THE REASON
By Missy
([email protected])
The characters that you recognise from ER are the property of Michael Crichton, Warner Bros,
Constant Productions and Amblin Television and to the actors who so marvellously portray them.
Many thanks must go to my editors Clotho, Susan Drake and Carolyn Delaney for their tireless and
marvellous editing. Season 6 spoilers.
Spoilers up to The Peace of Wild Things or thereabouts. This story is rated R due to its content. It
contains rather disturbing descriptions and is probably best read during daylight hours. My editors
have informed me that it is rather chilling, creepy and does evoke some of those thoughts about
things that go bump in the night and one of my editors has knicknamed it "The VeryScaryFic".
The title comes from a song "We are the Reason" written and performed by David Meece; the lyrics
will be at the end of the story. I couldn't get the last verse out of my mind when I was first thinking
of writing this story and I felt the title was appropriate considering where I was heading with the
story.
This part and previous stories may be found at: http://www.geocities.com/missyliannem
PART 1/14
{October 31, 1999}
Kerry struggled with the trash bag down the concrete flight of stairs at the front of her brownstone
townhouse, keeping her balance with the aid of the wrought iron railing. There were only seven steps but
it was seven painful reminders that she needed to get another tenant for her basement. Carter had vacated
within the two weeks she had demanded. Now, it was already six weeks later and she still hadn't placed
another advertisement. She didn't really need the money since she had been appointed Chief of
Emergency Services, but that wasn't the reason she had not leased it again. There was something else
holding her back.
It was only at times like this when she was forced to face up to the fact that she needed someone
to do the garbage and things like replacing the dead light bulb on her front porch. She had only allowed
herself to get as far as sitting down with pen and paper before she turned her attention elsewhere, avoiding
the issue completely until next time. Lately, she had forgotten about the garbage until very late in the
evening and had to struggle in the midst of darkness.
The early November air was chilly. Placing the bag in the trash can at the curb, Kerry didn't take
time to make sure the trash can was placed in the correct position, the cold quickly penetrating her thin
woollen cardigan. Pulling the sweater more tightly around herself, she immediately turned back up the stairs
and into the warmth of the centrally heated house. The stairs took her longer than usual. A faint stream
of light from her hallway gave her a fair idea of the height of each of the steps. After a mis-step with last
week's garbage, which had resulted in a large bruise on her shin, she was being extra careful not to miss
a step without the added lighting from the porch.
Pushing open the heavy, dark wooden door, she welcomed the tentacles of warmth that wrapped
themselves around her, caressing the tips of her frozen fingers into tingling awareness. Closing the door
with a firm push, Kerry set the shiny double barrel lock. Collecting her crutch from beside the door, she
turned down the well lit, lightly painted hallway, its large matching pastel paintings dominating the features
of the walls.
The doorbell rang, surprising her as she couldn't recall seeing anyone outside moments before. But
it wasn't as if she had been looking out for anyone either. The glass in the wooden door allowed her to
distinguish the bulky shape of a man. Kerry slipped the chain across the top of the lock before releasing
the lock and opening the door to speak with the gentleman.
"Can I help you?" Kerry couldn't place the man yet a small region at the back of her mind niggled
with recognition. She tried to concentrate on it but could not bring the memory to the surface.
The man failed to respond other than by slamming his foot in between the open door and the door
jam. A jolt of fear coursed its way through her spine and momentarily held her in its clutches. Her
defences took over and Kerry thrust her entire weight against the door, using her crutch as a spike and
jabbing it firmly down on his foot.
To her relief, his foot began a slow retraction from its beaten down position and she parried a final
thrust to encourage it to completely disappear. She shifted her weight, ready to secure the lock the moment
the foot disappeared. Kerry wasn't ready for the thrust against the door. The chain visibly strained under
the pressure of the heavy set man, one of the screws bolted into the door jam giving a groan as it twisted
and broke.
Realising the futility of leaning against the door, Kerry raced down the length of the hallway to the
kitchen. In the time it took her to get there, the intruder had landed another two thuds against the heavy
wooden door, each ferocious thrust slowly rupturing the strength of the interlocked slip chain.
