It was a warm, windy morning in Summer and I was trotting down the main road in Lillston, a small town off the coast in South Australia. Everything was calm, the huge green hills in the distance looked majestic. I should explain something. I'm a stray. A stray dog, not a stray human. I technically don't belong to anyone, and I move around a lot. One thing is the same though, everyone calls me Flame, on account of the flame shaped white patch over my eye. A human took me to the vet and they confirmed I was 3 years old, a Border Collie cross German Shepard. Life is good. No one is bothered about me running around the neighbourhood at all, I am a familiar sight to everyone.
As I was walking past a house, Hugh came out with his mum. Hugh is a six year old boy, with blonde hair, possibly my favourite person in the whole world. I ran after him and followed as he and his mum went down the road to a house marked "GARAGE SALE". I paused outside, unsure whether to go in or not. Whining, I looked up at Hugh.
"Come on Flame!" He said, tugging on me impatiently.
I followed, keeping a distance between me and people that I didn't know so well. Wandering idly, I looked at random things for sale. I didn't know what most of them were, so I slowly walked back to where Hugh was. He had let go of his mum's hand, bored, and was now looking for a place to hide in and make his cubby. I barked at Hugh and stood in front of an old, bulky wardrobe. It looked centuries old, with intricate carvings and paintings on it. Hugh smiled and patted me.
"Good dog, this is perfect!"
I wagged my tail proudly and Hugh struggled to heave the doors open.
"Oh darling, don't do that, we're going now!" Hugh's mum exclaimed, rushing over to us. They turned to leave, and I started to follow, pausing to cast a glance over my shoulder at the wardrobe. It looked...eerie.
Early next morning I went up and down the road as usual, but this time on the side of the road the old wardrobe was there with a sign saying 'FREE'. I had an idea! Hugh and I could play in this wardrobe now! From what I could see, we would easily fit in. I ran up to Hugh's house and barked. Hugh stuck his head out the window and said
"Wait a minute"
I heard scampering feet and the door opened. I wagged my tail and barked for him to follow me. We ran down the street together, coming to a stop in front of the old wardrobe. Hugh looked at me happily.
"Lets play house!" he said
I yipped in agreement. Hugh pulled on the great brass door handles and dust arose. He heaved and struggled, and...the doors were open.
A tall lady in a pale pink victorian style dress stepped out and jumped as she noticed us.
"Oh, mon dieu!" she exclaimed in fright. "dou venez-vous?" she inquired where we appeared from.
"Huh?" said Hugh.
"Oh, you are Englishmen" said the Lady.
We stared at her.
"Don't stand there gawping!" she said brusquely to us.
"Um, who are you, scary lady?" Hugh asked.
" My name is Gregoria," she replied. Her voice was posh. "I have been sent here to gather people from this time back into our time, for a special mission"
Hugh looked excited.
"Like a secret spy mission!" he said.
"Similaire" said Gregoria, with a shifty look.
"Why do you keep taking funny?" Hugh asked, confusion clear upon his small face.
"French is popular for educated people where I am from, you, obviously, do not understand" said Gregoria with a sniff, her nose in the air.
Gregoria looked at us.
"You will do for this job, or for now at least...if you aren't suitable we can esily dispose of you," she muttered the last bit under her breath. "so just step into the wardrobe with me, sil vous plait rapidement!" Gregoria added, with false cheeriness. Hugh stepped forward eagerly, but I took hold of his t shirt with my teeth and whined gently in my throat. Something wasn't right about Gregoria.
"Flame, just think, a super spy mission!" Hugh whispered to me excitedly.
"There's nothing to be scared of" Gregoria smiled sweetly.
I hung back as Gregoria looked at us both expectantly.
"Um, sorry lady, but Flame doesn't want to go, so I think I'll just stay here" Hugh said to Gregoria, an apologetic expression on his face. Immediately, Gregoria changed, her features, moments before were soft and pretty, now becoming fierce and angular, her face hardened.
"You will come with me!" she said, digging her nails into Hugh's arm and aiming a kick at me. Hugh burst into tears.
"Garcon stupide" Gregoria shouted angrily, shoving Hugh forward. She was now dragging him behind her, about to enter the wardrobe. Then I leapt. And sank my teeth into warm flesh. Gregoria shrieked. I stood in front of her, teeth bared. Barking like a mad dog I rushed at her again, but Gregoria was chanting frantically and every time I tried to bite her again it was like I was just biting the air, and I kept missing like there was an invisible bubble around Gregoria that protected her from me. Suddenly Gregoria disappeared and re-materialized a few feet away. She was wild, her dress ragged and her hair whipping around her face like snakes.
"Get away!!" she hissed.
I stood back, terrified.
"You will come with me and you will not argue" she said in a menacing tone.
Hugh, who had been released from Gregoria's grip, moved quickly and in one swift motion, slammed the heavy oak doors shut with a resounding BANG! He stood there, panting and shaking from fright. A very strange thing was happening in front of our eyes. The previous events were happening in front of us, with ghostly figures in our place. It was happening very quickly as we watched our ghostly counterparts talk to the transparent Gregoria. It was like watching a television set on fast forward. We watched as Gregoria disappeared into the wardrobe when Hugh slammed the doors shut.
'This is really weird' I thought.
The 'film' came to an end. We were left there, thinking about what we had just seen. I for one, was completely mystified. I felt like a newborn pup, oblivious to the world around me. A voice woke me from my state of vague confusion.
"C'mon Flame, let's go home" Hugh said,
Hugh and I walked down the road back to Hugh's house. Once again, I cast a glance over my shoulder to look at the wardrobe. It looked different. Almost contented, if a wardrobe can look that way. I just caught the wardrobe creaking one door open, as if in farewell.
Her voice was posh