Journey 1 A Collection of Short Stories

By Dorothy Webb

The Door: Suddenly, this door appears in the garage of a home. The one who enters the door is taken to a world of their fantasy, in which the creature there is using to locate a certain girl parents to keep her from being born.

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Stanley: Every had a pet that you felt the need to keep its existence a secret because the size of it. Well, Stanley a giant spider was such a pet. The mystery with Stanley was what he did to the outside world to protect a little girl from bullies.

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Sinclair: These large wolf-like animals protects Sinclair from anyone who enters her home without permission.

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Terry: A female pretending to be a boy to play an all-male sport.

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Joy: A romance between an older woman and a young popular male musician. The ending to this story is not what we would expect to be as it takes an usual twist.

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Helen: The time is early 1900 where the mob was the ruling factor. It was a time where the mob used a professional hitman to get rid of people. What does Helen have to do with the mob and a hitman.

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The Kid Next Door: Bullying is a serious act upon kids who are especially different. In Jennifer's case, her reaction to

bullying was not expected and undetected.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Aprintiz Press Publishing Company
• Release date: Jun 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734977646

Dorothy Webb

Dorothy Ann (Mack) Webb is originally from Orangeburg, S.C. where she was raised and mostly educated. In May 1970 she graduated from Wilkinson High School in Orangeburg, S.C. She obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics at Claflin College in Orangeburg, S.C., a Master Degree in Theological Studies at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, and a Master of Divinity and Master in Christian Education Degree at Apex School of Theology in Durham, N.C.  She was a professor at Apex School of Theology, a Service Representative and Claims Representative with the Social Security Administration, and a Federal Agent with the Department of Defense. She married Dan Webb of Camp Hill Alabama and to their union was their daughter LaToya who gave them three wonderful grandsons, CJ, DJ, and EJ. She survived cancer, Congested Heart Failure, and pneumonia in 2005/2006, and pneumonia three times in 2015.  Her motto is “Your willingness to work hard determines the size of your success.” Writing has been a passion of hers since 1991 when she penned her first lines as a writer. She retired from the Federal Government in January 2009 and is currently pursuing her passion as a writer. She has written five short books consisting of almost 150 short stories and one novel. She has been writing for almost 30 years and is now ready for the world to read her work.

Book preview

Journey 1

By Dorothy A. Webb

Copyright ©1992, 2017

Published by Aprintiz Press Publishing Company Las Vegas, Nevada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under section 107 and 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Request to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to Permission Department, Aprintiz Press Publishing Company, P.O. Box 621491 Las Vegas, NV 89162.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design: -Jeff Brown J ASH B DESIGNS 

www.Facebook.com/JASHBDESIGNS

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020908513

Dorothy A. Webb

Journey 1

ISBN 978-1-7349776-1-5

First printing Paperback published 2020

JOURNEY 1

A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES

TABLE OF CONTENT

THE DOOR..............................................................................................1

SINCLAIR.............................................................................................79

HELEN..................................................................................................137

STANLEY...........................................................................................168

JOY..............................................................................................................196

TERRY....................................................................................................219

THE KID NEXT DOOR...................................................261

T H E  D O O R

As I stood in front of what remained of the house before it was completely torn down, for the first time in twenty-five years I thought of what happened in the house. Twenty-five years ago, this house had been up for sale for five years. The realtor company kept the house in rather good condition. The house had been emptied since the Wilkerson moved out of it. They left the city because of Sam, their son’s death. Dad purchased the house, and had it remodeled before we moved in. It looked extremely good. One could barely tell it was the old Wilkerson's home. Dad had an upstairs added to the house that consisted of three bedrooms and two full bathrooms.

I remembered very well the day we moved into the house. I had just graduated from high school and my baby sister, Ashlynn, had just turned five years old. She was excited about the new home. I was a bit skeptical as well as happy. Happy, because for the first time in three years I was going to have my own separate room. Although, my stay at home was just for the summer, I was going to enjoy every moment of having my room to myself. I had almost forgotten what it was like having a room all to myself. It felt good being able to lay in my bed and rest, and not having my little sister talking to me about nothing. After the summer, I plan to leave home to go away to college. So, until that time I will just stay in my room and enjoy it.

