I found myself trapped in a room with four doors without door closers. The room was bare with old paint yellowed with age. Everything was of the same color except for the four doors that kept opening and closing. At first I did not hear anything but, gradually, I picked up the sound of each movement. When it came to its full volume I began to realize that I am hearing each door banging as they close. And not at the same time! As if following the beating of a 4-beat rhythm each one of them opens and close right after the last one.

What could have made these doors behave this way? There was no one on the other side and how could they move without any electronic wires. There was not even wind strong enough to move all four doors! I stopped myself because even wind can not make these doors move like they do. Suddenly they all slammed louder and this time in unison. The noise was unbearable and it was making my head ache. Faster and faster they banged getting louder and louder I could not even hear myself think.

I grabbed my head and felt life leave my body. I remember going home late last night after doing overtime work. I began to feel my body go limp. Still my head ached worse than ever. How could I get out of here? I wanted to grab one door so I can go out but it had a mind of its own. It was far too strong and I could not stop it. And I could not slip through because the banging had become so fast I could not see past the open doorway.

Then I heard a scream. I whirled around wondering if there was someone else that got trapped in the room with me but I did not see anyone. I heard it again, still I did not see a soul. As the screams got louder and louder I realized that it was me.

Then I woke up. I was sweating and panting and halfway off my bed. It was all a dream, a nightmare if you may. I heaved a sigh of relief and slump back on the pillows welcoming the silence. But there was none. I listened again. There goes the banging. Not as loud as in the dream but it was definitely the same sound. I ran downstairs to see what the commotion was all about.

Who else would it be but my three year old son. It is a Saturday and as was his usual antic on weekends he rides on the aluminum screen doors. I do not know how he takes it but the noise never seem to bother him. The wife had been nagging me for weeks to buy door closers for all our screen doors but I kept putting it off. I laughed to myself. That nightmare really taught me a lesson. Never ignore your wife or you will wake up sweating with a splitting headache. Door closers it is.