Once in the kitchen, she grabbed hold of the phone on the wall just inside the doorway. Fear
coursed through her in waves, her shaking hands managing to knock the handset to the floor. Without
bothering to pick it up, she pressed the numbers for 911. Kerry caught hold of the spiralled cord as the
call was connecting, pulling the receiver up to her ear. She paced back and forth as she waited for the call
to be answered, listening intently for the final sound of her front door caving in under the forceful demands.
Finally, her call was answered and she informed them in low tones about the intruder attempting
to break into her house. She was about to give them her address when the front door slammed against the
wall with a hail of shattered glass.
"He's just got in! Please get someone here! Now! I live at....." Kerry's voice was frantic and
she broke off when the source of her fears thundered into the living room. Survival instincts cut in and she
hit the speakerphone button before hanging up the handset. As Kerry reached sideways for the block of
carving knives, she called out her address and hoped that the operator would understand it.
With the knife in one hand, she slammed her hand against the wall desperately groping for the light
switch. As soon as the room was shrouded in darkness, Kerry moved as fast as she could out of the room
without waiting for her eyes to become adjusted to the new setting, cursing the tap-tap of her crutch on the
wooden floor. The hall light still shone through and Kerry could hear the sound of heavy soled shoes
following her. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder and find out where he was.
In a last minute decision, Kerry slipped through the door to the basement. Easing the door quietly
shut, she stood for a moment in the pitch blackness which seemed to surround and invade her being. Her
heart felt like it was jumping out of her chest and she had to concentrate to reduce her breathing to a
minimal wheeze of dread. She cursed herself for never having put a lock on the door, the fear of her
tenant's safety in the event of a fire overriding the need for their privacy.
She was hoping that the intruder would simply just take her valuables and leave, not worrying about
the fact she could possibly identify him. In case she was wrong, she descended the stairs, closing her eyes
to concentrate more fully on the number and distance they were apart. The last thing she needed to do was
fall and land on the large butcher knife she was carrying.
Kerry was relieved to reach the bottom of the stairs, not having realised how steep and dangerous
they were before. Turning around past the last stair, she bumped into a large wooden box and bit her
tongue to stop herself moaning at the sharp stab of pain in her shinbone. Maneuvering around the box, she
wedged herself under the stairs and prayed that someone, anyone would stop the menace upstairs.
It seemed like an eternity as she heard the slow deliberate footfalls hitting the bare wood floors
upstairs. The sounds echoed in the empty darkness. Time seemed to slow to a crawl with no reward of
the blessed wail of a police siren in response to her garbled call. Kerry felt the muscles in her legs tightening
and her feet cramping from the crouched position she was huddled in. But any temptation to move was
stilled with each new footfall. The cold air tickled her throat and she kept swallowing, resisting the urge
to cough.
The creak of the door above her opening and light flowing into the room, spilling forth like a ray
of sunshine from the heavens, alerted her to his presence.
"Kerry? Where are you?" The high pitched voice belied the bulky frame that housed it, the tone
of voice carrying forth the demented tones of not just an intruder but an invader.
Alarm filled her as she wondered about how he knew her name. Common sense told her that he
probably had found it in her wallet but apprehension permeated every pore of her body as she wondered
why he was calling after her.
"You do realise the police won't be coming. I spoke to them and told them of your 'problem' with
alcohol. And we both know that you have been picked up for driving while drunk. Amazing the
information that can be found when needed."
Kerry's blood ran cold in her veins at the intruder's words and she covered her mouth to stifle a
gasp of surprise. This was more than just a robbery she realised. He knew about her embarrassing
encounter with the law. It wasn't that he knew about it that worried her but the fact that he'd taken the time
to find out.
"I've locked the front door and we both know there's no other way out of here. It'll be much
easier if you just come out."