The only reason I was skeptical about the house was because of Sam’s death. We were told that Sam’s father killed him in the house. No one really knows the truth behind Sam’s death but his parents and the good Lord. Sam’s father was never charged with killing him for it was said that he killed Sam in self-defense. Not only did Sam die in the house, there were strange tales about the house. Some people said things were happening in this house that caused Sam’s behavior to change that eventually led to his death. 

After Mr. Wilkerson was acquitted of the killing, he and his wife moved out of the city almost immediately.  The night Sam was killed, and his father was arrested for the murder, Mrs. Wilkerson moved out the house and have not stepped foot back into it until the day they removed their furniture from it. Mr. And Mrs. Wilkerson would not talk about what happened in the house even during the trial. There were enough witnesses that prove Sam may have either attacked or provoked his father into killing him.

Many people believed an evil spirit haunted the house. Because of this belief no one was willing to buy the house. My dad did not believe in ghost and did not believe that strange things happened in the house. It was his belief that Sam was a good seed that went bad, which ultimately led to his death. Since dad did not believe in any of those scary tales, he purchased the house at a very reasonable price. He used the haunted tale of the house and the fact it had been empty for five years to get the price reduced. You see my dad’s auto mechanic business finally became the biggest mechanic shop in the city. Because of this good fortune, we were able to buy this house.

One day, dad was in the garage working on mom’s car. I went into the garage to see what he was doing. After watching him for ten minutes, I looked away and noticed this door inside of the garage. We had been living in the house for about a month and I have not seen that door before. When you enter the garage, you can enter the house at the right side of the garage. There was a door that led one into the kitchen. In the back of the garage was the laundry room. I have been in the garage numerous of times to wash clothes and have not noticed that door. On the side where the door appeared was where we kept the trashcans. I have taken the trash out numerous of times and have not noticed that door. If it was there, I would have used it as the way to the trash cans, as supposed to opening the garage door to walk outside and around that side of the house.

Because I did not recall seeing that door, I became very curious about it being there. So, I walked outside the garage to get an outside look at the door. I was trying to figure out how could I miss such a door when it was the quickest way to the trashcans. I peered on the side of the house and I did not see the door. I looked in the garage to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks on me. I could see the door from where I was standing. I looked again on the side of the house, and again I did not see the door. I walked on the side of the house and touched the wall where the door appeared inside the garage.

To make sure I was not hallucinating I asked dad, Dad had that door over there been there all the time?  I never noticed it before. 

Dad looked up at the door and while wiping the sweat from his forehead he said, No Angel, I haven’t noticed it before. 

That door was a mystery to me, so I walked toward it. As I touched the doorknob to open it, this strange feeling came over me. I removed my hand from the doorknob. I reached out to touch the door again. The closer my hand got to it the stranger I felt. I touched the knob and this time it shocked me. I immediately removed my hand from the knob. I started to touch it again, but mom called me, and I left. For a while that door bothered me. I wondered why it shocked me. My mind was made up I am going back to that door tomorrow and attempt to open it. That night mom announced that Ashlynn and I were going to Texas to spend two weeks with grandmother. We were to leave the first thing tomorrow morning.

While at grandma’s, she started asking me some strange questions. I did not pay her questions any attention because she was old, and I believed her mind was about gone. I believed that she forgot where she was at time or what she was saying. Grandma would be saying something to you, and amid it changes the conversation to something totally different.

Grandma asked, Angel have you noticed anything strange around the house?

Nope, I said.

There is nothing strange about the house or anyone in it at all.

Again, I said, Nope.

Has anyone approached you or Ashlynn?

Nope.

So, you haven’t noticed anything strange?  Good for you. Has anyone ever told you about your grandpa?"

