He woke with a start and was disorientated by his surroundings. He had expected to wake in the church in La Hulpe, but he was not there. He was in a small bed with a clean white sheet pulled over him and his head was on a soft, white pillow. He looked around him and saw that the room was small and cosy. Light was coming in through a small window that illuminated a modest looking dresser which had a porcelien wash basin on it. The basin was decorated with hand painted flowers.
Before he called out he wanted to test his strength so he tentatively stretched his legs out of the bed and stood up. He immediately felt the room begin to spin and he sat down quickly onto the firm mattress. The floor was bare and cold on his bare feet but there was a simple rug on the floor and he shuffled himself along the bed so that his feet were on the thin material. The rug itself was frayed and worn from years of use.
Beside the bed was a single nightstand and on top of this was a single candle in a brass candle holder. He briefly caught sight of himself in a small mirror on the wall beside the nightstand.
'Who are you?" he asked his reflection.
THe door to the room was made ok oak and looked sturdy. It was shut but he could hear footsteps somewhere beyond it. He could not make out if they were right outside or further away in the house, or wherever he was. He listened to the creaking footfalls and realised they were getting closer. Suddenly panicked he got back into bed and pulled the sheet up to his chest,
The door, which had been locked, clicked open and then creaked under pressure from whoever was pushing it. A head poked itself quickly around the door. The owner of the head was a boy aged about 12. He had curly, brown hair looked like it had never been brushed and brown eyes that seemed to gleam with the curiosity of youth. His cheeks were flushed and glowed with energy. When he saw that Lazarus was awake, he smiled warmly.
"Hello, I'm Samuel" he said. "Who are you?"
"I don't know" Lazarus replied. "I was hoping you might know."
"Why should I know who you are" the boy asked. "And how come you don't know? That's silly."
The boy was still half in and half out of the room.
"It's a long story Samuel and it's hard to explain" Lazarus said.
"I have time, I like stories" the boy said with a childish grin.
The boy stepped fully into the room and the man saw that the boy was still dressed in his night clothes.
"Is it morning Samuel?"
"Yes, just past seven" the boy said. "You have been sleeping for nearly a whole day."
"A whole day!" Lazarus was shocked.
"Mr Jennings, the churchwarden, found you passed out in the graveyard and called my father to come help you. My father is the village doctor, just like my grandfather before him." Samuel said this with pride.
" Then I should like to thank them both."
Suddenly a woman's voice came shouting from somewhere below.
"Samuel!, Are you in with the stranger?"
"Damn" he swore,"Sorry sir, I must go. My mother will tan my hide if she finds out I disturbed you. But I wanted to see for myself."
"Then go, before she catches you."
Samuel turned to leave then stopped, turned back to Lazarus and smiled broadly. "I am glad that you woke up."
With that he slipped quietly out of the room and relocked the door.
Lazarus heard the boy go down the stairs and then a muffled conversation between Samuel and his mother. She was talking about him lying to her and he kept denying any responsibility. Eventually, as mothers seem to know how, he was worn down and admitted he had spoken to the stranger.
Lazatus heard the woman say, "Then go get your father and Mr Spring, quickly now."
He went to the window and looked out. Samuel, still dressed in his nightgown, ran into the street and disappeared around a corner. Lazarus decide there was little he could do so he sat back down and waited.
He began to feel strange again, Like the feeling of deja-vu he had felt before. He went back to the window and looked harder. Through the dirty glass he could see a house, it was large and grey and surrounded by trees. Only the top floors were visible above the little copse that encircled it. He could't see the lower floors of the house, but he knew it. He knew it.
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