The Closet

When I got to the house it was already engulfed in flames. I knew that Jack was still inside and rushed through the front door. As the flames licked the sky I searched for my friend. I knew where he would be and when I burst into his bedroom I saw him lying on the floor in front of his closet. I dragged him out into the cool night air and checked if he was still breathing. To my relief he was and I lay on the ground beside him. I looked up at the clear night sky, listening to the approaching sirens and tried to figure out the circumstances that had led me to this.
I had been sitting at home half asleep when the phone rang. Answering it I heard the panicked voice of my friend Jack muttering incomprehensibly into the phone.
"Calm down, Calm down" I said suddenly awake.
"Its true, it’s all true. I always knew some thing but not his I... can’t... don’t understand," he stuttered. “The closet, it’s the closet I told you about it. I knew it"
In my mind images, situations and the edges of conversation flickered into thought. Stories he had told me of sleepless nights feelings of dread and foreboding all because of his closet. As a child he had thought it haunted as, a teenager it haunted his dreams to this day he said he couldn’t go near it with out feeling like some one was watching him.
"What about the closet Jack. I don’t understand, what happened?" I said my mind still racing with images of disaster.
"We were doing renovations on the house and we were knocking through my closet as usual the builders were about three weeks late. I was outside when the builder came to get me. They had knocked through the wall of the closet but had not gotten straight into the bathroom as they had expected but had found a space of about two foot. The only thing that was in this space was an old chair. I ran inside to see this but when I got to my room and looked into the closet I collapsed on the floor.
In my mind ...at least I think it was in my mind I woke up on a mud path. As I got up and look around I saw I stood in an old fashioned village with a wooden wall round it. The main gate was open and a cart was coming through. I saw people talking but although there mouths moved I couldn’t hear anything. I noticed people began turning towards the gate and move away. As I turned to where they were looking I saw men streaming through the gate swords held high cutting through men, women and children. I was routed to the ground I stood transfixed as the slaughter enfolded before me. I soon noticed one figure in black more cruel than the rest. Although his back was to me I could see he twisted his sword as he pulled it from the dead and his body shook as if he laughed. I approached him and was right behind him when he turned. I couldn’t see his face as a mask covered it. No sooner had he turned than I collapsed once more.
I awoke this time on a wooden floor I got up and walked towards a door which opened into a dinning hall. From the clothes and physical appearance of the people I knew that this was a soup kitchen which was used in the famine. The mainly women and children who crashed past me had looks of dread on there faces. Bodies of dead children lay all over the place and again the man in black was weigh ding through them again with his back to me. I knew it was the same person and ran towards him, once more he turned to face me and I collapsed.
I awoke in a garden in front of my house but something was different. The car in the drive way looked like it belonged in the 40's. I immediately ran to the front door and tried to warn who ever was inside of this maniac I banged on the door and when no one answered I tried to look in the window. I saw movement and was filled with dread. I kicked the front door in and saw the first body, as I walked through the house I found two dead adults and the bodies of three young children. Before I entered my room I knew what I would find, as I walked in I immediately looked at the figure in black sitting in my closet on the chair. Although his face was masked I could feel his hatred as he stared at me and I collapsed.
When I awoke the builders said I had only been out for a few moments. I sent them home and have been trying to figure out what had happened ever since." He droned out to me as if he was watching the scenes unfold in his mind.
"Well did he look familiar? Did you know him? Was there anything familiar about him" I said slightly panicked.
Only silence answered my questions. I knew something was wrong as I rushed over.
Now lying on the grass I couldn’t figure out what had happened to him. The sirens were only moments away and I prayed they would speed up.
Jack suddenly coughed and leapt up.
"NO....." he screamed.
I stepped towards him to try to calm him down but he continued to scream.
"YOU DONT UNDERSTAND" he screamed looking around" HIS FACE, THE MASKED FACE. I SAW WHAT HE LOOKED LIKE" He grabbed me so hard I wince and he presses his face close to mine.
"It was the face of my grandfather...............MY FACE."
He turned and ran into the burning building. I stood stunned as the police and fire brigade rushed around me shouting and pushing me. As the roof of Jack Egan’s house caved in I collapsed.