A knock on the door disrupted my leisure. Abbey perked her ears. I glanced up, preoccupied. It was unusual to receive a visitor on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Few bothered to venture out here in the first place, even if they were on business. Nothing urgent, I’m sure. Perhaps Jane was feeling lonely, and wished for my company. Encouraging the cat out of my lap, I set my book on the couch and made my way to the front entrance. Just as I turned the doorknob, however, I remembered I did have extra company with me today. And there she was, next to the door, in plain sight where I should have easily seen her. She stared at me with that same curious expression on the day we met. I froze, addled as to how she appeared out of nowhere, but it was too late. The door opened a crack and a blade of light beamed in, washing away my surroundings, blinding my vision. Bewildered, I tried to shut the door, but my arms could not find it. They floundered in the air before going numb to the emptiness. Soon after, the rest of my body went numb. All senses for the world disappeared. Then, a jolt surged through me, along with a strange, disorientating sensation; as if I was falling. My mind went into a fright, bracing myself for impact. But I felt nothing. Just muddled emptiness, and the stinging light. Finally, the feeling of my arms returned; a hand fumbled up to my face. I squinted through the slits of my fingers, trying to make sense of blinding white.
Slowly, my vision returned. The light eventually dimmed, revealing the dusty bedroom windowpane. The sun dipped behind the clouds, illuminating its fringes with its radiance. Birds chirped from their perch on the cottage roof above, and a slight breeze battered the window screen. I felt my right shoulder digging into the mattress from the weight of my body, the pressure straining my back. The bedsheets had fallen below my chest, allowing the summer draft to gently ruffle my gown. I lowered my hand and rolled back onto the bed. Just a dream.
I closed my eyes and sunk into the mattress, exhaling. I listened to the rustle of leaves swaying in the breeze. Sunlight periodically pierced through the clouds and flushed my face with its brilliance, weighing down my eyelids. I relaxed. My mind went blank.
I was usually slow to wake up. The weekends only exacerbated this habit, affording me the time to lay in bed, doing absolutely nothing. I almost fell back asleep before I remembered there were a few errands to run today. I rolled to the bedside and sat up, rubbing the fog out of my eyes. A waft of fresh air broke through the window, waking my senses. Still, I sat there, lazily gazing around the room. Sunlight illuminated the two shelves that hung perpendicular to the windowside. Old dolls, several books, bookstops, and a small potted plant. Even the wardrobe was thoroughly lit up, the sunlight coming in at just the right angle to penetrate its darkness.
I fiddled for my father’s pocket watch on the bedside table, opening it. I felt my forehead and finally convinced myself to get up and dress. Hopefully I did not catch a fever. It was too early for that time of the month. Shuffling through the wardrobe, I contemplated what to wear. There were old dresses from when I was a girl. Simple tea gowns with minimal amounts of lacing around the neck and waist. Skirts with flowering furbelows paired with a satin ribbon around the waist. White blouses with puffed shoulders, thin cuffs and high neck frills that ran down the chest. Not as fancy as those worn by the upper class, but decorative enough to catch the eye. They still fit, for I hardly grew in the time since my father made arrangements for their tailor, but I was not partial to any of them. They were too fancy for my taste, which was not keen to draw the attention of the streets. In spite of that, there were no other choices, for all my comfort clothes were in the basket, waiting to be washed. I suppose it was fine, for it was only Jane who would see me today.