Work Text:
<TMP modem noises>
<Chester begins to read>
“Fragmentary song lyric text from 1970 popular music culture, artist unknown.
Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes
They call me on and on
Across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox
They tumble blindly as they make their way Across the universe
Jai Guru Deva, Omm
Nothing's gonna change my world….
Fragment terminates”
***
Celia is standing on a stony path that follows a long ridge. Below her she can see a rolling valley on both sides, and looking ahead up the path she can see that off to the right hand side there is a canopy of green trees with a clearing visible. The sun is warm and golden, and there is a pleasant breeze.
Celia can hear birds singing in the hedgerow that lines the path, and she feels everything is calm, peaceful and controlled.
She starts to walk up towards the greenery, and as she gets closer, can hear what sounds like someone playing a stringed instrument, maybe a harp?
As she approaches she can see that there is an ancient monument of some type she vaguely recognises. It has a vertical line of large upright stones of various sizes forming the front of a tomb, with a central gap that forms a darkened opening.
“It’s called Waylands Smithy” says a woman in a smart purple trousersuit, who has appeared from behind one of the stones, holding a historical looking lyre. “It’s truly one of a kind. Such a nice place to be, isn’t it?”
“Y-yes” says Celia, feeling a little disconcerted, she is sure she vaguely recognises the woman, but she can’t place her for the life of her.
“Would you like to see a brochure?” says the woman, and produces a glossy a4 colour
brochure from her pocket. “It’s got three bedrooms with en-suites, a hot tub, a gorgeous open-plan kitchen-diner and a haunted burial chamber in the cellar. Oh and lots of space for Jack to play with all his friends when he gets bigger.”
“Jack?” says Celia, feeling confused.
“Yes, your little darling!” beams the woman.
“Don’t tell me you forgot about Jack? He’s your special boy….”
Celia feels a little groggy. “I don’t quite understand.. she says. “Who are you, exactly, and what are we doing here? I…feel slightly woozy”…her head begins to throb a little.
The birdsong becomes louder, as if someone has turned up their volume. Sunlight flashes gently through the trees and into Celia’s face, making her head ache even more and she feels slightly sick, as if it’s triggering a migraine.
“Oh, I’m sorry, do let me explain!” says the lady with a broad smile and she holds out her free hand while the other is still clutching the advertising booklet.
“I’m Helen. Your estate agent for this delightful property. You asked me to show you around, and so that’s what I’m doing! I must complement you on your taste, Waylands Smithy is the most fantastic investment opportunity, and I’m sure it’s just what you’re looking for. Let’s go inside and explore if it’s the place for you!”
“Um, alright…” says Celia, and allows
Helen to take her hand and lead
her to the low stone-lined entrance of the structure. “Just duck down a little, there, that’s right, and we’ll just go in and take a look around…”
They move through the entrance and into a large squared-off, stonelined chambered tomb, far taller than it appeared possible from the outside view. Celia squints up at the inside of the walls and sees a detailed picture of a backwards-looking lion has been scratched as graffiti along with what appear to be Viking runes.
“Isn’t it lovely” remarks Helen cheerfully. “This room is Maes Howe, a glorious Neolithic antechamber in the Orkney isles. and it’s just as they left it, other than some additional artwork by those naughty Viking visitors. The bedrooms are beyond here, in the West Kennet Long Barrow, and beyond that is a beautiful Nine Ladies stone circle garden feature and the hot tub’s just by the Men-an-Tol off to the side. It’s quite a property, I won’t lie.”
“This… isn’t possible” says Celia. “I know these things and they’re all in different places. Hundreds of miles apart. What is going on? What are we doing here?”
“Oh didn’t you guess?” smiles Helen, with a voice full of syrup.
“It’s a dream, silly. I’m showing you a place
to build a gorgeous happy-ever-after with your little boy Jack. Of course, there’ll be a hefty price to pay, but there always is with these truly aspirational purchases, isn’t there?!!”
Jack, thinks Celia, and then she remembers. She promptly panics. “Jack! Where is he? What have you done with him?”
“Relax! “ says Helen with another dazzling smile. He’s fine, for now anyway. and if you want to keep him that way all you have to do is play my little game before this dreamscape finishes. I don’t come from here, Celia, and we both know that you don’t either… which is SO intriguing, don’t you think?”
“I…I don’t know what you mean…” says Celia, and backs away from Helen slightly.
“Oh now, really?” says Helen, and the smile has suddenly become artificial, her speech sounding somewhat forced and slightly irritable. Celia feels a stab of apprehension and has the sense that this woman is more than she outwardly appears. Behind the smile is something quite terrifying, that’s being held back and restrained as if a snarling dog on a fraying leash.
