Summary: Based off of .com/art/Behind-Closed-Doors-124711761
Zero dies in battle and X and Haley have to live with Colonel until they can find a place of their own. But lately things have been going on. But the biggest problem for Haley is the strange sounds and voice that comes from her closet. Haley thinks she knows what it is, but could it really be true? Could it really be a monster or is it something else?
Haley lied awake in her bed, listening to the commotion down the hall in her Uncle's room. Her father had died months earlier so she and her "mother" X had moved in with Colonel. Though everyday was almost horrible, especially since last week there had been noises coming from her closet; Haley almost falls asleep when the noise started and scratching sound followed by pounding on the door of her closet, just opposite of the foot of her bed. Haley sits up, her eyes fixed on the door. Her chest got tight and she started hyperventilating. The sounds got louder and louder until the sound of the door slamming open startles her. Haley head snaps to the direction of the door, Colonel was standing in the doorway. "What with the racket Haley?" Colonel asks. "I-it's not me Colonel, it's a monster." Haley says. "A monster; come now Haley, aren't you a bit too old to believe in such things?" Colonel says. Haley was 14 after all, but after hearing the sounds for the past week, she as much a believer as a 5 year old. "But it's true, it's in the closet." Haley says, eyeing the closet. "A monster? Haley, just go to bed. There's no such thing as monsters." Colonel says. "But-" Haley tires to say. "I said there's no such thing; now just go to sleep." Colonel says. "Yes sir," Haley says. Colonel shuts the door on his way out; Haley lies down and tries to fall back asleep, but the scratching starts up again. Haley covers her head with the pillow, trying to ignore the sound. But the only sound that gets through is a raspy menacing voice. "Haley," It calls out. "Let me out; you know you want to," "No, Colonel says you're not real. Just leave me be." Haley says. "But you know I'm real," The raspy voice says. Haley pulls the covers over her head and eventually falls asleep. But the raspy voice still calls out to her. "Let me out Haley, I want out. Forget what Colonel says, I do exist and I want freedom. Let me out of this accursed box!"
The next night, Haley had tried to stay up as late as she could. But unfortunately, X had noticed told Haley to get to bed. Haley glumly walked to her room, but hall way to her room, she stops; noticing something shadowed that looked exactly like her, standing in the doorway. Its head tilted to the left then the right. Haley's chest got tight again; she closed her eyes and covered them with her hands. When she looked back up, she saw the figure was gone. She calms down, only to be frightened by a hand set on her shoulder. She turns her head and sees it was X, "Haley, it's time for bed. You best go along." X says. "Do I have to," Haley says. "Haley; its way past your bed time," X says. "But there's a monster in there," Haley says. X chuckled a bit, "Haley, your imagination is making you see things. Just go along," X says. There's a sudden crashing noise from the next room. "Colonel home, you best be off before you get in trouble." X says. He turns and walks off, leaving Haley alone in the hallway. Haley turns as X stops at the end of the hallway. "What's all this mess?" Colonel says. "What mess? I've done exactly what you told me to do. Everything's in order, just the way you like it." X says; his hands on his hips. "Order, you call this order? Maybe you need a few lessons on order." Colonel says. X slowly backs away as Colonel approaches him. Haley could plainly see that Colonel had been out drinking again. It was like this every night. X would work hard, Colonel would come back home drunk, saying X was being lazy and not following orders. If Haley wasn't scared of ending up like her father, she would've stood up for X. "Please Colonel, you're just a little drunk is all." X says. "Drunk? Oh I'll show you drunk," Colonel says. Haley tries to quietly sneak back to her room; she steps on a squeaky board, getting both X and Colonel's attention. "Why aren't you in bed Haley?" Colonel asks. Haley was silent, not wanting to make things worse. "Go to your room," Colonel orders; Haley eyes her room. "Now!" Colonel barks. Haley quickly backs into her room and shuts the door. She backs away from the door as X and Colonel start to argue.
