The Waiting Room by Donna Page 28/06/2021 ©

 

The Waiting Room by Donna Page 28/06/2021 ©

It is dark, the windows and door boarded over, cobwebs holding the boards in place.  The inside has not seen light in decades. 

She looks around, wondering how she got in there.  The last thing she could remember was stepping off the footpath.  When she awoke, she was in this room.  She could smell the age, the dust, stopping short of the smell of death but only just.

As her eyes adjusted, she could see several people sitting on the chairs.  The sign above the doorway said next train in ten minutes.  That was odd.  When did she come to a train station? Why is the room boarded up? How are the people supposed to get on the train?

She felt strangely peaceful.  She wasn’t scared, just confused.  She looked down and saw that she was still in her favourite boots, her jeans were slightly dirty but everything else was exactly the same as she remembered. Remembered, when she stepped off the footpath. 

She sat down on the closest chair.  The lady next to her startled shook her head and moved down one seat, clearly not interested in engaging.  She shrugged and sat back.  Closing her eyes trying to think.  How did she get here?

She had been having a great day, lunch with friends, patted the most gorgeous puppy, had one, no two glasses of wine.  They chatted and laughed.  Told stories of lockdown and much wanted holidays.  Everyone was happy, leaving the stress of the world outside the café. A one hour lunch turned into a four hour hoot.  No one wanted to go home.

She could remember leaving the café heading towards her car across the road.  Just as she stepped off the footpath, one of the girls yelled something.  She turned round to see what she wanted and… And what?  That was it.  That is all she could remember.  How strange.

None of the girls were in the room.  Obviously, they had gone, and she had somehow driven here and come inside.  But there was no door.  How the heck did she get in?  A bell rang, bringing her back to the present.  A message came through the air, seemingly from nowhere. 

“All passengers for the 4pm please commence boarding now.”

4pm? Was she supposed to be on the 4pm? Where was the 4pm heading?  What was the 4pm?

Three people stood up and walked through the doorway.  She knew what she saw but she couldn’t believe what she saw.  There is no way that people can walk through a big wooden board.  Was she seeing things? Maybe she should go and find someone who could answer all her questions.

She got up and walked towards the door.  She figured if they could go through then she could.  The board must be a curtain. She walked toward the doorway and went to step through.  Bang! She ran smack into the board, which was clearly held on by more than cobwebs. What? How?

A man wearing a dusty blue uniform came over and placed his hand on her shoulder.  Again, she felt strangely calm.  He looked at her and said, “Sorry love, you can only leave when your train comes” He looked at his clipboard “You are on the 5pm train, just take a seat and you will be able to go through the door when it arrives.” She hadn’t noticed him before.

“What do you mean I am on the 5pm train? I haven’t even bought a ticket.”

“Sorry love, you bought your ticket when you stepped off the footpath.”

And then she realised.