The Stairs on the Other Side

The Album

She was carrying something up the stairs. Up, up she went. The steps seemed endless. The air was thick and Ellie couldn't see well. Whatever she had in her hand was causing her to lose balance. Looking down, she noticed a broom and dustpan duo leaning against her hip. Her striped pajama pants were dirty; the dust catching on the white cotton. She coughed and tucked back a stray hair behind her ear. Ahead was a subtle light and she headed in that direction. Up, up, more stairs. Finally reaching the top of the staircase, she put down the broom and dustpan and looked around. 

Another second floor. Another house. More doors. The doors were always quizzical to her; why so many? Her house had only three doors lining the upstairs hallway, but in her dreams, there were always endless doors. Endless possibilities, she thought. 

Her feet were comfortable on the carpet lining the hallway. Carpet. This must be a different house, thought Ellie. The hallway from the dream with Annette had wooden floors. Hmmm, what does this dream have for me, she wondered. 

There were pictures on the wall of this hallway. Gone was the rose studded wallpaper and white washed walls. These walls were lined with photograph after photograph with gaudy gold frames. Some faces were serious and regal; others playful and mysterious. She inspected the people in them for any sort of familiarity. Shaking her head, Ellie continued down the hallway. There was music playing towards the front of the hallway and she walked towards it. 

She stopped as she made it to the window looking out to the street. Peering outside, Ellie saw tiny white flakes coming down in streams - it was snowing! She noticed a chill coming from the window and turned towards what she knew would be the attic door. The music was coming from a record player. 

Funny, thought Ellie, I haven't seen this kind of record player in awhile. 

Her father still had his record player and Neil Diamond records stored under the VCR in the living room, but this one was much older. The music was sweet and lovely and almost encouraged her to keep going.  Something or someone was trying to tell her important information. Why else would she be brought to differing versions of the house on the other side? Maybe tonight she'd find out more and she turned and headed up to the attic.

Now, Ellie was sitting in an old arm chair. Gone was the furniture from the 19th century; the items surrounding her were more recent, but still not her era.  An old Singer sewing machine sat to the left and a beaded lamp to her right. Maybe the 50's or 60's?  The  brown shag carpet and record player in the hallway also contributed to her conjecture. Next to her,  a bright red photo album sat on table with the beaded lamp and she pulled it into her lap. 

The album was a bit boring. Rather than a chronological family album that she was familiar with, this book had a hodgepodge of photographs, articles, and newspaper clippings scattered through it.  There were old school photos; the ones with the whole class in rows and the teacher at the bottom. She was about to put it down, when she noticed the old, yellowed pictures at the back. It was almost as if someone had haphazardly placed them in the album.

Ellie looked closely at the pictures. They were much, much older. There were mostly portraits, similar to the photographs lining the hallway, but were worn at the edges and starting to fade. The figures in the pictures were stiff and formal. A couple was in one and the man had his hand gently placed on the lady's shoulder. She was seated and carrying a baby with a lace hat. Neither were smiling.  After the photographs, newspaper articles about the Civil War were placed randomly about. Some were from The Union Leader - Ellie recognized the name instantly; the newspaper in her town was called the very same thing. Hmmm. 

Then, there were others from different parts of the country - some New York, some Kansas City, Missouri. She paused to look at a picture with a group of women in it. It was different from the rest of the items in the book - it had been cut out of a newspaper. It was a row of women of various ages and they were gathered around a podium. From the background, Ellie could see tall buildings and trees. The women were smiling, as if something great had just happened.