Kate tried to put the grueling work week behind her as she walked downtown. Determined to relax over the weekend, she let out a large sigh as she made her way to the Main Street Antiquities Shoppe. Upon entering , she was immediately assailed by the dusty smell that often clung to old things. She slowly wound her way through the clothing racks and furniture pieces until she came across a glass display case full of jewelry.
An elderly woman with a warm smile greeted her from the other side of the case. “Is there something I can help you find?”
Kate pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear while absent mindedly chewing her lower lip. “I’m not sure. I’m looking for a wedding gift for my cousin. She’s somewhat traditional and I thought it would be neat to get her the ‘something old’ for her to wear.”
The shopkeeper patiently pulled items from the case as Kate pointed them out to her. She found herself quickly getting discouraged as none of them really grabbed her attention. She thanked the woman for her time and turned to leave the shop. She had taken only a few steps when the shopkeeper asked her to wait. “I have one more piece I would like for you to see. I recently acquired it from an estate sale and I think it would do nicely. I’ll just be a moment.”
Kate nodded as the woman headed through a set of curtains to what she assumed was the store’s backroom. She began to look at a few of the dresses on the rack closest to her when she heard the shopkeeper politely clear her throat. She turned to see the woman gently lay something down on the glass counter. Intrigued, she quickly moved to see what it was and found herself gazing upon a lovely gold locket. She picked it up, studying the details of the piece. It was round with flowers on the outside. The locket itself was affixed to the center of the chain which was interspersed with pearls.
Kate could hardly contain her excitement. “This is just what I had in mind!” She gently pushed her thumbnail into the crevice and opened the locket.
Kate’s mind seemed to be one step behind. She could hear someone speaking, yet she did not see where the voice was coming from. She realized she could not see because her eyes were closed and immediately opened them. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she glimpsed a young woman with her right hand outstretched.
“Miss, are you alright? Do you need help up?”
Up? That’s when it occurred to her that she was sitting on the ground. She reached out and grasped the young woman’s hand. It was then that she noticed the girl’s attire, a black long sleeve shirt, black long skirt and a full white apron. With her free hand, Kate absent-mindedly wiped off whatever dirt may have been on her backside. The feel of the material under her hand quickly caught her attention. She looked down at her clothing and saw what would be best described as a blue, formal gown. There was dirt along the bottom hem as well as a small tear.
A wave of heat and nausea washed over her. Her head began to throb and her knees suddenly became weak. The hand that had been holding on to hers gave a firm squeeze, bringing her back around.
“You should come inside and rest for a moment.”
Kate gazed in the direction of the girl’s hand and found that they were standing in front of a very large house. She followed the young woman through a set of large curve shaped doors that formed an arch when closed together. As they passed through the vestibule and into the formal entry way, her breath caught in her throat. Although she did not know why, she immediately felt out of place.
“Please wait here while I alert the housekeeper.”
Kate nodded in response. Her mind was racing.
Where am I? What am I doing here? What is happening to me?
The footsteps and whispers of the approaching women broke through the silence, interrupting Kate’s thoughts. The older woman spoke first.
“Good evening, I am Mrs. Thompson, the housekeeper.
An elderly woman with a warm smile greeted her from the other side of the case. “Is there something I can help you find?”
Kate pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear while absent mindedly chewing her lower lip. “I’m not sure. I’m looking for a wedding gift for my cousin. She’s somewhat traditional and I thought it would be neat to get her the ‘something old’ for her to wear.”
The shopkeeper patiently pulled items from the case as Kate pointed them out to her. She found herself quickly getting discouraged as none of them really grabbed her attention. She thanked the woman for her time and turned to leave the shop. She had taken only a few steps when the shopkeeper asked her to wait. “I have one more piece I would like for you to see. I recently acquired it from an estate sale and I think it would do nicely. I’ll just be a moment.”
Kate nodded as the woman headed through a set of curtains to what she assumed was the store’s backroom. She began to look at a few of the dresses on the rack closest to her when she heard the shopkeeper politely clear her throat. She turned to see the woman gently lay something down on the glass counter. Intrigued, she quickly moved to see what it was and found herself gazing upon a lovely gold locket. She picked it up, studying the details of the piece. It was round with flowers on the outside. The locket itself was affixed to the center of the chain which was interspersed with pearls.
Kate could hardly contain her excitement. “This is just what I had in mind!” She gently pushed her thumbnail into the crevice and opened the locket.
Kate’s mind seemed to be one step behind. She could hear someone speaking, yet she did not see where the voice was coming from. She realized she could not see because her eyes were closed and immediately opened them. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she glimpsed a young woman with her right hand outstretched.
“Miss, are you alright? Do you need help up?”
Up? That’s when it occurred to her that she was sitting on the ground. She reached out and grasped the young woman’s hand. It was then that she noticed the girl’s attire, a black long sleeve shirt, black long skirt and a full white apron. With her free hand, Kate absent-mindedly wiped off whatever dirt may have been on her backside. The feel of the material under her hand quickly caught her attention. She looked down at her clothing and saw what would be best described as a blue, formal gown. There was dirt along the bottom hem as well as a small tear.
A wave of heat and nausea washed over her. Her head began to throb and her knees suddenly became weak. The hand that had been holding on to hers gave a firm squeeze, bringing her back around.
“You should come inside and rest for a moment.”
Kate gazed in the direction of the girl’s hand and found that they were standing in front of a very large house. She followed the young woman through a set of large curve shaped doors that formed an arch when closed together. As they passed through the vestibule and into the formal entry way, her breath caught in her throat. Although she did not know why, she immediately felt out of place.
“Please wait here while I alert the housekeeper.”
Kate nodded in response. Her mind was racing.
Where am I? What am I doing here? What is happening to me?
The footsteps and whispers of the approaching women broke through the silence, interrupting Kate’s thoughts. The older woman spoke first.
“Good evening, I am Mrs. Thompson, the housekeeper.
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