The Museum, by D. Avery
“Guess I don’t have to worry too much about getting mowed down by exiters”, he chuckled at the hand painted sign that he read out loud to himself, “Caution, Entrance Only”, and continued down the tree shaded lane and into the grassed parking lot of the Museum of Memories and Moments, already pleased with his decision to check out this quirky sounding private museum somewhat off the beaten track, even more pleased when he noted that many of the cars in the parking lot were potential museum pieces themselves, some dating back many decades.
Taking roads less traveled and making impulsive stops at unusual sites was the theme of his meandering road trip across the country, begun soon after his wife finally died, which, he would agree, doesn’t sound so good in the telling, unless one knew that she had suffered from Alzheimer’s and that he had mourned her passing years ago even as he stuck by her side, learning to do for himself as he learned to do for her.
Now he was on an extended vacation, the type of unfocused and unplanned trip that she never would have enjoyed but that gave him the time and space he needed before facing the empty house and a life without her, unencumbered now, but truly alone.
Having seen not one other person, not even the proprietor, he surmised that it was an honor system, expected to pay upon exiting, a cash donation stuffed into a lock box, and he wandered in and out of the old buildings, intrigued by the eclectic displays and intricate models, philosophizing whether it was the collection or the collector being presented for scrutiny, continuing in this manner until a diorama stopped him cold.
When he saw in perfect scale and detail the museum and its buildings as well as the parking lot with the antique and vintage cars he had seen earlier, but including his own late model car, he hurried back to the parking lot, went to its edge, the “Entrance Only” sign visible through the glass wall that contained him.
He went back to the museum grounds, somehow knowing that he’d find his house, but unsure what would be on exhibit, hoping that somehow she might be there, his wife before her illness.
*****
The prompt word for Six Sentence Stories this week is “sign”. As always, thank you Denise from girlieontheedge for the prompt. Go to the link up to participate or to read other responses from the Six Sentence gang. Join in!
You may check out, but you cannot leave. Interesting story!
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Thanks for checking this story out. It went in a weird direction. Oh well.
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Dementia and Alzheimer’s are so difficult to work with when the memory fades and the feeling is that of being lost! Very sad. Great Piece.
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Thanks for coming by, I appreciate that.
Six sentences is fun. Join in.
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Very well crafted!
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Thank you Reena.
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Nice 6! 🙂
Loved your take on it!
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Thanks. Glad you came by.
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My pleasure! 🙂
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Interesting read… loved the ending. Hope is what keeps us going.
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Thanks. Although I’m not sure if this is a good ending for the character.
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Ooh, spooky. I’m a bit fearful for his future, even if his house and wife are there, possibly more if his house and wife are there, I wouldn’t like to be trapped in an old museum in the past or any time. I’m probably old enough to be a museum piece, though, hehehe. Actually some artefacts from my childhood, and even more recent than that, are on display in museums.
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When I started this I only knew about the sign and that he would not be able to leave. In explaining him being there his background emerged. At first I did not include the last paragraph but decided to after all that. They’d been through that much together, why not this situation to?
Ha! Yes, it is interesting to see the toys and such that you had as a kid displayed in the antique shops.
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Well, it’s an interesting story. Why not this too?
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Good six. Liked the direction. And there are days when I’m looking for the exit!
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There is no exit.
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I knew this story was going to lead to the other side ;). You have a gift for painting pictures with words and engaging the mind.
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Thank you so much. But to be honest, I have no idea what’s going on here, other than he is trapped.
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On the other side of life is what I read. But I guess sometimes we are all trapped in our own Museums of Moments and Memories
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I appreciate your interpretations as this in particular was left open for interpretation.
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Excellent 6. Being a longtime fan of Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone, this surely would make a great episode!
Little did your character know he would be taking a very special kind of road trip…of the permenant kind.
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Ha! Thanks, I like that.
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you totally had me at
“…Caution, Entrance Only”, and continued down the tree shaded lane and into the grassed parking lot of the Museum of Memories and Moments.
The ‘concept’ of this Six is one that informs (or infuses (whatever) (lol)) most of my fiction, at least the SOC variety, here though I get out my magnifying glass and look for that thing that gives your story the … ’emotional content’, that makes the characters real.*
Excellent Six, yo
*real in the only sense that can matter in writing, characters that the Reader can identify with
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Thanks, glad you liked it.
SOC?
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Stream Of Conscious
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duh. Thanks
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speaking of ‘duh’, the crown is mine… I meant to type Stream Of Consciousness
bit of a detail, gots to slow down/speed up when writing comments
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Interesting how many different interpretations there are to your SSS. I think this is the “sign” of a very good story.
For me, I wondered if he wasn’t perhaps showing some behaviors, thinking of someone with Alzheimer’s and becoming trapped in a museum of memories and moments.
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I have enjoyed the interpretations. Yours is an interesting take. Hmm. No, I still just don’t know. I do feel a bit mean in leaving him there encased and entrapped, but there he remains.
Thank you for coming by and sharing your thoughts.
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