The woman at the doorstep

The tallest tower in the city has lost its top floor and canopy. It has been a landmark and tourist attraction for as long as citizens can remember.

It was raining heavily and people are still guessing and gossiping, if it was an air attack or violent thunder. Visibility was poor and radar screens were not catching signals.

The newsreaders on TV have something more sensational to report. A woman lost her life in the mishap. It is not clear if she was a victim or miscreant.

The name shakes me out of my reverie. It sounds like mine.

I look into the mirror. My image is intact, and I display no signs of being a ghost.

What could have happened? Do we have name sakes? But two? I don’t recall going anywhere near the tower for the last few months.

I decide not to call the police, to avoid the media flocking at my doorstep. But the doorbell rings.

I see a woman who looks like me, but is dressed differently on the door. She is wearing boots and holds an umbrella. I’m too shocked to ask her to come in.

“Who are you?”

“Someone you left behind a long time ago, but is ready to take you into the future.”

A pregnant silence follows.

“I guess the police is looking for you. They assume you are dead.”

“Oh… didn’t that happen a long time ago? Will you let me come into your present abode?”

“Present abode? This is the only place I own.”

“Well, you have lived in different places and different bodies in the past. Do you look exactly like you did two decades ago?”

I don’t know what she is arriving at, but involuntarily I move to let her in.

She heads towards the balcony to look at the sky. I feel dizzy as the sky looks like an expansive mirror showing different scenarios. I’ve been there before, but when?

You need to keep moving. You need to keep changing…. Her voice seems to come from afar, from the top of the tower.

You need to blow the top to reveal what lies at the core. It opens new doorways.

News channels report that a woman was found dead in her apartment. There is no mention of the tower being blown up, as if it never happened.

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Reena’s Xploration Challenge #289