THE LOCKED DOOR ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT
1. A Premonition in the Howling Wind
The wind whistled through the cracks of the old wooden windows in a small town in Indiana, sounding like distant cries of grief. Outside, bare tree branches scraped against the tin roof, producing hollow, chilling noises. There was no snowfall that Christmas Eve—only a dry, biting cold and an oppressive stillness hanging in the air.
Emily Carter sat beside her father’s hospital bed, tightly holding the frail hand of Robert Miller, a sixty-eight-year-old man who had spent his entire life working as a mechanic to support his family. His face was gaunt, his skin ashen, his breathing shallow and uneven. The doctor had just delivered the words Emily feared most:
“The family should prepare themselves. He’s very weak.”
Emily clenched her father’s hand. That hand had once held hers on her first day of school, had rested gently on her head whenever she cried as a child. Now it trembled, cold and fragile, as if it might disappear at any moment.
But the weight crushing Emily’s heart was not only her father’s condition.
A terrible sense of unease kept tightening around her chest.
Lucy.
Her four-year-old daughter.
The child Emily had left behind in Chicago that very morning, under the care of her husband—David Carter.
Emily had hesitated for a long time before leaving. She had wanted to take Lucy with her, but her father’s condition was critical, and David had insisted:
“Don’t worry. I can handle it. It’s only for a few days.”
Easy words.
Emily glanced at the clock. 10:00 p.m.
She had called David three times since the afternoon. None of the calls had been answered.
A cold gust slipped through the window, making the bedside lamp flicker. A shiver ran down Emily’s spine, as if someone had whispered into her ear:
Something is terribly wrong.
2. The Apartment with the Locked Door
At the same time, in a mid-range apartment complex on the west side of Chicago, David Carter stood in front of the mirror in the bedroom.
He adjusted his dark blue tie and sprayed another layer of expensive cologne—the kind Emily had once complained was “too strong and showy.” His suit lay neatly pressed on the bed, polished leather shoes aligned carefully on the floor.
Behind him, in the small living room, Lucy sat on the couch watching a Christmas cartoon. The cheerful music from the television clashed painfully with the cold atmosphere in the apartment.
David glanced at his daughter with visible irritation.
“Lucy.”
She flinched and turned around, her big round eyes wide.
“Yes, Daddy?”
“I’m going out to meet a business partner for a bit. Be good and stay home.”
Lucy jumped off the couch and ran to him, clutching his hand.
“Where are you going? Why are you dressed up?”
David frowned.
“Adults have adult business.”
Lucy bit her lip, her voice trembling.
“Mom isn’t home… I’m scared… It’s Christmas. Are you really leaving?”
David let out an annoyed sigh and brushed her hand away.
“You’re four years old, not a baby. Stay here and watch TV. I’ll be back later.”
He grabbed his keys and walked toward the door. Before opening it, he turned around and said quickly:
“I’ll lock the door from the outside for safety. Don’t open it for anyone, got it?”
Lucy froze.
“Daddy… I’m thirsty… I need to go to the bathroom…”
“Figure it out yourself.”
David opened the door and stepped into the cold hallway. Just before the door closed, Lucy ran toward him, crying hysterically:
“Daddy, please don’t go… I’m scared of the dark…”
BANG.
The door slammed shut.
Lucy’s cries were trapped behind the thick wooden door.
David locked the door from the outside.
He did not look back.
3. The Phone Call That Went Silent
When he reached the parking garage, David pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.
“Hey, Megan? I’m done. I’m coming to pick you up now. Total freedom tonight.”
Laughter echoed from the other end.
“Are you sure? Your wife won’t be calling nonstop?”
David chuckled as he unlocked his car.
“She’s busy taking care of her dying father back in her hometown. She won’t have the energy to bother me.”
He started the engine.
“I booked a luxury motel near the suburbs. Three hundred bucks a night—no worries. It’s Christmas, we deserve to enjoy ourselves.”
David turned off his phone and tossed it into the glove compartment.
At that moment, his mind was filled only with dim lights, wine glasses, music, and the young woman waiting for him.
There was no room left for a four-year-old child locked alone in an apartment.
4. Darkness and Fear
Lucy stood frozen in front of the door.
“Daddy…?”
No response.
The apartment was terrifyingly quiet.
The living room lights were still on, but outside, the wind howled. Lucy slowly walked toward her parents’ bedroom. The large, dark room smelled strongly of cologne, making her feel nauseous.
She was thirsty.
But she couldn’t reach the sink.
She needed the bathroom.
But the toilet seat was too high and too cold.
Lucy returned to the living room and curled up on the couch, hugging her old teddy bear tightly. The Christmas cartoon had long ended, replaced by commercials, and then the TV shut off automatically.
Darkness crept in.
Lucy began to cry.
Softly at first, then louder, until her voice grew hoarse.
No one heard her.
No one opened the door.
5. The Longest Night
Near midnight, Lucy was exhausted.
She was hungry.
Thirsty.
Terrified.
In her panic, Lucy remembered her mother’s words: “If it’s cold, turn on the heater a little.”
She climbed down from the couch and walked toward the corner of the room where the old electric heater stood. Lucy didn’t know how to adjust the temperature. She only knew how to turn it all the way up.
The room slowly grew warm.
Lucy sat close to the heater, pressing her cheek against the teddy bear.
She fell asleep, her face still wet with tears.
6. A Morning Without Christmas
The next morning.
Emily jolted awake, clutching her chest.
Her father was still lying there, barely breathing.
But Emily couldn’t stay any longer.
She called David.
No connection.
She called the neighbors.
No one answered.
Almost screaming, Emily rushed outside and boarded the earliest bus back to the city.
The entire journey, her hands trembled and her heart pounded uncontrollably.
She didn’t know why, but her mind was haunted by a single image: Lucy sitting alone in the dark.
7. The Door That Wouldn’t Open
When Emily arrived at the apartment complex, it was nearly noon.
The hallway was eerily quiet.
She ran to the door and pounded on it desperately.
“Lucy! Baby! Mommy’s here!”
No response.
With shaking hands, Emily called building management. The door was forced open.
A wave of heat and a burnt smell rushed out.
The heater had been running all night.
Lucy lay motionless on the couch, the teddy bear still clutched in her arms.
Her face looked peaceful.
As if she were sleeping.
Emily let out a scream that tore through the hallway.
8. The Price
David was arrested that same day.
He collapsed when he heard the news.
There were no tears.
Only emptiness.
That Christmas night, one man traded $300, a night of pleasure, and his selfish desires for a lifetime behind bars and an unending nightmare.
And a four-year-old child faded away…
Inside a locked apartment.
