After all, there had on rare occasions been a balmy winter day that had caught the emerging bulbs and buds off guard, but this was not one of those kinds. He idly scratched a little round window in the ice and peered out.
No one was about at this time of the morning as it was barely light enough to see, but something red and yellow fluttered at the end of the road. Unlocking the door Thrumps was instantly clad in clothing fit for the time of year. He hunched the duffle coat up around his neck and pulled up the fur-lined hood before venturing out. Crunching his way forward he found the street cordoned off with a policeman positioned at either side.
He nodded in their direction.
“Something happening officer?” he asked.
The policeman closest to him eyed him with suspicion.
“Where did you come from?”
Thrumps indicated back towards the blazing lights of The Emporium.
“But no one is allowed down there, it’s off limits.”
Thrumps frowned. “I’ve just come from there,” he said pointing to his footsteps, clearly visible in the fresh snow.
“Impossible,” the coppers said in unison. “We cleared that area last night and no one, I repeat No One was left behind.”
“Well clearly I was.” Thrumps offered, more of a question than a statement.
Sometime in the night The Emporium had relocated and silently slotted itself into the deserted street. Thrumps considered that as a possible answer but decided against it.
“I sleep very soundly,” he offered lamely.
They all nodded, none of them actually buying that as a likely explanation.
“So,” began Thrumps. “What is going on?”
“Blimey,” one said shaking his head. “You been asleep all week mate?”
Thrumps knew he had to be careful here, it could be a trap of some kind.
“I don’t have a television.” He hoped that would work. It didn’t.
“Step behind the line please sir.” The stocky copper said whilst the other held the tape up. Thrumps did as he was told but didn’t move away.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “Why on earth can I not go back to my shop?”
“It’s best you don’t sir, strange things are happening down there.”
Thrumps peered down towards The Emporium, all looked quiet.
“Like what?” He asked. “You see I don’t usually go out and well, I just never really know what is going on in the real world unless someone tells me.”
Stocky-cop shrugged. “Sink holes.” He said it as if it would instantly answer all known questions.
“Sink holes,” Thrumps repeated slowly. The coppers nodded.
“That’s the official line anyway.”
“Ahh,” Thrumps said leaning closer. “So what is really happening?”
That was all it took for them to spill all they knew about the situation.
Apparently, sometime in the previous night the shoe shop had simply disappeared. One second it was there and then when the young couple, that had only minutes before been buying, or rather returning what they deemed as shoddy goods, looked back, and it had vanished.
Naturally they had called the police and the powers that be had cordoned off the area and attributed the result of the collapse to underground mines. Thrumps was informed there were police at the other end of the street as well and they had strict instructions that it was off limits to everyone.
“Could you show me where the space is?” Thrumps asked.
They looked suspiciously at him.
“Why?”
“Well my dear fellow, I have just walked down there,” he again pointed to the footprints, “and I am not aware of any such hole.”
The coppers both gazed in the direction he was pointing. The day had woken itself up a bit by now, just enough to cast an eerie light on the scene. Sure enough the buildings were all a neatly ordered commercial thoroughfare, with no missing buildings.
Hurriedly the two police officers ran the length of the street, startling the ones at the other end.
“It’s gone.” Thrumps heard them declare.
“What’s gone?”
“The hole, it’s not there.”
Thrumps smiled as the front door opened to let him in and closed itself with a satisfying click.
Now then he thought. I can’t wait to read all about that in the morning papers.