Have you ever lay there at night, staring at your wardrobe wondering what could be lurking behind those large, ominous doors. Wardrobes can hold many things, clothing, toys, all sorts of junk but when those creaky doors close, they hold a quiet, tranquil space, holding back the pitch black area that has been contained inside, a perfect hiding place wouldn’t you agree?
Well serial killers agree as 1 in 20 home invasion deaths are caused from that dark, quiet space that you look at every night. Imagine the utter shock and terror you would feel if you woke up at 12 AM to the sound of your wardrobe door opening, its hinges letting out a vile but quiet shreak. You’re alone and vulnerable in your bed, startled you would peak over your blankets to find the dark void that was one contained within those doors is now released. What could have caused that, what could be inside you might wonder, the question is would you want to know?
There’s a monster in the wardrobe! A child would scream, as they run to a parents or guardians room. A wardrobe is a blank canvas for new, haunting nightmares, a place where monster manifest themselves in the bountiful imagination of a child.
A sudden bang wakes little Lily from her slumber, she is greeted by the looming presence of her wardrobe at the far end of her wall near the foot of her bed. She quietly stares at that wardrobe for a couple of minutes, which turns into an hour. As she rolls over to go to bed, the wardrobe begins to creak and groan. She peaks over her blankets, which serve as her protection from the monsters that may lurk in the dark wardrobe. A voice calls her, “Lily…” proceeded by, “won’t you play with me?” A haunting voice cold and soulless like an echo in a dense forest.
The door opens further revealing a large boney hand, nails, long and sharp like daggers rest on the oak wardrobe. Lily throws her blanket over her, trembling in fear, a silence fills the room around her. Minutes pass before a subtle breathing noise can be heard from outside her protective blanket fort. The thing outside pushes its boney head into her blanket before letting out a violent scream, “Won’t you play with me?!?!” Lily throws her blanket and runs to her mum and dad’s room and shouts, “There’s a monster in the wardrobe!” They reassure her, telling her, it’s only the creaking of the old wardrobe nothing to fear little one, a fictional story right?
So, why am I talking about this you might ponder. I tell you this because the fiction we are lead to believe from the stories may not be fiction at all. There is a legend in England that goes like this, it is believed that wardrobes are portals to other dimensions, a place of hideous nightmares, horrific demons and malevolent ghosts. To open this portal it is said that you must wait until nighttime, turn off the lights and stare at your wardrobe.
After a large period of time passes, your eyes will start to play tricks. At this point the portal is being opened. Once you have stared long enough, the portal will open and the demon that you have unlocked that night with your gaze will haunt you for the rest of the night. This is the reason children are said to find monsters in their closet because they stare at the looming wardrobes, afraid of what might be inside.
So I implore you to check your closet every night, otherwise who knows…
Maybe when you go to your safe warm bed to tonight, you might hear the sinister creak of your wardrobe door opening. Revealing either your worst nightmare, or the killer that’s been lurking there waiting for their next victim.