A golden door knocker in the shape of a lion.
My Writing

“I feel the knocking in my head—”

Rachel Sandell

I feel the knocking in my head—

From inside out and loud—

It is the old man with the knife—

Chasing through my mind, head bowed.

As curtain lifts and opera shrieks—

A phantom stalks backstage—

It is the man with blade in hand—

His mouth set stone with rage.

He corners me in the back room—

With door locked and barred—

He calls to me with voice I love—

And leaves me dead and scarred.

~

Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash

Unknown's avatar

Published by Rachel Sandell

Rachel Sandell is a writer and editor from Washington State, where rainy days necessitate long books, hot chocolate, and plenty of magic. Though she specializes in speculative fiction and harbors a love for the dark and enchanting, she also dabbles in poetry and is the archive project coordinator for Fireweed: Poetry of Oregon. She is an MFA graduate from the Rainier Writing Workshop, and her short stories have appeared in SORTES magazine, Night Picnic Press, and Leading Edge magazine.