The last sentence hung in the air, incomplete. The inference that things would be better if he didn't
have to come searching for her were plain. Kerry swallowed, trying to dispel the lump of terror in her
throat growing by the second like bacteria left to breed in a warm room. She knew in her own mind that
either way, in his presence, her circumstances were dire. The longer it took for him to find her was, in her
opinion, a bonus. She shrunk back further into her corner as she heard the door shut, cloaking the room
in darkness once again. She could still hear him moving around at the top of the stairs and knew what he
was looking for.
Kerry expelled the breath she had been holding slowly as she heard the top stair groan under his
weight. Her relief was palpable. The intruder hadn't turned on the light switch for the basement. It wasn't
easy to locate and it meant that her position might just save her from him. She tried to keep each breath
slow and steady as the wooden stairs revealled his movements to her, his heavy bulk taking each step in
what seemed to be a careful, deliberate pace. Kerry thought that a snail would have moved faster. She
was unsure whether he was being cautious or just using the time to expand the panic which was threatening
to overwhelm her.
The intruder had reached the bottom of the stairs and she finally knew why he hadn't attempted
find the light switch. A beam of light broke through the darkness, illuminating the opposite wall. Closing
her eyes, she sent up a prayer to a God she hadn't thought of since her teenage years, seeking deliverance
from this nightmare.
Kerry didn't even attempt to look at the man as he moved around the basement, hoping that the
shadows might conceal her small frame. The shaft of light methodically travelled around the room, over
the furniture, unveiling everything in its path. The silence was deafening and she froze as the beam arched
its way towards and then over her secreted corner, its rays seeking out anything in the shadows. It settled
on her spot and stayed there for an indeterminate period of time. To Kerry it seemed like an eternity before
it moved on. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when the light finally disappeared with a snap. She strained
to hear his retreating footsteps after his aborted search but there was nothing. Silence. Eerie silence.
All of a sudden Kerry became aware of a presence, a large menacing figure towering over her.
In an oddly childish gesture, the intruder turned on the flashlight underneath his chin and gave a macabre
smile, enjoying the horror he saw there. "Happy Halloween, Kerry."
End Part 1/14
By Missy
([email protected])
The characters that you recognise from ER are the property of Michael Crichton, Warner Bros,
Constant Productions and Amblin Television and to the actors who so marvellously portray them.
Many thanks must go to my editors Clotho, Susan Drake and Carolyn Delaney for their tireless and
marvellous editing. Season 6 spoilers.
Spoilers up to The Peace of Wild Things or thereabouts. This story is rated R due to its content. It
contains rather disturbing descriptions and is probably best read during daylight hours. My editors
have informed me that it is rather chilling, creepy and does evoke some of those thoughts about
things that go bump in the night and one of my editors has knicknamed it "The VeryScaryFic".
The title comes from a song "We are the Reason" written and performed by David Meece; the lyrics
will be at the end of the story. I couldn't get the last verse out of my mind when I was first thinking
of writing this story and I felt the title was appropriate considering where I was heading with the
story.
This part and previous stories may be found at: http://www.geocities.com/missyliannem
PART 1/14
{October 31, 1999}
Kerry struggled with the trash bag down the concrete flight of stairs at the front of her brownstone
townhouse, keeping her balance with the aid of the wrought iron railing. There were only seven steps but
it was seven painful reminders that she needed to get another tenant for her basement. Carter had vacated
within the two weeks she had demanded. Now, it was already six weeks later and she still hadn't placed
another advertisement. She didn't really need the money since she had been appointed Chief of
Emergency Services, but that wasn't the reason she had not leased it again. There was something else
holding her back.
It was only at times like this when she was forced to face up to the fact that she needed someone
to do the garbage and things like replacing the dead light bulb on her front porch. She had only allowed
herself to get as far as sitting down with pen and paper before she turned her attention elsewhere, avoiding
the issue completely until next time. Lately, she had forgotten about the garbage until very late in the
evening and had to struggle in the midst of darkness.
