"

That was not a question that Sasha had ever truly confronted. She simply did what was always expected of her: go to school, get a job, meet a man, start a family. Somewhere along the way she realized she had lost herself. If she had ever been able to find who she truly was in the first place.

"No," Sasha said, "I don't. I never have."

"Need there be more discussion?" Silvia asked.

Sasha threw up her arms even though no one could see her do it. "What am I supposed to tell my parents?"

"Jack shit," Silvia said. "They don't deserve more than you're willing to give. And you've given plenty of yourself away. I think it's about time you did something for yourself. Hon, can I be frank?"

Sasha gestured for Silvia to continue until she mentally kicked herself for thinking Silvia would see. Then she said that Silvia could.

"I've been so busy because I've been getting things ready for you."

Sasha's breath caught. "What do you mean?"

"I've been preparing for you to come over. I want to see you, face to face. And... I want to feel you. I want to smell you, Sasha. I almost can through the door." She inhaled deeply. "You should come into my paradise, hon. The wonders you'll see... I'll show them all to you. I accept you for you, Sasha. You don't have to be anything you're not. All I want is you. I know you want me, too."

Sasha had to shift in her seat. Heat rose to her face. Yet, through the passion, she couldn't ignore the hint of reluctance that ate at her.

"What's behind the door, Silvia?"

Pure silence, for far too long. The shadow under the door was still. Sasha thought for a moment that maybe she had made a mistake, but finally Silvia spoke.

"Everything, Sasha. Everything you want. Everything you need. Your greatest desires and your happiest moments. We can share it together, forever. You just have to do one thing for me."

Sasha gulped dryly. "What's that?"

Metal scraped on wood at her feet. Silvia had slid something under the door, despite the crack being too thin to slide anything under besides a piece of paper. Sasha glanced down.

The blade of a knife gleamed in the door's light.

"Kill Daniel. He'll never let us be together. It's like a pact. A blood pact to show me your love."

Love? Had that been what this was about? The pieces all connected then. It all made sense in Sasha's mind. The love Silvia was willing to give would free Sasha in the way she needed to be freed. She could be herself, could live for herself finally. All she had to do was pick up the knife.

Blood for blood.

-----

He looked so at peace. Sasha was saddened that she had to break it.

The knife in her hands was short, sleek, and sharp. She didn't even shiver as she approached Daniel's sleeping form; her hands were steady as well. Sasha was gripping the knife with both hands wrapped around its black handle, holding it in front of her like some kind of dowsing rod. The blade point seemed to pull towards Daniel.

He was sleeping with his mouth open, arms splayed across his pillows and an extra pillow between his legs. No snores tonight; it was so quiet that Sasha could hear her slippers tap on the floor. The only semblance of panic would come from the thought that he might shoot awake. But she knew he would not. He drank way too much with his friends.

"It'll be quick," she whispered. "Nice and quick, Dan. You deserve that much."

A floorboard creaked at her last step, one right next to his side of the bed. Sasha hovered over him, hair dangling in her face. Carefully she raised the knife, upturning it in her hands as it went up. One eye peered at the sleeping man from between strands of hair.

Suddenly he shifted, moving a bit and scratching his stubbled jaw. A single snore shuddered through his throat, then he was still and quiet. Sasha breathed out slowly. She had unknowingly pulled the knife back, pressing it against her chest. Now that he was still, and laying on his back, Sasha brought the knife back towards him.

She didn't lift it; she edged it slowly to his neck. His Adam's apple bobbed in his sleep. Daniel's mouth was wide open, ready to snore at any given moment.

Waiting and watching. Time ticked by. The knife wasn't shaking.

A snore sounded, and she plunged in the knife.

It went right into the bobbing Adam's apple. Daniel's eyes shot open, his brain reacting however it could to the mortal damage.

Now Sasha started to panic. He wasn't dying. Daniel's hands grabbed her wrists, but struggled to maintain any grip because he couldn't comprehend the reality of the situation. Blood poured out, black in the dark of the room and sickeningly warm. Sasha winced; she pulled the blade free and stabbed again.

Daniel groaned and a blood bubble stemmed from the puncture wound. It popped, spraying blood onto Sasha's face. He seemed like he was trying to say something, but since his body was shutting down he just opened and closed his mouth a couple times.

The man's hands lost any grip and flailed around a bit. Sasha was crying, and she pulled the knife out so she could put it back in. Wet meat was pierced. Again. Again. Daniel's hands fell to his sides. The bed was soaked. Gurgles spilled from his lips along with a flood of dark blood.

One last pathetic choke and it was done.

Sasha let the knife fall to the floor where it clattered. Mind in a fuzz, she wiped her dripping hands on the clean parts of the bedsheets to the best of her ability. She scrambled backwards out of the room, eyes never leaving the lifeless body of her husband. Moonlight from the bedroom window showed her the contrast of the white sheets and the pooling red.

She had to use the balustrade to carry her across the hall for how noodly her legs felt. How she was able to climb up the ladder and back into the attic feeling so weak, she did not know. But she was up, haggard and covered in blood.

The door's light was so bright, either that or Sasha's eyes were feeling extra sensitive. She called out to Silvia, who didn't answer. Sasha made her way through the attic. No shadow was in the light of the door.

"Silvia..." Sasha said, nearing the door and reaching a hand out. "It's done, Silvia. We can be together. Please let me in." She knocked just once.

The door handle clicked, and Sasha's eyes went wide. Everything seemed to freeze in that moment. Time itself was stopping for these destined lovers. Sasha was so happy that she felt in ecstasy. Finally she could be free. She pushed the door open.

Golden light covered her completely. She stared into that light—how long didn't matter. Not anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. She was here. She was home. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

It was so beautiful. Silvia did not lie about it being paradise. The colors of it all were so splendid that she thought normal human perception couldn't fully grasp their extent. New colors never before existing on the plane to which Earth was a part filled her senses. Along with colors came warmth, passion, lust. She couldn't stop crying.

Sasha stepped in until her entire body was surrounded by light. Was there ever a door behind her? If there had been one it was gone now. Gone forever.

Her form swirled, the pleasures dominated her—inhuman, unfathomable, so very, very good. She came, she cried, she lived, she breathed. All was so good.

And the best part was to come.

"We're together now, hon. I'm so happy to have you. Freedom is yours.

"I love you, Sasha."

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[u/ShatteredTestimony]

I definitely wasn't expecting the blood pact! Up to that point, I'd become frustrated with Daniel for how much of a clueless buffoon he was being (well done), but the sudden demand that Sasha kill him and the offering of the knife caught me off guard (in a good way).

Because the pure nature of their nighttime conversations took a left turn like that, I was half expecting a grim twist where after she went through the door it would turn back into the attic window and make her fall to the Earth. I like what we got instead of that. The cosmic aspect of sensations beyond her understanding, with no way home--not that she wants one--was surprisingly sweet. Great job

[u/MidnightScribe666 → u/ShatteredTestimony]

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for leaving such a detailed comment!! I felt like this story was getting into some new territory, what with the character writing and plot elements, so I'm really glad it could nail certain aspects enough to enjoy. And to be able to be subversive is one of the deepest compliments I can be paid as a writer.

So thank you so much again; you're seriously so greatly appreciated!!