A Place Like This

Chapter 2: Answers? Answers. Part 1

"I was rocking back and forth in the closet, holding Detective Sammy close to me." I smiled as I started once more, glancing at my bag which held the god damn thing.

"It wasn't until something moved behind me. My back pushed with force each time, until the door slipped open, and I practically backwards summer saulted out of my closet and into a patch of wildflowers. I was confused, and when I looked up, I saw my closet door surrounded by trees. It was enchanted, almost. I turned to see that I was in someone's garden. The back of the house looked awfully farmilliar. I was a...curious 7 year old, and I walked close to the house and looked in the window that-" Ms.Hartley stopped me.

"Wait, you fell through the back of a closet?"

"Yep, Basically." I shrugged. "Anyways, I looked into the window to see my mother. She was sleeping in her room. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was at home, so I simply walked through the door, and I was extremely quiet. I picked up my book that I previously left and ran up to my room, before noticing that there was no glass on our floor. I didn't even make it upstairs when I noticed my mom standing behind me. I looked at her, fear taking over my body. There was no telling on what she would say to me. Her hands sat on her hips, and she asked me why I had my shoes on. I was expecting someone so much worse, like something along the lines of, 'How the hell did you escape your bedroom? I nailed your windows shut!'. But no, I just had to take off my shoes and she offered to make horse shaped grilled cheese's. As if things weren't weird enough, I went into my room and my window wasn't closed off like it was only seconds ago. I had the brilliant idea to look in the closet for the door, except...the door was locked, and the only thing in the closet was a silver key attatched to red ribbon. I couldn't read it, so I ran back downstairs and asked my mom. She read it outloud. Audrey Elizabeth Fontaine, Use at your own RISK it said."

"Wait, so where are you?"

"I obviously knew I was at home, but I didn't know exactly what was happening. It wasn't until I was 9 years old when I learned that I was in a different dimension. Now I might sound crazy, but I promise you, I'm being completely honest. I wouldn't lie about 10 years of the life I had that wasn't here."

"Well, it's not any crazier of what happened here..." She muttered, rolling her eyes and starring at the picture on her fridge. I didn't have to look over to the fridge to know what the picture was. It was a photo of her and her most reccent engagement. She always kept her last name, but this man, Harold, had begged her after he proposed. She finally agreed because she really loved this man. I never got to hear what happened. Anyways, they had been sharing ice cream in the old mustang he owned, and it was Ms.Hartley's favourite photo, simply because there was a wedding ring around her cone. It was an unusual proposal, but she always said she wouldn't have it any other way.

"What happened to him? Harold..?" I dared to ask. I was nervous to learn the truth.

"This. All this madness. It was before the explosions when I was preparing our selves by bringing food downstairs and into the cellar, but we didn't know about this whole explosion. I remember it like the day he asked me to marry him. Except, this was tragic. I heard a loud crash in the air, and I thought of Harold, who was working outside for Labour work for the govenor. He wasn't far from here, just a couple blocks, but I still ran out to the front porch to look for him. It wasn't safe, but I pulled on my jacket and.." She stopped to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. I was choking up, trying hard to fight back the tears.

"I bolted out the door in just enough time to get away from the next explosion that took place only a couple feet away from my backyard. I was calling out his name 'Harold?Harold! Harold, where are you?!'. I headed to the working field pushing past all the men and women with their children, racing to find shelter. After calling out his name once more, my breath had been taken away from me. I was gasping for air, trying to catch my breath. I saw the feild, it had already been erupted into flames, and the only thing you could see were tons of bodies scattered across the ground. I trucked through the thick mud looking for him. I called his name again, and I was answered. It was like music to my ears. Just the sound of his voice gave my hope, and I was relieved to hear him alive. I followed his voice, him saying my name repeatedly...'Eleanor, I'm here, love..' I saw him, and knelt down beside his body. He was covered in soot from the flames, and had massive burns on his arms. But that didn't stop him from smiling. I caressed his cheek with my hand and rested my other one on his stomach. I could tell he was in an extensive amount of pain. His eyes glistened, but he told me that it was my eyes that shimmered. He told me, 'Eleanor, There is nothing in this world so wonderful As to love and to be loved. You are that kind of wonderful. Everything you say, or do...it just reminds me of how much I admire you, and will always continue to. I wish it didn't have to end this way, darling, but I want you to know that just to say I love you never seems like enough. Like an understatement. I've said it soo many times, I am afraid you don't understand when I say it. How can so much feeling..so much adoration possibly fit into those three little words? But until there is another way to express how I feel, 'I love you' will have to do. So no matter how many times I say it, don't take it lightly...for you are my entire life, and my only love. I love you now more then anything...i love you i love you i love you...i...love...you...' His eyes closed, his mouth stopped moving, and so did his heart."