I Am the Doorway
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| "I Am The Doorway" | |
| Author | Stephen King |
|---|---|
| Country |  USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror, Science fiction short story |
| Published in | Night Shift |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Publication date | 1978 |
I Am The Doorway is a short story by Stephen King, first published in 1978 in the compilation Night Shift. The setting is in an American town, and the action largely takes place on a beach.
[edit] Plot summary
This story is a crippled ex-astronaut's account of the terrifying change he undergoes after being exposed to an alien mutagen during a space mission to Venus (similar to cancelled Manned Venus Flyby). The change takes the form of numerous tiny eyes that cover his hands. These eyes act as the titular "doorway" for an alien intelligence, allowing it to see into our world, which, the man perceives, it fears and hates intensely.
Soon, the alien presence is not only able to see through this doorway, but take control of the man's shattered body, using him to commit terrible murders. In a desperate attempt to maintain his humanity, he douses his hands in kerosene and incinerates them, only to find out that once the doorway has opened, it cannot be so easily closed. He manages to make the alien presence go away for nearly seven years. But after the eyes reappear on his chest, he reveals that he plans to kill himself with a shotgun to prevent the alien being from committing any more horrors.
