Category : Stories
Sub Category : Fantasy
The dark hallway of this abandoned home has a thick layer of dust. The whole place has a strange, familiar sense about it. Three old doors sit closed in the passage containing barren and dusty rooms.
I thought it strange that the only thing remaining in the house was a tall standing mirror that the previous owner had taken odd measures to keep in place. The place is old, creepy, dusty and a little bit mysterious but at least it’s mine.
After years of hard work and saving I am finally living my dream. My own house, my own business, and no baggage holding me down. The only item left on the to do list is to choose which bedroom I would sleep in.
The bedroom with the mirror is the master bedroom. Being larger than the other by a good margin made it a clear favorite. If the room did not have that strange mirror it would have been an easy choice. Can I really bring myself to sleep next to such a creepy artifact?
In the end there is no real choice. The master bedroom is where I am going to sleep, creepy mirror or no creepy mirror. Maybe someday I will figure out how to move it, for now it's getting late and both the truck and my inventory arrive early in the morning.
I lay out my blanket and pillow and lay down. As exhaustion sets in I fantasize about my new bookstore and how it's going to look.
I soon find myself in a strange jungle while still under my blanket. Birds make strange noises I have never heard before.
I sit up and look around. Around me I can see strange tropical trees with fruit I don't recognize. The air is humid and hot like somewhere on the equator. In the distance I can hear all manner of animals, many of which I could never identify.
I look around in amazement at the strange new place with fascination. As I start to get up and look around the world starts to change. Slowly it becomes more like a usual dream for me.
The next morning comes with an alarm on my phone. I go about my usual morning routine and head downstairs to the front door. The large open concept area was perfect for the shop I had planned. This quaint little town was in need of a little book shop. The owner of their last passed away.
Living above the shop was going to lower the costs of operating the shop and allow him to supply more inventory. The people here have a particular love of books so it should be easy to stay in business. For now, I need breakfast.
A block away is a cute little cafe that serves all day breakfast. A middle aged waitress greets me as I sit down at the counter.
“Good to see you again. Folks around here are sure excited for your new shop I tell you what.”
“That's good news, but for now a good breakfast would help me get my day started.”
“Sure thing, what do you fancy?”
“Toasted western on whole wheat with a whole boatload of coffee.”
“Coming up!” she replies jotting a quick note on her notepad.
Looking around me I notice the shop is a little busy. Several tables have just a single person reading a book. A few have couples ignoring each other for the preference of the same book. It was almost as strange as the jungle in my dream last night. Anywhere else people would be on their phones ignoring each other.
When my meal is finished and I have consumed an adequate amount of coffee I pay my bill with a joke about not getting a discount and part ways with the shop. I have a long day ahead of me.
