This week two prompts led me back to a mystical shop that first appeared HERE as a Six Sentence Story. A month later the What-You-Seek Boutique was again featured as a setting for a Carrot Ranch prompt. The current Carrot Ranch prompt is to, in 99 words (no more, no less), write a story inspired by the idea, “for a day.” So here is one take in 99 words and six sentences.
Denise, of GirlieontheEdge, will open the link Wednesday at six for Six Sentence Stories that feature the word “exchange“.
The Exchange by D. Avery
“What you’re looking for is certainly here, but is it what you need?” The twinkle in the old man’s eyes turned sharp as he cautioned, “Consider the cost.”
“Someone or something from my past to spend a day with? — that’s a priceless gift.”
“To revisit what was for what might be,” he said, handing her an old mirror, “Giving up a present day, still charged with possibility— it’s a costly exchange.”
The mirror was identical to one she’d had as a little girl, the one that had once belonged to her grandmother. “The past is for reflection, not reliving.”
ShiftnShake 
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful story with an excellent message… i really like this, Diana.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wise advice. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s at least something to consider.
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Food for thought. However I’m not sure “Giving up a present day, still charged with possibility..” is necessarily a bad thing when you’re present is crap and you are in need of touching base with when it wasn’t.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, there is that. The past can be good ground to stand on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wowwwwww, I love this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike
Welcome 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice, profound story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. This little shop showed up in a Six about two years a go and wanted to be aired again with these combined prompts. It’s an intriguing place.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is interesting 👍🏼
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the wisdom in your story, D. There’s no going back, only forward.
On Australia’s Coat of Arms, two animals are featured: the kangaroo and the emu. As well as being iconic Australian animals, they were chosen because they can only move forwards, not back.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I did not know that, about the reason for those two being on the flag. Cool.
And thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And some people eat them both. Just as well the bald eagle is inedible. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gulp. They are?
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I think it’s cool too. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: #99Word Stories; For a day | ShiftnShake
The past is not reflection, not reliving… Profound! It’s just what happened, something that we are reluctant to acknowledge.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Yes, the past is interesting and important, but this character keeps returning to this shop spending her time looking for something already done rather than digging in and moving forward.
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.’
I like your piece and tend to agree that we should never go back…
LikeLiked by 1 person
So many like to visit that foreign country. But they shouldn’t stay away too long from their present one.
LikeLike
Interesting that you say that, D, because I always go back to Scotland for August.
I visit family and friends, walk hills and beaches, cities and castles, and love every minute of it.
And after 4 weeks I can’t wait to come home.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good story, D. I like ‘The past is for reflection, not for reliving.’
That said, there are still a couple of historical figures I’d like to have dinner with, just for a chat!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. As for your dinner dates, Write on!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Simple, engaging and insightful. What we all (except when we’re in Cinerama mode) aspire to with these storyettes. You have set the bar.
(Trying to resist the siren call of ‘Imagine this’…. but, since I didn’t say it first, it’s safe for me to contribute the wonderful observation, “You can’t step in the same river twice.”)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Clark. I imagined you were the author of that observation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I wish.
Most sources attribute it to Heraclitus, one of the legion of old, dead guys who seemingly said virtually everything cool… (including, “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members.”)
LikeLiked by 3 people
Heraclitus police…step on the sidewalk, sir. lol
LikeLiked by 3 people
good story with a message. good job
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLike
Indeed, think deeply. Reliving the past too much might unfit you for a better future. Also, if you give up a day in exchange for it, how do you know how many days you have left after? If it turned out to be your last, would you regret it?
LikeLiked by 3 people
You bring up so many points to consider! Thanks!
LikeLike
Sometimes the lady or the tiger is located behind the mirror you pick up in a dusty old curiosity shop.
Brilliant flash!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really agree with the last sentence, in the sense that living in the past makes you blind to today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The past should inform the present, but you’re right, one could overstay there and lose sight of the present.
LikeLike
When everything is already commented, I can only tend to the gathering fire, as I sit with the rest listening to your words.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for tending the fire. It’s a good gathering, and warm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I too am of the school of thought – “The past is for reflection, not reliving.”
By the time we arrive at the age we believe we’d want to relive an experience in the past, memory and experience has masked the reality of it through rose colored glasses.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well said. Memory is a trickster.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent, D, thoughtful and scary. I tend to agree there’s no going back. Are our memories even that reliable to warrant a journey?
“Giving up a present day, still charged with possibility— it’s a costly exchange.” Cool line. Agree… imagine if the day you gave up was the day you were due to strike some kind of gold!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Everyday’s a gamble for that gold. Might as well start digging.
Thanks for your kind comments. I enjoyed exploring this shop again through these prompts.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Pingback: For a Day Collection « Carrot Ranch Literary Community