The Closet

Daphne Wilson worked as a medical secretary for Hewson & Hewson, a family run pharmaceutical company spanning 80 years of service. Daphne had worked for the company for 8 years to Dr Malcolm Jones one of the curators of the company.

It was Tuesday 10 September, 1984, Daphne lived in a one bed apartment on the top floor, there were three sections to the house where she lived, basement, ground and upper top floor. She had lived there ever since she started at Hewson & Hewson, straight after leaving sixth form at Lady Margaret School for Girls.

It was a day like any other, her task were as clock work, waking up to the alarm at 06:00 am, to be the first for the bathroom, have a shower and was guaranteed there would be no one knocking on the door for her to hurry up. After finishing her shower, she head ed quickly to her room and turn the heater on to stay warm, on account in the hallway from the bathroom was always cold. She checked in the mirror and prepared to make up her face and hair, while her clothes were properly ironed in the wardrobe in the corner of the room.

She decided to put the radio on to keep track of time and listening and jigging to the music that was playing, paying particular attention to the volume for the others were still fast asleep in their rooms.

It was as Daphne was heading towards the wardrobe to get her clothes that she thought she saw a light coming from the wardrobe that she gave a loud yelp and quickly covered her mouth before retorting out side of her room to see if any one would be awake. It turned out no one heard her shriek, so she went back in side to take another look at the ward robe again, the light had gone, so she opened it to get her things and put them on.

It was as she put the last of her garment on followed by her shoes and coat, the light appeared again, this time, she became alert and opened it. There was nothing in side, just a completely empty wardrobe, no hangers no drawer compartments, nothing.

Daphne became alarmed, thinking to herself,

'What's happened to the rest of my clothes?'

She looked in a bit further until she was completely inside the closet and then it closed behind her. She tried to bang on the door, it would not open, the closet became hollow inside that all

Daphne could do was stay still but she could feel the closet was in motion and she could not fathom why, as she thought to her self,

'It was that light, why did I get in here?'

Eventually the closet stopped shaking, the door opened on its' own accord, Daphne slowly exited out of the closet. When she stepped out, it was her own room alright, but the bed linen had changed colour,

'What is this, I don't recognise anything in here.'

Daphne still had her coat on and hand bag over her shoulder and proceeded out of the door, thinking things would get back to normality. As soon as Daphne opened the front the door, she was shocked to find out how noisy the streets were, looking across the other side of the road, where she normally purchase her daily paper, the shop was not there, instead it was what looked like a coffee shop, and so decided to go in.

As soon as Daphne walked in she was greeted by a friendly voice,

"Good morning Madam how may I help you?"

Daphne just looked at the person, while the person repeated,

"Is there anything the matter, how may I be of service?"

Daphne found her self looking around the coffee house and then she managed to ask,

"How long has this place been here?"

The words came out of her mouth very shaky and she wondered if this person knew what she was talking about.

"What do you mean...we been for at least 8 years."

Daphne became shocked when she heard this, she did not order anything but went out of the coffee house. Walking along, she remembered she had to catch the bus before she was late for work. The bus stop was only a block away, there were quite a few queuing for the bus, which didn't arrive until at least ten minutes later. She joined the queue and waiting until it was her turn to produce her bus pass. The driver looked at her,

"What's this!"

"It's my weekly bus pass, is there a problem?"

"Yes! there is a problem, the company had done away with these pass a long time ago...where did you get this from?"

"Sorry, I don't understand, I got this from Slate Street bus station."

"Slate Street bus station!"

And then he let out a loud laugh at her, even the others inside the bus started laughing,

"What's the matter, why are you laughing?"

Daphne became annoyed for she didn't know what the joke was all about.

"Slate Street bus station was pulled down 8 years ago."

"Why, what happened to it?"

"Nothing, just the sign of the times, it was time for it to go...the building was quite old you know."

"It didn't seem old to me, so where do I go to get a new bus pass?"

"If you have a cash card you can pay now on this bus."

"Cash Card?"

"Yes, an alternative form of payment by plastic."

"Plastic? what do you mean plastic?"

"It is called a bank card, you know bank...do no bank card?" a voice came from behind her. "It is what is used now, are you from here...your first time in this area?"

Daphne found her self agreeing to the stranger who offered to pay her fare as she sat with him on the bus and spoke to her until she reached her destination.

"So, you know where you are going?" he emphasised to her.

Daphne was so glad to get off the bus and on her way to her work place at Hewson & Hewson. The bus went on its' way, while the people on the bus turned to stare at her while she walked down the alley towards her work place. At first she felt more confident, she wasn't late as she walked towards the usual tall iron gates and heavily engraved in capitals,

'HEWSON & HEWSON'

'At least I'm in the right place, nothing can shock me now, all I need right now is to get to work.'

Daphne walked in as normal, and gave a right turn to where her office was suppose to be. There was an empty space, her office was a stone-wall building and had been there for decades, where could it have gone. She was soon approached by a tall young gentleman and very polite,

"Good morning Madam, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, I am looking for the building that used to be right here."

"Oh, um, that was pulled down, I think about 8 years ago."

"Really, but was it replaced with a newer building?"

"I'm not entirely sure, is there someone you are looking for?"

"Yes...um I mean No...I mean I don't know what I am looking for?"

"You can at the reception desk just around the corner from here."

"Thank you, I will."

Daphne had all kinds of strange thoughts going through her head, she finally reached the reception desk as she noticed how polite everyone seem to be,

"Good morning Madam how may I help you?"

"Good morning to you, I am looking for the people who used to be in building around the corner from here."

"I'm not entirely sure I will check with my supervisor."

The young woman got up out of her seat to go to another door way behind her and came out moments later with an older person who addressed Daphne,

"Hello there, what can I do for you?"

"Can ask you, how long have you work for Hewson & Hewson?"

"Me! I've been here quite a while now."

"How long is quite a white?"

"Well, nearly 5 years...it seems longer."

"Is there anyone who has been here longer than your self?"

"No not here, you're better off coming back this afternoon."

"Thank you for your time."

Daphne decided to stop asking any more questions, she turned around and quicken her pace, heading to the nearest bus stop home. She found that she had to pay in cash, luckily she had cash coins in her bag. While the bus moved from bus stop to bus stop, her head was looking at all of the shops and buildings and it was then she noticed the change. She was in the town but a different time zone and she knew why.

She reached her apartment building, it had not changed still the same colour of the door. The key fitted in the lock, she climbed the flight of stairs until she reached her room, it was the way she left it after she came out of the closet. Then she opened the closet door, it was still empty, she went it as it closed behind her. The movement of the closet was swerving to and fro that it was making her feel nausea. Eventually the closet was still, the door opened again, she was back in her own time zone. The clock on the table displayed, 07:30 am. She was on time to get to work.

As soon as she opened the front door, there was a sense of stillness. The only shop opened was the shop at the other of the street, she went to by her daily paper as she knew she was back home. Daphne walked down the lane in time to catch her bus, they knew her and greeted by name as she showed her bus pass.

After several bus stops, Daphne reached Hewson & Hewson and walking down the alley towards the iron gates the building was there. Daphne walked up the steps to see one of the office workers,

"Morning Daphne, you're early today."

"Morning," was all she could muster and then when she looked again at the young person who spoke to her, resembled the same person who had not a clue what happened to the building.