When The Doorbell Rings

Por David Mendez Prieto

Do you know that feeling of terror when you know someone is stalking you in the dark? This story will take you to rainy days, ghostly flats, strange neighbors, terrifying sounds, and most importantly, who rings the bell at night?
Sophie and Víctor are a couple in love who have bought a beautiful apartment in a new urbanization located on the outskirts. Everything seems perfect until the strange appearance of a terrifying old woman who haunts the place at night.

When the doorbell rings, terror begins ...

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: David Mendez Prieto
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 7 may 2020
• ISBN: 9780463439692

David Mendez Prieto

¡Hola! Soy David Méndez Prieto. Escritor, amante del terror y del suspense, fanático de los cómics y del cine. He empezado mi aventura de autopublicación de mis libros en todas las plataformas digitales.

Vista previa del libro

PROLOGUE

She got off the bus when the rain started falling again. It had been raining all day. A sad, dark and cold Friday the 13th of November. It was getting dark though it was still eight in the afternoon. She unfolded her umbrella and started walking fast, trying to dodge the puddles that were already forming on the sidewalks. She did not come across anyone on his way home. The neighborhood was new and not too many people were still living there. A great extension of the city full of modern buildings and plenty of comfort. However, there was no shop or bar in the streets, so the place was practically empty, and the only noise was coming from the rain and wind that was shaking her long hair. She reached the fence that gave access to the urbanization of several blocks where she lived and, without taking off his gloves, opened the door with some icy keys. She ran along the promenade of benches and trees up to her doorway, number two. Once inside she was comforted by the heat of the central heating and headed for the elevator. Her small and comfortable apartment was on the fourth floor. She sighed as she entered. She locked the door while feeling a slight chill. She was already safe. Secure. The doorbell probably would not ring that night. She had tried to put it out of his mind for the whole of his working day. Yeah, she had to convince herself that no one would call. Surely someone had fun with her last nights, a stranger who was probably already far away. That was what she was told at the police station when she filed the police report in the early afternoon. She decided to relax by taking a warm shower. Then she would take a sandwich and maybe continue reading the novel that one of her favourite nieces had given her on her last birthday. She heard the phone call coming from her cell in the kitchen, at the same time as she was undressing in the bathroom. She put on a robe and snorting went to answer. The screen showed that the caller was her co-worker and a very good friend as well.

—Hello, pretty —she replied.

—Hi, are you all right?

—I’ve just got home, don't worry, I'm quite fine. Thank you so much for coming with me to the police station.

—Have you calmed down?

—Of course, I have, they've calmed me down quite a bit.

—Yeah, that guy will probably be bored of being scaring you. I mean, if he has not found another poor victim by now.

—I hope not. I wish nobody must suffer what I've been through.

—Nothing is going to happen today. So, relax, have something for dinner and go to bed. Take the pills I gave you this morning.

—I don't know...

—You're going to sleep all at once and tomorrow you'll wake up very relaxed, you'll see.

—All right, I think I will listen to you.

—Okay, honey, I'll let you get some rest, kisses.

The water was falling down her body while the downpour was increasing, and a great storm was beginning to form. Relaxing music flooded the room with a subtle rose’s fragrance. She dried herself slenderly with a soft towel and carefully knotted her robe heading for the kitchen. She prepared a turkey breast sandwich with some cheese and mayonnaise as well as a glass of milk. After dinner, she took her pills and went to her bedroom. It was hot so she went to bed with only a T-shirt and panties on. She closed her eyes trying to relax. Soon she could feel the drowsiness caused by the pills and began to fall into a pleasant sleep far away from the storm that reigned outside.

Out there, in the darkness of the stairs and the solitude of the landings, a dark figure was moving through the shadows. It was advancing slowly and quietly. An ominous presence that slowly approached the small apartment on the fourth floor.