She closes her eyes, hoping it was a dream, but soon the scratching and pounding from inside her closet starts. "Oh, not you again," Haley says quietly. "Haley," The raspy voice says. It chuckles as it scratches at the door again. "Let me out Haley, let me free. You know you want to," The voice says. Haley bits her lips as she approaches the closet. She shuts her eyes and pulls the doors open. She slowly opens her eyes, darting them around the closet, only to see nothing. She shrugs; "X is right, my imagination is just making me hear and see all this stuff. There isn't anything," Haley says. She shuts the right door first then when she shuts the left one; she jumps back seeing a monstrous being that looked just like her. It had pale blonde pair like hers and it was pale. It had no lips, revealing its rotten sharp teeth and its eyes were sunken in, showing only two red eyes. Its armor was scuffed and scratched at some places and its ears were pointed. Haley screams in terror before rushing out of the room. She stops in front of Colonel's office, trying to catch her breath. But hears someone inside, crying; she couldn't believe it, but it was X. She could hear Colonel's voice, but it was muffled; but things breaking, possibly glass or ceramic objects, could be heard. After a few moments, the door flies open with a thud. Haley slowly backs away as the door squeaked open, devastated to see a battered and bruise X lying on the floor. "X, no," Haley says. The door opens the rest of the way, revealing Colonel standing over X. Haley felt her chest get tight again; her eyes almost bugging out of her skull. Colonel had that look in his eyes, the look of death. "You, come here now." Colonel commands. Haley backs away in fear, "Just like X," Colonel says, eyeing the unconscious X on the floor. "Can't obey a single; Hey!" Colonel exclaims, seeing Haley walking back to her room. "Get back here!" Colonel orders; Haley continued on, not hearing a word he was saying. "Don't walk away from me Haley." Colonel says, following Haley down the hall to her room. Haley shuts the door behind her. Colonel throws the door open, he scans the room for Haley. "You can't hide from me Haley," Colonel says, stepping into the room. He hears the squeaking of the closet door, his head snaps to the direction of the door. He shuts the door and approaches the closet. He pulls the doors open and scans the inside, seeing someone that looked like Haley in a fetal position, rocking back and forth. Its hands over its eyes, crying, "There you are," Colonel says, smirking.
Only he didn't notice that the thing wasn't Haley but the monster, and that is wasn't crying, it was laughing. The monster uncovers its eyes and turns its head, revealing it wasn't Haley. It looks at Colonel for a second then screams before jumping onto him. Colonel tries to dodge it, but the monster gets a grip of his jacket then pulls itself up. "Get off of me you!" Colonel says. But the creature doesn't listen; it quickly takes a good bite out of Colonel's neck, sinking its jagged teeth as deep as it could. Colonel finally pushes the creature off, but the damage was already done. The creature sits on the floor like a dog would before its master as Colonel hits the wall and slides down. The creature stands up and approaches colonel, getting down in the same sitting position as before. Colonel's attempt to cover the wound is useless as a blood-like substance slowly leaks out. "Y-you; y-you're a m-monster," Colonel manages to say. "But there's no such things as monsters, didn't you say that yourself Colonel?" The creature says. It chuckles as Colonel takes its final breath, his head hangs down against his chest. The creature backs up and turns to the bed. "It's alright Haley, he'd dead." The creature says. Haley pops out from behind the bed, shuddering at the gruesome scene. "Thanks Demon," Haley says. The creature's hair turns white and its face turns to normal, its red eyes turn green and its armor turns green, almost like it was brand new. "Um, you got a lil' something right here?" Haley says, moving her hands around her mouth. Demon did after all bite colonel neck, residue of the blood-like substance surrounded her mouth. "It's alright," Demon says, her voice not raspy, but almost alike to Haley's. The two hear a groan from the hallway. "X is waking up, you go help him; I'll hide the body." Demon says. "Right," Haley says. Haley rushes out of the room as Demon drag to body to the closet. X struggle to his feet, failing a few times until Haley helps him up. "Haley?" X says. "It's alright X, it's over, Colonel can never hurt us again." Haley says, embracing X. Meanwhile in Haley's room, Demon finally manages to get the closet door to shut and lock. She wipes the blood-like substance off before peeking out into the hall, hearing Haley's words. "And neither will anyone else," Demon says. Haley walks X into the next room as Demon shuts the bedroom door. Demon backs away, her eyes closed, voices echoing in her head. "Please daddy, don't hurt me." "You'll never learn your lesson, so *hic* you don't deserve to live." A little girl's scream echoes in Demon's head, making her wince. "Never again, will I let anyone hurt Haley the way my father hurt me." Demon says. She opens her eyes, revealing the sunken socket revealing red eyes, "I'll make sure of that," A cloud slowly cover the room, making it dark. When the moon comes back out, the room is empty, the bedroom door slams shut, never to be opened again.