Biding Your Time (IP)

He was red-faced and studded with beads of sweat in the spiring sunshine. The dappled shadow was cool on an otherwise hot day and I had watched him cross the Downs with some curiosity. He was wearing a flat cap and an old brown mac, had little round glasses perched on his nose like Gaffer from the Tetley ads and he had a box under his arm. It can't have been heavy, the way he was swinging it about.

It had looked like he was coming in my direction but it was only when he got close enough for me to see his furrowed brows and cheerful jowls that I realised he was aiming directly at me. I shifted my weight up on to my elbows and waited for his final approach.

'You sir, are precisely the kind of chap I'm looking for.' His accent was common, but his voice was warm and optimistic. 'Today it is my debatable pleasure to offer you something truly unique.'

I didn't really say much, I think I managed; 'Erm...'

'I understand sir, you're sceptical. Who isn't these days, eh?' He laughed to himself at that and mopped his brown with a blue spotty handkerchief. 'Thing is that this 'ere thing is pretty much unique - one of a kind you might say. Well, this year at least...'

'And you'd like to sell it to me, no doubt?' I was trying to be playful in my tone, but so far all I had been offered was an interruption to my relaxing afternoon.

'Not entirely. The thing is that we've had some closures at the plant and we've got some spare, err, assets that need looking after. We're hoping it's a temporary closure you see. Thing is that you were recommended to us by a mutual friend so if it's all right with you I was hoping I could leave this with you. Why don't I show you 'ow it works?'

The rest is a bit blurry, to be honest. I remember that he explained who had recommended me and it had all made perfect sense. I wasn't entirely sure what they made at his plant but he did give me a phone number for his boss - 'Only to be rung in the most direst of circumstances, you understand' - and had me sign a proof of delivery.

As for the box - well apparently it had a spare month in it. He was saying something about the craftsmanship not being quite the same as when they made February but he got very down at that so I moved the conversation on. But this new month was going to extend summer, make it all last a bit longer.

It seems a bit strange to explain this all now, but apparently it's a prototype for when global warming really kicks off later in the century. Apparently there's going to be too much summer to fit into a year so they're just going to sort of slot it in after July when everyone's too busy to notice. The only problem is that they've had their funding cut. I was sure he said, 'Divine providence my arse', but frankly I'm starting to doubt a few things I remember now.

He told me not to open it at all, and definitely not in public. He was very clear about that - 'If you absolutely have to have a look then just do it at home. And shut the curtains.' And whatever happened he said I should keep an eye on the time. 'Nothing lasts forever, if you know what I mean. Especially not months, even brand new ones like this!' He fairly guffawed at his own joke here. 'You be careful though, this new month has 30 days before it expires and that's long enough to lose track in, I reckons.'

I think you would have done exactly what I did next as well. He wandered off back across the Downs when he'd finished and all I knew was that I was completely convinced that he wasn't off his rocker. So I went home, I pulled the curtains shut, I got the scissors to cut the tape and I had a look.

As for what it looked like? Well, it was really bright, being summer. The rest of it looked like the inside of a gemstone or something. There were lots of little hints of images in there. I saw buildings and water, maybe some animals or something. I even saw a face that looked strangely like mine as well. I don't have a beard of course, but otherwise it was an uncanny resemblance.

I was sort of transfixed as I looked at it, so much so that I didn't work out where it ended and the box began. The relationship between the two seemed less important than before, somehow. Not that I was really thinking about that as I reached down to lift it out of the box. I definitely wasn't thinking about anything other than catching my breath as I realised that I wasn't lifting anything, and instead the box was pulling me in.

That was nearly 29 days ago now. It's been quiet here, I haven't seen a soul in fact. It's incredibly hot too. Other than that it looks just like home really. I could tell you all the things that I've done but I'm not sure you'd be that surprised by it. Time gets a bit strange when you're on your own; I remember reading that in books and stuff, but that doesn't really do the sensation justice.

I stopped washing, ended up going everywhere naked, drinking too much and having a look through some people's houses and stuff, given no-one was there; but all of that got boring pretty quickly. I borrowed a car and drove around too fast as well. I learnt all sorts of things about the city I couldn't see before because all the people were in the way. I confess, I did also go to the galleries and feel all the paintings. They've always looked so lifelike that I've wanted to touch the oils and paints. I hope I didn't damage them at all.

But after a week I was bored, you now; like, really bored. So I ended up writing things down, like this. I've been thinking a lot about that phone number. I remember very clearly taking it out of my pocket and sticking that to the notice board before opening the box. Still, no use crying over spilt milk, eh? I've been thinking about how it could all work and what Gaffer told me about it a lot. I've been trying to work out who our mutual friend was as well, with no success. I can't even remember the name of his boss or the company now - they suddenly seem like very important facts too.

I hope that the things I've broken aren't broken when I go home - that would be terrible for the people who owned them. I hope I can take things back with me at the end of the month. I've got a platinum ring I borrowed from a jewellers in my pocket to test the theory. I hope I can go back at the end as well, but I don't like to think about that. It's going to take a while to shave and wash all the dirt off. Maybe I'll get to keep the tan as well.