Golden Closet Novels & Stories

Between bites of food that tasted like ashes, I conducted a reconnaissance of my gilded prison: The Walk-In Closet:Rows of designer garments all my exact size hung like skinned carcasses. Tags still attached. "How did he know my size?" I starred at the closet puzzles The Suite Bathroom: A mirror that refused to fog no matter how much steam filled the room. The "Gift": A pearl-handled letter opener left on my pillow, its edge honed to surgical sharpness. Too fine for paper. Just right for arteries. Could this be a test? A threat? A game?

His handwriting was thin and neat, hard to read at a glance. I pushed on another door and found myself in a closet. The air inside smelled faintly of clean linen and faint cologne. Rows of black shirts hung neatly in place, alongside a few white ones. Shoes lined the lower shelves, polished until they almost shone. I stood there for a while, quietly surprised. Somehow I had imagined Perth’s closet would be empty—just a few things thrown together. But this… it was almost painfully organized. When I closed the door again, I spotted another one near the far corner. I tried the handle, but it didn’t move. Locked.

"Open the closet. Look for the black velvet jewelry box on the top shelf." I walk into the walk-in closet. It's bigger now—she knocked down a wall to expand it. My clothes are long gone, replaced by racks of sequins and fur. I scan the shelves, memories flashing like strobe lights. Alexander buttoning his shirt here. Me laughing as I tried on dresses. This room is filled with ghosts. And now, it is tainted. I spot the black box. I reach up, ignoring the twitch in my side, and pull it down.

Turning around, he walked out of his apartment–sized bathroom and made his way out of his room towards his closet. His closet was in an entirely different room from his bedroom or rather, the entrance to his closet was in another room while his closet was a totally different part of the entire mansion. It was in the room directly opposite his bedroom and it was embedded into the ground like an underground basement but instead of the usual underground door or displaced floorboard like the normal average people had, his was encased with a transparent dome–shaped case.

Gavin ordered the bodyguards at the door. After they left, Gavin returned to the closet. The safe was built into the inside of the wardrobe, tucked into a corner the light couldn’t reach. But although the safe looked large from the outside, there wasn’t much space inside. The five poisoned darts on the floor should have been enough to fill it. There shouldn’t be any other hidden weapons. Gavin tossed a flashlight into the safe. Nothing happened. The flashlight also lit up the inside of the safe completely. There was a small box inside.

It gave way. It was a small room with shelves lined with bottles and boxes—pills and vials and medical supplies I couldn’t identify. There was a supply closet at the back, barely big enough for two people, and it was dark. I hated darkness. Hated small spaces. But it wasn’t like I had options. I slipped inside the closet and pulled the door closed, barely breathing in the congested space. The smell of dust and chemicals filled my nose. My own heartbeat was so loud I was sure he could hear it from the hallway.

They were running out of time. Aurum and Gale were in a cheap-looking small motel in a secluded alley. It was next to an old residential area, dirty and messy, with broken things everywhere. The air carried a musty smell. In a corner room, Aurum gently placed Gale on the bed. She was so beautiful and pure. She made the humble motel room look more upscale. This was a place that someone of Aurum's status would never set foot in their entire life. However, he had to be here. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you temporarily, Gale. I also want our first time to leave a perfect impression on you. In the future... I'll make it up to you," Aurum said. The soundproofing of the room was extremely poor.

It was replaced by built-in cabinets in an off-white finish. Every trace of my life, from books, awards, to pictures, was missing. The space was now furnished with clothes, bags, and shoes. My room in the apartment I had paid for had been converted into Cass’ walk-in closet.

It almost seemed like he had been preparing for this. I walked into the closet and an audible gasp left my lips. Wait….it…it wasn't this big the last time I came in here. How was it so gigantic now? Two king beds could comfortably sit in the closet. The spaces were demarcated by colours. Stephan's cabinet had a steel grey colour while mine carried a milky white glow. I walked to.the undies rack, slipped the diary underneath a sea of panties and covered it up. If he found it, I could accuse him of being a pervert.

“Okay. Tomorrow.” He leaves the archive, the heavy door closing behind him with a soft thud. I stay where I am for a few seconds, listening to the echo of his footsteps fade on the stairs above. Only when I’m sure he’s gone do I move. The key around my neck feels heavier as I walk to the small unmarked door at the back. It looks like any other storage closet. It isn’t. I unlock it and slip inside. The room is windowless, lit by a single overhead light that hums faintly. Shelves line the walls, stacked with boxes labeled in codes instead of names. Along one side, there’s a row of sleek metal cabinets with digital locks.