“ You can’t pretend with me, Celia. I’m very experienced at spotting imposters. I can tell you don’t belong in this universe any more than I do. I know that something about your Jack isn’t natural, and it’s quite obvious to me that…”
“SHUT UP!!“ Celia shouts and puts her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes tight shut and holding her breath… “Shut up, shut up, shut up…”
Everything around them instantly falls completely silent. The birds have stopped singing outside, the breeze vanishes leaving the air still, the and the room’s temperature plummets to a sudden chill. Celia’s head feels a strange rush, and she opens her eyes slowly to see that the neolithic chamber has vanished, and she is instead standing on a long, wide stone wallway with purple mist swirling either side of it and dark sky with innumberable stars overhead. She groans to realise Helen is still there beside her.
“Oh, WHAT?! “ Celia explodes with frustration. “Look, I don’t know what the hell you’re playing at, but this is not a dream game I wish to play. I have no idea who you are, I don’t want to buy a bloody stone circle, and I want to get home to my baby. So do me a favour, Helen Whoever You Are, and just sod off!!”
Helen walks a little way along the walkway.
“Oh, Celia, Celia” she says in a somewhat mocking tone. “If only it were that simple.”
“Look, I’m here to offer you a choice, which is something I do for people in your real universe all the time. It’s possible that it’s not a real choice, because we’re still in a dream, and of course I might just be playing with you. It’s simply about which door you pick, and where you go from here back into the world. Now….”
Helen waves her hand, and three doors appear at the end of the walkway.
The door on the left is coloured brightish green with old and peeling paint, and a crystal knob.
The door in the middle is jet black and speckled with with cobwebs, with a silver central fire-exit style bar.
The door on the right is a deep blood red with scrollwork around its edges, and a dulled brass doorknob and doorplate.
The stars continue to twinkle overhead, and the purple mist billows underneath and around the walkway as a tumultuous sea.
“So” says Helen. “Nothing’s gonna change your world, right Celia? Well, if that’s really the way you want it, then you should know that the red door leads back to Jack, but it’s put things out of balance, because neither he or you should really be there. I don’t understand why you’re both there together, but maybe that’s for another dream.
If you go through the red door you’ll be back with all your friends in the OAIR, and you just fell asleep at your desk. Georgie’s looking after Jack and everything’s fine… but there’ll be a price to pay for the imbalance you’re causing. Going back means trouble, but that’s up to you, Celia.”
“The green door, well that’s across to the other universe. I don’t think that place is a whole barrel of laughs but it’s really where you should be. I know it’s not what you want, but I have to offer that door to you in the spirit of fairness. It might make things easier for everyone there behind the red door if you just went through the green one, so maybe you’d be better doing that…. Ooh, aren’t I good at this!”
“And…. the black door?” asks Celia with a little trepidation.
“Oh, now that’s the most intriguing option”
says Helen. “I actually don’t know. It won’t let me see. Highly unusual. But I’m sure if you pick it, you’ll have one hell of a new adventure. Want to find out with me?”
Celia shakes her head. “It’s only a dream” she says. “So it doesn’t really matter which I pick”
“Oh but you’re wrong there” says Helen. “Because it’s my dream too, and all of mine bleed through to the real worlds. So maybe I told you a tiny little lie just now. I assure you, this choice is absolutely real, with full consequences. And…” Helen says playfully, with a bounce and some little comedy jazz-hand gestures, “That just makes it more fun!” She breaks into another dazzling grin, which makes Celia feel slightly nauseous.
“Well, off you go then, and remember, it’s all about balance. Happy choosing!“ smiles Helen.
And Celia realises that she is right, and makes the only choice she can, walking straight up to the red door, grasping its scruffy brass knob and stepping swiftly through into the blackness.
***
“You drool when you sleep” says Alice.
“Huh, wha…” Celia raises her head and sees wth a shock she is in the OAIR office, sat at one of the terminals.
I went through the red door, she thinks, and it was exactly as Helen said…
“Here” says Alice, “You were having a bit of a doze, it’s probably sugar deficiency.
Here, have a jam doughnut. Don’t let Lena see you eat by the keyboard, or you’ll get a lecture on how sugar granules in the office equipment will lead to the destruction of modern society as we know it”.
“um, thanks” says Celia and absentmindedly takes one from the waxed-paper packet Alice is waving at her.
“No problem.” replies Alice. and strikes a dramatic pose. “After all, we co-workers have to stick together, it’s us against the machine…. No offence, Chester.”
<None taken>
thinks something in the computer quietly.
On the cloakstand, a purple suit jacket has appeared hung on one of the top hooks. It has a spiral pinbadge on one lapel
and a small plaque with a tree logo maked “Oak Estates” on the other.
Rosie has taken to dusting the somewhat cluttered stand when she comes in on top of her daily cleaning routine, as for some reason it seems to attract spiderwebs fairly quickly. She likes the place to look respectable, just in case someone important were to turn up to visit unexpectedly. Best to be prepared.
****