The early November air was chilly. Placing the bag in the trash can at the curb, Kerry didn't take
time to make sure the trash can was placed in the correct position, the cold quickly penetrating her thin
woollen cardigan. Pulling the sweater more tightly around herself, she immediately turned back up the stairs
and into the warmth of the centrally heated house. The stairs took her longer than usual. A faint stream
of light from her hallway gave her a fair idea of the height of each of the steps. After a mis-step with last
week's garbage, which had resulted in a large bruise on her shin, she was being extra careful not to miss
a step without the added lighting from the porch.
Pushing open the heavy, dark wooden door, she welcomed the tentacles of warmth that wrapped
themselves around her, caressing the tips of her frozen fingers into tingling awareness. Closing the door
with a firm push, Kerry set the shiny double barrel lock. Collecting her crutch from beside the door, she
turned down the well lit, lightly painted hallway, its large matching pastel paintings dominating the features
of the walls.
The doorbell rang, surprising her as she couldn't recall seeing anyone outside moments before. But
it wasn't as if she had been looking out for anyone either. The glass in the wooden door allowed her to
distinguish the bulky shape of a man. Kerry slipped the chain across the top of the lock before releasing
the lock and opening the door to speak with the gentleman.
"Can I help you?" Kerry couldn't place the man yet a small region at the back of her mind niggled
with recognition. She tried to concentrate on it but could not bring the memory to the surface.
The man failed to respond other than by slamming his foot in between the open door and the door
jam. A jolt of fear coursed its way through her spine and momentarily held her in its clutches. Her
defences took over and Kerry thrust her entire weight against the door, using her crutch as a spike and
jabbing it firmly down on his foot.
To her relief, his foot began a slow retraction from its beaten down position and she parried a final
thrust to encourage it to completely disappear. She shifted her weight, ready to secure the lock the moment
the foot disappeared. Kerry wasn't ready for the thrust against the door. The chain visibly strained under
the pressure of the heavy set man, one of the screws bolted into the door jam giving a groan as it twisted
and broke.
Realising the futility of leaning against the door, Kerry raced down the length of the hallway to the
kitchen. In the time it took her to get there, the intruder had landed another two thuds against the heavy
wooden door, each ferocious thrust slowly rupturing the strength of the interlocked slip chain.
Once in the kitchen, she grabbed hold of the phone on the wall just inside the doorway. Fear
coursed through her in waves, her shaking hands managing to knock the handset to the floor. Without
bothering to pick it up, she pressed the numbers for 911. Kerry caught hold of the spiralled cord as the
call was connecting, pulling the receiver up to her ear. She paced back and forth as she waited for the call
to be answered, listening intently for the final sound of her front door caving in under the forceful demands.
Finally, her call was answered and she informed them in low tones about the intruder attempting
to break into her house. She was about to give them her address when the front door slammed against the
wall with a hail of shattered glass.
"He's just got in! Please get someone here! Now! I live at....." Kerry's voice was frantic and
she broke off when the source of her fears thundered into the living room. Survival instincts cut in and she
hit the speakerphone button before hanging up the handset. As Kerry reached sideways for the block of
carving knives, she called out her address and hoped that the operator would understand it.
With the knife in one hand, she slammed her hand against the wall desperately groping for the light
switch. As soon as the room was shrouded in darkness, Kerry moved as fast as she could out of the room
without waiting for her eyes to become adjusted to the new setting, cursing the tap-tap of her crutch on the
wooden floor. The hall light still shone through and Kerry could hear the sound of heavy soled shoes
following her. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder and find out where he was.
In a last minute decision, Kerry slipped through the door to the basement. Easing the door quietly
shut, she stood for a moment in the pitch blackness which seemed to surround and invade her being. Her
heart felt like it was jumping out of her chest and she had to concentrate to reduce her breathing to a
minimal wheeze of dread. She cursed herself for never having put a lock on the door, the fear of her
tenant's safety in the event of a fire overriding the need for their privacy.
She was hoping that the intruder would simply just take her valuables and leave, not worrying about
the fact she could possibly identify him. In case she was wrong, she descended the stairs, closing her eyes
to concentrate more fully on the number and distance they were apart. The last thing she needed to do was
fall and land on the large butcher knife she was carrying.
