The door that shouldn’t have stayed closed

Jake stood before the door, out of breath, Violet trembling in his arms.

Please be home, Zac, he thought. You’re the only one who can save her.

Bang! Bang!

He pounded on the door with growing desperation.

“Zac! Hello? Are you there? My sister needs your help—please, Zac, come out!”

No answer.

Jake stepped back and looked around the house. No lights. No movement.

“Maybe he’s asleep?” he muttered, checking the windows, trying to see inside. Still nothing.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“I can’t wait any longer! Zac, come out—I need your help!” Jake shouted, voice cracking.

Finally, the door creaked open, slow and loud.

Zac stood there, shirt half-buttoned, hair a mess, eyes cold.

“Jake,” he said flatly. “This is what you came for? Do you really think I care about your problems anymore?”

“Please,” Jake begged, “help my sister.”

Zac folded his arms. “Why should I?”

“You don’t have to do it for me,” Jake said, voice trembling. “But do it for her. She doesn’t deserve this. Her life is in danger—please.”

There was a pause. Zac sighed, tired and irritated.

“Fine. But you’re not coming in. Only the girl.”

Jake didn’t argue. “Okay. Just… do everything you can to make her feel safe.”

“Yeah, yeah. Hand her over.”

Jake gently passed Violet into Zac’s arms. Zac took her without emotion, then stepped back inside.

The door shut with a heavy clack.

Jake sank down on the steps, his heart pounding, refusing to leave.

⸻

Inside Zac’s House

Zac carried Violet through the dim house, lit only by a few flickering lamps.

Too dark to see much, he thought. And she’s burning up.

He rushed upstairs, into his room, and laid her carefully on the bed.

“Damn, Jake… this girl doesn’t even look like you,” he muttered. “Pink hair? Really?”

He paused.

“Actually… she’s way cuter than you. Are you sure she’s your sister?”

He blinked. “Oh no. Did I just say that out loud?”

He burst into laughter.

“Hah… well, time to get to work.”

Ten Minutes Later

The front door opened.

Jake jumped up. “Zac! Is she okay?”

Zac didn’t smile. “Yeah, she’s okay. But, Jake… what the hell did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything,” Jake said quickly. “Someone was trying to kill me. They attacked her instead. I think they injected something into her neck—it made her pass out.”

“So you thought she just fainted? Maybe had a fever?” Zac’s eyes narrowed.

Jake nodded slowly. “That was all I could think of.”

Zac exploded. “You idiot! She was fighting for her life, and you thought it was just a fever?!”

He slapped Jake across the face.

“WHAT? Fighting for her life? What are you talking about?”

“She had poison in her blood. A deadly one. If you had arrived two hours later, she’d be dead right now!”

Jake’s face turned white. “No… no, that can’t be… I swore I’d protect her…”

He looked toward the door. “Can I see her now? Please?”

“No,” Zac said sharply. “You promised you wouldn’t come inside.”

“But—”

“She’s fine. She’s sleeping. She just needs rest.”

Jake’s voice came quickly. “How long will she need?”

Zac shrugged. “Two, maybe three days. I’ve never treated this kind of poison before. I can’t be sure.”

Jake stepped forward. “Can I take her home now?”

Zac shot him a look. “Do you want to risk her life just to take her home?”

Jake backed off immediately. “No… of course not. Is it okay for her to stay here?”

Zac nodded, finally softening. “Yeah. It’s fine.”

Jake let out a deep breath. “Thank you, Zac. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Zac smirked. “You’re damn right you couldn’t.”

Jake chuckled weakly. “So… how have you been since I left?”

Zac leaned against the doorframe. “Busy. Boring. Not dealing with poison-filled mystery girls.”

Jake smiled. “She’s my sister, Zac.”

Zac gave him a look. “She doesn’t look like you.”

“She takes after our mom,” Jake said, proud. “I take after our dad.”

Zac raised a brow. “So you’re both just copy-paste versions of your parents, huh?”

Jake laughed. “Yeah, but I’m still the handsome one.”

He picked up a pebble and tossed it at Zac’s foot. They both laughed for the first time that night.

Zac shook his head. “So what’s her name?”

“Violet.”

Zac repeated it softly. “Violet…”

He glanced back toward the stairs. “She’s lucky to have you.”

Jake looked down. “I hope she still thinks that after all this.”

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