In Another World

Slowly pulling out her boot knife, she slipped it down between the wall and closet drawers, easily lifting the sparkling bobble from where it was wedged, and began softly humming a tune she had learned from her sister Jill Marie.

“There is treasure waiting for me,

There is treasure most can’t see.

There is treasure all a round,

What was once lost, is now found.”

Lifting a silver chain with a blue gemstone carved in the shape of a griffin, Jasmyn almost smiled. “This is very odd. I wonder what it is? It feels, it feels as if…” Suddenly, the built-in wardrobe seemed to move; actually it was sliding towards her. Quickly stepping back, a whiff of cool fresh air came from the opening in the panel wall.
“What the Hell?” she whispered.
Shinning the lamp into the darkness, a spiral staircase led down, down, down.
Picking up the kitten, again she gently placed it in the duffle bag and pulled the drawstrings tight, put on the black leather jacket she had found, and swung the considerable hefty bag over her shoulder. “It's time to go exploring, little one.”

She listened carefully for any of the tapping she had heard earlier. All she heard was the sound of the wind in the stairwell shaft. Still holding the chain and gemstone, she leaned against the cold outer brick wall and tucked the treasure trinket deep into one her thick pants pockets. Her calico passenger seemed nonresistant to her duffel bag confinement. Taking a quick mental inventory and without reservation, she darted down the spiraling steps with the supple fluidity of an animal.

She passed no doors, nor did she see any windows, the shaft was void of any light except for the small solar lamp Jasmyn kept focused on her boots and the descending stairs. The smell of the fresh air lifted her spirit even higher. From somewhere far below she heard the tapping she had heard earlier.

Then, suddenly from behind her, came a soft voice.

“Do not go down any further. Many who wish to kill you and what you carry, await below at the street level.”
Heart pounding in fear, Jasmyn spun around, bringing the pistol from shoulder holster to point into the face of a child.
“Who are you? How come I didn’t hear you behind me?” she demanded.
Without any fear or malice in her voice, the child answered, “Your weapon can not hurt me. I am not from your world. They know you are in the building, and are hunting for you.”
Quickly returning the antique 45 automatic to the shoulder holster, Jasmyn said, “Yah, I know about the police.”
“Oh no, not the police, they left hours ago while you were sleeping. You were smart to hide where you did. Not even the zombies would have looked for you there.” Dressed in a velvet robe with dark shoulder length hair, the dark eyed child put her finger to her lips, motioning for Jasmyn not to speak. She leaned in close and whispered, “They do not know about this secret stairwell. Follow me, I know a place where you will be safe.”
“Why in the hell should I trust you? Who are you anyway?” Jasmyn whispered back.
“I am from a different place. A magic place that makes the difference in time, the difference that makes the difference. Understand?”

“No!” said Jasmyn “How old are you?”
“Older than you can imagine, younger than you know. Please, we must go now. The evil ones will be sending out demons, and they are very nasty to deal with.”
Putting her hand on the brick wall, the wall began to shimmer with a pulsating glow of rainbow colours. “You must hold my hand, it is the only way you can step into my world.”
“Why should I trust you?” Jasmyn almost sneered, her voice as sharp as her boot knife.
With the heart of innocence, the little girl smiled back. “Because, I have traveled from another world to help you.”

From down below the tapping resumed, now much louder and with a quicking tempo . The metal staircase began to pulse with vibration. The brick wall swirling wider and faster in liquid colours.

Before Jasmyn could draw a breath to resist, the child pulled her through the shimmering brick wall.