Kerry was relieved to reach the bottom of the stairs, not having realised how steep and dangerous
they were before. Turning around past the last stair, she bumped into a large wooden box and bit her
tongue to stop herself moaning at the sharp stab of pain in her shinbone. Maneuvering around the box, she
wedged herself under the stairs and prayed that someone, anyone would stop the menace upstairs.
It seemed like an eternity as she heard the slow deliberate footfalls hitting the bare wood floors
upstairs. The sounds echoed in the empty darkness. Time seemed to slow to a crawl with no reward of
the blessed wail of a police siren in response to her garbled call. Kerry felt the muscles in her legs tightening
and her feet cramping from the crouched position she was huddled in. But any temptation to move was
stilled with each new footfall. The cold air tickled her throat and she kept swallowing, resisting the urge
to cough.
The creak of the door above her opening and light flowing into the room, spilling forth like a ray
of sunshine from the heavens, alerted her to his presence.
"Kerry? Where are you?" The high pitched voice belied the bulky frame that housed it, the tone
of voice carrying forth the demented tones of not just an intruder but an invader.
Alarm filled her as she wondered about how he knew her name. Common sense told her that he
probably had found it in her wallet but apprehension permeated every pore of her body as she wondered
why he was calling after her.
"You do realise the police won't be coming. I spoke to them and told them of your 'problem' with
alcohol. And we both know that you have been picked up for driving while drunk. Amazing the
information that can be found when needed."
Kerry's blood ran cold in her veins at the intruder's words and she covered her mouth to stifle a
gasp of surprise. This was more than just a robbery she realised. He knew about her embarrassing
encounter with the law. It wasn't that he knew about it that worried her but the fact that he'd taken the time
to find out.
"I've locked the front door and we both know there's no other way out of here. It'll be much
easier if you just come out."
The last sentence hung in the air, incomplete. The inference that things would be better if he didn't
have to come searching for her were plain. Kerry swallowed, trying to dispel the lump of terror in her
throat growing by the second like bacteria left to breed in a warm room. She knew in her own mind that
either way, in his presence, her circumstances were dire. The longer it took for him to find her was, in her
opinion, a bonus. She shrunk back further into her corner as she heard the door shut, cloaking the room
in darkness once again. She could still hear him moving around at the top of the stairs and knew what he
was looking for.
Kerry expelled the breath she had been holding slowly as she heard the top stair groan under his
weight. Her relief was palpable. The intruder hadn't turned on the light switch for the basement. It wasn't
easy to locate and it meant that her position might just save her from him. She tried to keep each breath
slow and steady as the wooden stairs revealled his movements to her, his heavy bulk taking each step in
what seemed to be a careful, deliberate pace. Kerry thought that a snail would have moved faster. She
was unsure whether he was being cautious or just using the time to expand the panic which was threatening
to overwhelm her.
The intruder had reached the bottom of the stairs and she finally knew why he hadn't attempted
find the light switch. A beam of light broke through the darkness, illuminating the opposite wall. Closing
her eyes, she sent up a prayer to a God she hadn't thought of since her teenage years, seeking deliverance
from this nightmare.
Kerry didn't even attempt to look at the man as he moved around the basement, hoping that the
shadows might conceal her small frame. The shaft of light methodically travelled around the room, over
the furniture, unveiling everything in its path. The silence was deafening and she froze as the beam arched
its way towards and then over her secreted corner, its rays seeking out anything in the shadows. It settled
on her spot and stayed there for an indeterminate period of time. To Kerry it seemed like an eternity before
it moved on. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when the light finally disappeared with a snap. She strained
to hear his retreating footsteps after his aborted search but there was nothing. Silence. Eerie silence.
All of a sudden Kerry became aware of a presence, a large menacing figure towering over her.
In an oddly childish gesture, the intruder turned on the flashlight underneath his chin and gave a macabre
smile, enjoying the horror he saw there. "Happy Halloween, Kerry."
End Part 1/14