Status: Rough.
The Gift Shop
02.
Amber pushed open the heavy old door, the cold brass handle making her hairs stick up on end.
Inside the whole room was filled with colour.
Old toys, trinkets, chairs, puzzle boxes, wall hangings and objects she couldn't even begin to explain were cluttered around the room. Things piled up on boxes, piled up on books, piled up on drawers, piled up on strange unnameable items and so on. There was hardly much room to move.
Her favourite object and the thing that caught her eye every time she stepped through the door was the old silver sphere that sat upon a shelf in the corner of the room. It was small and dusty and it hadn't seemed to have been moved or even noticed in a very long time.
She moved the old boxes off of the counter and sat down on the old antique chair.
It was quiet as usual and the smell of dust and old paper was stronger than usual. She decided that she'd finally have a proper look at the things she was supposedly selling.
Her eyes fixated on the tiny sphere, she decided she'd start there.
Amber grabbed one of the old step ladders and climbed up to reach the the top shelf. Grasping the little silver ball and avoiding most of the dust and what appeared to be mouse droppings, she placed her rested her other hand along the top of the shelf to keep her balance, rubbing the puzzling object with her thumb.
She climbed down the ladder again and only just missing a few other mysteries yet to unfold, made her way back toward the counter.
"You're so much smaller than you looked on the shelf.." She whispered to herself.
Amber grabbed the hem of her blouse and dusted off the little silver sphere.
It shone bright under the dim desk light and as she looked closer she could make out just a little bit of writing carved across the center of it.
She took her glasses out of her coat pocket to get a better look.
"It's in another language?"
She ran her fingers across the letters and read aloud.
"Som-... Somniis de stellis, et cum dil... er.. diligentia cuncta vis."
Her head spun with confusion and wonder.
"What does it mean?"
She wished for a moment that she'd brought her laptop with her, then she could maybe just google it and find out.
But, something about being in the old gloomy room made her feel like maybe that was cheating and maybe it would take the fun out of the mystery.
Nonetheless she decided she still had some researching to do.
Inside the whole room was filled with colour.
Old toys, trinkets, chairs, puzzle boxes, wall hangings and objects she couldn't even begin to explain were cluttered around the room. Things piled up on boxes, piled up on books, piled up on drawers, piled up on strange unnameable items and so on. There was hardly much room to move.
Her favourite object and the thing that caught her eye every time she stepped through the door was the old silver sphere that sat upon a shelf in the corner of the room. It was small and dusty and it hadn't seemed to have been moved or even noticed in a very long time.
She moved the old boxes off of the counter and sat down on the old antique chair.
It was quiet as usual and the smell of dust and old paper was stronger than usual. She decided that she'd finally have a proper look at the things she was supposedly selling.
Her eyes fixated on the tiny sphere, she decided she'd start there.
Amber grabbed one of the old step ladders and climbed up to reach the the top shelf. Grasping the little silver ball and avoiding most of the dust and what appeared to be mouse droppings, she placed her rested her other hand along the top of the shelf to keep her balance, rubbing the puzzling object with her thumb.
She climbed down the ladder again and only just missing a few other mysteries yet to unfold, made her way back toward the counter.
"You're so much smaller than you looked on the shelf.." She whispered to herself.
Amber grabbed the hem of her blouse and dusted off the little silver sphere.
It shone bright under the dim desk light and as she looked closer she could make out just a little bit of writing carved across the center of it.
She took her glasses out of her coat pocket to get a better look.
"It's in another language?"
She ran her fingers across the letters and read aloud.
"Som-... Somniis de stellis, et cum dil... er.. diligentia cuncta vis."
Her head spun with confusion and wonder.
"What does it mean?"
She wished for a moment that she'd brought her laptop with her, then she could maybe just google it and find out.
But, something about being in the old gloomy room made her feel like maybe that was cheating and maybe it would take the fun out of the mystery.
Nonetheless she decided she still had some researching to do.
♠ ♠ ♠
I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but hopefully it's alright. Ha.