One Door Closes by J. Roberts

Author:J. Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2023-03-17T13:31:05+00:00

Wiltshire, England

2500 BC

“What is Stonehenge? It is the roofless past;

Man’s ruinous myth; his uninterred adoring

Of the unknown in sunrise cold and red;

His quest of stars that arch his doomed exploring.

And what is Time but shadows that were cast

By these storm-sculptured stones while centuries fled?

The stones remain; their stillness can outlast

The skies of history hurrying overhead.”

—Siegfried Sassoon

When I finally came to and the buzz in my head relented, I was greeted by what sounded like wind rustling through trees and the melody of a distant flute floating between them; so beautiful it was almost haunting. Am I dead? I wondered if Al had turned on some music or slipped some arsenic in my tea to put me out of my misery. But as I slowly opened my eyes, I realized I was no longer in the bookstore; I was perched atop a jagged rock in what seemed to be the middle of a forest.

I must be dreaming. I must have been so bored by the book he gave me that I fell asleep. Yes, that’s it. I’m sleeping.

Testing that theory, the only thing I could think to do in the moment was pinch myself. Hard.

Ouch.

My brain was ablaze with questions, and my body riddled with confusion at how I could possibly be here. I was just sat in the apothecary at Al’s, and now I’m surrounded by an expansive green forest in God knows where. I stood up quickly, trying to find my bearings, but everywhere I turned I was surrounded by a panoramic view of greenery. Panic began to set in, and the only thing I could think to do was follow the sound of the music and see if there was anyone I could ask about where I was. My plan was quickly halted when I heard the sound of footsteps behind me.

And now I’m about to be eaten by a damn bear, although probably more like a yeti, or bigfoot with the way things are going today.

As my mind began considering on the worst-case scenario, I dove behind a massive oak tree to my left and waited for the footsteps, and the thing or person they belonged to, to pass. As the noise got closer, I could hear what sounded like a female voice. Singing.

“When darkness hides, the sun will rise

We will dance and sing and praise the skies

There will be food to eat and stars in our eyes

At dawn, at dawn …”

Suddenly, I could see a stranger behind a line of trees, carrying a basket. It wasn’t just a stranger, though, and it certainly wasn’t bigfoot; it was a little girl. She couldn’t be more than seven or eight years old. I watched her walk into the clearing and head straight for the tree I was hiding behind. I watched her as her wild blond curls blew in the wind, her bare feet skipping across the ground, and her ragged white dress swaying with every movement. She had a single yellow flower tucked behind her ear and was holding a basket in her tiny hand.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.