Ale’s Gift Shop
Everything seemed to be made of gold. My eyes started skipping through the array of
trinkets that were scattered across the gift shop and the way they exuded the blinding
dazzle of the sun gleaming through the tiny windows.
I stepped onto the freshly polished floor and, for fifteen seconds, I gazed at my own
reflection in awe. Was that truly me, with the porcelain skin and shimmering, blonde
hair? Or have I merely entered a fairy tale? The contrast between the dull outside world
and the ethereal colours of orchids and peonies in bouquets was astounding. Even the
vacant streets teeming with hasty people seemed more joyful in the paintings hanged
symmetrically onto the sky blue walls.
In what seemed to be the cosiest corner of the gift shop laid an enormous, golden
telescope surrounded by homey sofas, buried in fleecy blankets and muddled cushions.
It was pointing at the sky, almost tempting you to look through it. Bewildered, I peeked
at the strangely high ceiling; golden comets and glittering stardust, a multitude of silver
moons and constellations painted on a navy blue wall, and the magical sound of a G note
played on the mysterious piano in the middle of the shop, Beethoven’s Moonlight
Sonata now filling every corner of the room.
Sadly though, some moments are like a star. They explode within an instant, and take
with them all the memories you’ve gathered so far; and so, when the piano stops
playing, I wake up.