[ WP ] Chivalry is Dead : a girl spends her entire life thinking that every door is automatic , but discovers on her deathbed that she was actually haunted for her entire life by an extremely polite ghost .

`` Good morning Mrs. Amos.'' 
 
 I smiled at the young nurse and blinked twice. He bustled around me, preparing a cocktail of medication that would be coursing through my blood vessels by the end of his visit. His eyes were fixed on the bottles but he sent a smile at my direction when he met my gaze. 
 
 `` You gave us quite a scare last night but you seem to have recovered well. The doctors have changed the doses of some of your medication...'' 
 
 I diverted my eyes momentarily, losing track of his words when I saw something shift behind him. 
 
 ``... the doctor will be taking a look at you later in the day and we hope to get a specialist...'' 
 
 I saw the shadow of a man slowly appear out of nowhere. It paced hurriedly, walking up and down the length of the room. 
 
 ``... I for one am certainly glad for the technology this hospice uses; trust me Mrs. Amos, you can not be in better hands...'' 
 
 The shadow continued pacing but it slowly lost whatever opacity it had, inflating like a balloon into the full figure of a man; head, shoulders, and all. He maintained his strides and seemed to look nervous. I craned my neck slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of his face but the nurse noticed and abruptly looked behind. 
 
 ``... is there anything... was there anything...?'' he said, his eyes searching through the expanse of the room. The opalescent figure froze right in front of him, completely blocking my view. 
 
 The nurse turned back to me, his face quizzical. I raised an eyebrow, keeping my face stoic. He blushed and averted his eyes to the monitors and pretended to read the charts, yawning pointedly. 
 
 `` Oh, Mrs. Amos... I... um... there seems to be nothing so far.... umm... I definitely need some sleep.'' 
 
 I trained my eyes on him but felt another pair on me. I could n't quite place where the transparent, pearlescent figure had gone but I knew he was still in the room. 
 
 `` I wo n't be seeing you anymore today but another nurse'll be here in 4 hours. Have a nice day, Mrs. Amos.'' 
 
 I blinked twice and smiled at the young man when he caught my eye for reassurance. He then proceeded to pack his belongings and left the room, careful to only look twice at the spot where the pearlescent figure stood. 
 
 
 `` He chatters a fair bit, does n't he?'' 
 
 A shadow flickered on my bedside and in the blink of an eye, I saw a tall figure standing beside me. His features had a gentle curvature to them and his soft eyes were fixed on me. If he had any colour to him, I believe they'd be a warm brown, the colour of a fawn. 
 
 `` Close, it was hazel.'' A set of eyes, glinting gold and green appeared in my mind's eye. The rest of his face soon followed; fine brown hair, thinning graciously around the sides and pinked cheeks. His full lips were curved into a small smile, the tip of his tongue peeking nervously to worry them. 
 
 He was staring as I took him in, shifting uncomfortably. I set my eyes squarely on his and cocked an eyebrow. 
 
 `` Oh.'' 
 
 He took a step backwards and clutched at his shirt collar, looking distracted. 
 
 `` I do n't know where to start.'' 
 
 I raised both eyebrows, my lips set firmly into a line. 
 
 `` Last night, when you went into a cardiac arrest, I...'' 
 
 I shut my eyes tightly and shook my head; I wanted the story from the beginning. 
 
 He laughed nervously, his voice echoing without disturbing the silence. 
 
 `` I'm a ghost, as you've observed. I've been following you all your life. I... I... am... with you and... I can operate doors.'' he ended lamely. 
 
 Countless doors flashed through my mind, a strong pair of hands pulling them open from one side the same instant my palms made contact with its surface. 
 
 I saw him performing a series of feats, thrusting doors open only to barely miss my figure each and every time. I recognised the grace in which I walked with, giving little regard to each door unlike the people that walked alongside me. The grace I no longer possessed, once mobility was snatched away from me. 
 
 `` I've opened every door.'' 
 
 I saw myself burst through his transparent figure and my childhood doors, gleefully twirling on my toes. 
 
 I saw myself tear through buildings of my youth, escaping the stuffy indoors and his presence to bask in the last sunlight of the day. 
 
 I saw him gently crack doors open seconds before I turn towards them, allowing me to see past the rooms, until my eyes caught those of the man I'd build dreams with. 
 
 I saw doors come alive as he moved past the city, leading me from building to building until I found the same man laying with another, amongst shattered faith and ruined hopes. 
 
 I saw doors fly across the roads due to his sheer strength as my unconscious body slumped out seconds before the car smashed into a tree. 
 
 I saw him firmly press the doors close, his back against the door and mine when my mangled being craved solitude. 
 
 My head touched the headboard as the figures vanished and I opened my eyes. His face was lined with worry, studying mine closely. I kept my expression silent and nodded. 
 
 `` There is... one last door. The answer to your...'' 
 
 I saw a door barred with invisible locks and reinforcements, set upon a background of scratches, sobs, and screams from a solitary voice. 
 
 My body spasmed at the imagery, a pained sense of relief flooding through me. 
 
 `` I... We... You... I do n't have all the answers to our... your past. The answers are not here and I'm not here for them.'' 
 
 I opened my eyes to face an empty room that vanished into the darkness. At the edge, he stood dressed in a doorman's uniform standing beside a woman and a door. 
 
 I saw myself petrified in front of a door, willing it to not open. The door was familiar. My muscles spasmed painfully. 
 
 `` Last night, the cardiac arrest...'' 
 
 He placed a hand on mine and another on the door-knob. 
 
 `` You were so scared and I kept it shut for as long as I could...'' 
 
 His hand tightened around the door-knob. 
 
 `` I went past this door without you and trust me, there is nothing to be afraid of...'' 
 
 His hands left mine but remained outstretched. I caught his concerned eyes and shook my head, placing my hands firmly on my side. 
 
 `` You're in so much pain and I've waited for this door. I prayed that it would come sooner than later, to take you away from this suffering...'' 
 
 I turned away from him and the door. I felt half my being unconscious on my bed and the other half standing, each behaving like opposing forces on the length of my existence. 
 
 `` I vowed to not ever let you open a single door and I have to walk with you past this door as well.'' 
 
 I felt him move closer, as close as two be without touching. 
 
 `` This is n't the last door...'' 
 
 Our eyes met and I nodded, reaching for his hands. I felt my muscles slacken as my grip strengthened, the last gentle pulse beating faintly within our palms. 
 
 `` I'll be with you...'' 
 