No. What was he like? I have seen pictures of him and sometimes wish I had seen him. All I know was he died just before I was born.

Yes, he did. He left something for you. He told me just before he died that I would know when to give them to you.

Grandma reached in her pocket and pull out these three silver coins. She told me to hold onto these coins and never get rid of them until it was time. I took the three coins and put them in my purse. When I return home, I will put the three silver coins in my jewelry box. I was proud of the three coins my grandfather left me. Although, I never met grandpa, I have always felt there was something special about him and I wished I knew what it was.

When Ashlynn and I returned home, I noticed immediately there was something different about dad. He had gotten rid of his old station wagon and purchased a brand-new expensive sport car. He dressed differently and was talking hip.

I noticed since my return from Texas, that every weekend dad would leave the house and we would not see him until that Monday morning when it was time for him to go to work. Before long dad was going out every night and coming home very late.

Mom argued a lot with dad about his new attitude and lifestyle. Before long dad started flaunting his young girlfriends in mom’s presence. I asked mom what has happened to dad. She told me she did not know. His new lifestyle started right after Ashlynn and I left going to Texas. Mom was getting to the point that she could not take dad’s new lifestyle and attitude anymore. Mom threatened to leave dad. Dad threatened to find her and hurt Ashlynn if she left. Because dad seems sincere about hurting Ashlynn, mom did not leave but put up with his activities.

In the months to pass, I saw dad become a big spender and spending less time at his business. Dad’s mechanic shop was not hurting for lack of management for he had an individual running the shop for him. Our lifestyle went from a middle-class family to that of a wealthy one. Dad hired housekeepers to clean the house and prepare our meals. Mom just sat by and watched the man she once loved so much change to this stranger she did not know.

Dad bought me a Mercedes Benz for my nineteenth birthday. He wanted me to leave the city in style when it was time for me to go off to college. When it was nearing the time for me to leave, I decided not to go away to college because of mom’s misery. I decided to go to the local college for me to be near mom.

After almost a year of dad and his new lifestyle, and his flaunting his new girlfriends in mom’s presence, mom decided to take a chance on leaving dad. On this day, when I arrived home from being in class all day, mom was packing her and Ashlynn’s clothes. Mom decided that this day was her last day of putting up with dad. Mom told me I could come if I wanted to. Since I was old enough to make my own decision, she would not force me to leave if I did not want to. While mom was packing up their clothes, dad came home. He told mom, Woman, I done told you if you leave me, I will hurt Ashlynn. Mom kept packing and dad left.

About an hour later the telephone rang. The voice on the other end said, Mrs. Thomas, please go to the hospital. Ashlynn was injured. Mom and I rushed to the hospital. By the time we got there they were through with her. Mom asked Ashlynn what happened? Ashlynn said, I was playing in the tree and someone pushed me, and I fell and broke my arm. 

I asked, "Did you get a look at the person who pushed you?

Ashlynn said, No. No one was able to find anyone. All the other kids were playing on the swings when I fell out the tree.

Mom asked Ashlynn, What were you doing in a tree?

Ashlynn said, Oh mom! It was not a big tree. It was a small tree that I always played in.

Mom knew in her heart that it was dad who pushed Ashlynn out of the tree. So, mom went back home and unpacks the suitcases. When dad arrived home that evening, he waited until Ashlynn and I had gone to be bed before approaching mom. He whispered in her ear, This time it was her arm, what will it be the next time?

I was curious about where dad was getting all this money from and why his lifestyle changed so drastically. Dad’s business was doing well, but it was not such that we could afford the things he had been buying. I decided to follow him to see where he had been spending his weekends. As dad left the house, he left the garage opened. I could not understand why he would leave it opened when he had the remote control to close the garage door in his car. Dad drove his car to his shop and parked it. He sat in the car for a few moments. He got out of the car and walked back home. He entered the garage and disappeared. 

For the first time in about a year I remembered the side door to the house. I gathered dad must have gone through it. So, I decided to open the door. I started to touch the door