She did not know what time was when a disturbing sound woke her up. Outside the storm was increasing and the wind and rain were hitting the windowpanes. Although those noises were not the ones which had woken her up. No. She heard it again. It was the damn doorbell. It rang for the third time. Terror paralyzed her. The nightmare was coming back. Someone was calling again into the early hours of the morning. An unknown person who was right there on the other side of her front door. What was she supposed to do? Maybe getting up and checking if she could see something through the peephole this time? Would she be able to do that? Arming herself with courage and a little stunned by the effect of the pills she had taken at dinner, she got out of bed and left her room. She walked slowly along the short corridor up to the entrance of her home while the ringtones continued. She could feel her whole body shaking when she looked through the peephole, but she could not see anything. The staircase was in the dark, a murk space where apparently there was no one. Nervousness barely let her ask in a whisper: Who is it? Silence. A thunderstorm exploded so close that the building trembled and the lights failed for a while. Strong hits made her jump backwards, losing her balance and falling to the ground. It rang again. Stop it!, she shrieked on the verge of tears, Who is it? What do you want? A spooky queak make her blood run cold, they were scratching the wood, she imagined horrid hands with long nails. She stood up and looked again. She gave a shrill cry. The sudden glow of a lightning that had seeped through the stair window allowed her to see a silhouette. It was only a few seconds, but enough for her to realize that it was a presence dressed in black, almost in mourning, with its face covered with a veil. Where could she have left her cell phone? She had to call the police immediately. She ran into the kitchen and found it off. My God!, she exclaimed. She remembered that its battery was low when she had gone to bed. With trembling fingers, she connected it to the charger and tried to turn it on but with no luck. The hits continued, she kept on hearing the doorbell and those strange scratches competed with the tremendous roar coming from the street. Suddenly, the noises stopped, ended in a second. Was it already over by that night? she wondered. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her heart was beating fast in her chest. She tried again with her phone and this time the screen lit up. She was about to insert her pin number when everything was silent. Even the storm seemed to have moved away, leaving a sense of fragile tranquility. Still shaking, she sat down on a stool trying to calm down. They knocked again, pounding hard on the door, apparently with the aim of breaking it down. She jumped out of her seat and could not suppress a scream of terror: Please! she cried, Stop it! Who are you? What do you want from me? She approached stealthily and scanned again quietly through the round opening. Outside she could only see darkness. Suddenly she felt a very strong pressure on her head followed by an extreme pain. She leaned against the cold wood feeling her body shuddering. Blood began to flow from her mouth and nose. A long screwdriver had pierced the peephole, stuck into her eye and crossing her head had gone out through the back of his skull. She stayed there held by the metal bar against the door. Just a few seconds later, she was already dead.

1

Víctor left the two suitcases on the bed with great effort because they were too heavy. No doubt that Sophie had certainly taken advantage of the space, as she usually did. There were still some boxes left to be brought upstairs from the car. The apartment was frozen, and he wondered how the radiators would be turned on as they had central heating. The day was unpleasant, and it had been raining all day long. It was January and winter was in all its peak. Although his girlfriend was right that the neighborhood was a bit away, he was also right thinking that the buildings were new, and they had found its price quite reasonable. A nice house big enough for both. In addition, it was a gated urbanization with a garage space included. The doorbell rang, it was Sophie.

—Helloooooooo! —the girl said jovially as she entered.

—Hello, darling —he said, kissing her on the lips.

—Is there anything left to be brought upstairs?

—Yeah, some boxes left, I'll go down right now. We are still on the fourth floor, but at least we have an elevator —said Víctor cheerfully.

—Which is a big difference, pretty boy.

—So... you’re happy?

—I still think that this neighborhood is a bit far away, but it is certainly quiet. For sure, we don't even have a store. There is absolutely nothing.

—We have the car. Besides, I'm sure that as this place is being occupied supermarkets, pharmacies, sex shops... will begin to be opened.

—I'm sure sex shops will be the first ones —the girl laughed aloud—. By the way, how many neighbors do we have?...

—I have no idea. I haven't seen any of them. You?

—Neither have I. Can you imagine we're the only ones who