What if... # 1

What if... #1

What if one day you opened the door of your house and stepped out into a different world? It happened to Fiona. She wasn't expecting it to happen. Had never even wished for it. Yet there it was. She wasn't sure what to do about it. Luckily she had held on to the door. She could still go back inside if she wanted. 


She just wondered if the school bus might not be leaving her behind somewhere in her own world. There was no way to check really. After standing around for five minutes with the doorknob in her hand, she decided to go back inside and wait. 

At that moment, her mum came down the stairs, all ready to go to work. She was surprised to see Fiona in the hallway. Of course she would ask why she hadn't gone to the bus. Fiona didn't know what to say. “Well Fiona don't just stand there and stare at me. Why aren't you outside catching your bus?”, mum said. And that gave Fiona the inspiration she needed: “I can't go by myself, there's something funny with my eyes, I can't see properly.” 

It seemed like a clever idea. Surely the door wouldn't try to send her mum into a different universe. Things like that never happened to grown ups. So if Fiona could just get her mum to take her out the door, she was bound to reach the bus stop. 

But mums never let you get away with anything that easily. Carol, Fiona's mum, was just like every other mother. She wanted to know what was wrong with Fiona's eyes and said “maybe we should see a doctor. I hope you don't need glasses, you haven't got a face for glasses. Well come on, I'll get the car, we'll swing by the doctors office and see if Sherri can't squeeze us in somewhere.” 

It was a trick, Fiona knew. Her mum was trying to get her to confess that she was dodging school for some reason. Fiona sighed, she had to play along, it was the only way to get out. So she rolled her eyes and said “All right, but you have to phone school and explain why I'm late. I don't want to get a detention.” 

This was a clever move. Carol looked completely baffled. She frowned as she got her car keys out and opened the door. “Oh no...”, Carol said as she froze in the doorway. “What?”, Fiona asked, trying to see beyond her mother. “It's happening again. It didn't do this for a long time and today of all days...”, Carol mumbled. Fiona felt a panic rise up in her chest. “What's happening, what is it?”, she demanded to know. 

“I'm afraid we can't go anywhere today Fiona love. The house has lost it's way again. If we go outside we step into an alternate universe and it'll be a bloody nuisance trying to find our house back later. Best stay in today. Sorry love, we'll see if the phone still works, we can call in sick.”, Carol said as she moved out of the doorway to show Fiona the new world. 

“You mean this has happened before?!”, Fiona said unbelieving. “Yes dear, it's why your father and I could afford to buy this place on our junior salaries. Every once in a while it gets lost in the universes and the estate agent gave us a great discount to compensate.”, Carol explained in her most soothing mum voice. 

Fiona couldn't believe her ears. She was supposed to go on a field-trip today. A proper one not some boring museum. She had made plans with her friends and now she was stuck in her stupid house. Frustrated with the unfairness of it all she yelled at her mum, stomped upstairs and threw herself on the bed to cry and rage against her pillows. 

Carol sighed and picked up the phone. At least the connection was still working. She felt it was a bit unfair of Fiona to claim that she had ruined her life. After all, it was a really nice house they lived in and every house has a flaw. 


Other stories with misbehaving doors:
Zeeën van tijd/ Aan de andere kant van de deur - Tonke Dragt
Howl's moving castle - D.W. Jones