Extend the Story - Add a Room

You step out of the elevator and into the mill. You hear the old wood creek beneath your feet, Ahead of you is a long hallway, the high ceilings show exposed pipe and ductwork, with lightbulbs on thick, black wires crisscrossing between the storefronts. The area gives you the feel of being outside without the harsh winds of the outdoors.

To your left is a record store with a man on a stool talking on the phone to a buyer about a shipment coming in. As you walk further you see a store that sells vintage ceramic tea sets, hairbrushes, and other nic-nacks, a store that sells animal parts such as antlers and wool, and a small cafe that sells gourmet coffees and pastries.Eventually you find a small hole-in-the-wall door with a black sign with white writing loosely hung above the door that read “Henry’s Healings and Hopes Apothecary. Est. 1811”.

You step into the store and you’re bombarded with the smell of rosemary, rose petals, and soap. The walls of the dimly lit store are covered in jars of all shapes and sizes filled with herbs with a center display of handmade soaps. There's only one window in the small store and it's made of stained glass, shedding a rainbow of colors onto the wooden floors. You approach the window, looking at the intricate artwork. The picture depicts a dark demon looking figure at the top, made of dark navy glass. On the bottom, a light colored woman in white who looks like an angel is speared by the demon's spear, but is throwing a lightening bolt back at him. The scene seems oddly biblical for an apothecary.

“May I help you, missss?” a snake-like voice startles you.

You turn around and find a man in a top hat with a purple ribbon. The man is tall and so thin that you question if he’s eaten this week. His completely white eyes stare blankly and you don’t even know if he’s looking at you. You feel uneasy and the wood begins to creak beneath your feet as you shift.

“I have bad dreams” you say matter-of-factly.

“Bad dreamss?” the man begins, “About what exactly?”

You raise an eyebrow, “Does that really matter?”

“I can only help you, if I know what is wrong.”

After a minute of questioning you decide to tell him, “Black smoke. I run from black smoke.”

His eyebrows go up in surprise and you can’t help but feel like he knows something you don’t. He walks over to the nearest wall, pulling vases off the shelves. With each vase he opens it, smells the contents, and either shakes his head or pours some onto a small antique plate. After a while, he turns around and smiles, showing an array of poor teeth.

“If you brew this in hot water and drink the contents, you will no longer dream about the black smoke.” He says, slipping the contents into a mesh bag.

“What is in it?” you ask, unsure.

“Mostly herbs, a few minerals, and sssome things to help ease you.” he says, smiling down at you.

How bad could herbs and minerals be? And if all you have to do is drink a tea before going to sleep, that seems like a reasonable solution. You nod and the man’s smile grows bigger. You pay the man from your tips for the day and decide to head home.

Once in your apartment you make dinner, clean up, and watch television. After finishing, you go to the kitchen and boil some water. You pour the water over the contents of the bag into a coffee mug. The water immediately turns a deep gold color, like honey. You set the mug down on your bedroom side table as you get dressed into a white nightgown.

Sitting on your bed, you hold the warm mug in your hands. You sniff at the brew, it smells sweet. You place the mug to your lips and take a long sip. You feel yourself immediately start to get drowsy. A yawn escapes your lips as you fall down into the plush white bedding. Your eyes close and you fall into a deep, dark sleep.

~~~~~

You hear birds chirping and feel wind rolling against your skin. You lay, smiling. It worked. You didn’t dream of black smoke. You went a whole night without waking up. The guy may have been creepy, but he saved your life.

You open your eyes. It’s a sunny day. Until you realize groggily, you’re not in your bed. You shoot up and look around. You’re lying under a large tree on the edge of a field. The blue sky above you has birds flying through.You don’t know where you are and you have never been here before. At the edge of the field you see a dirt road with a sign attached to a pole. A sign pointing right says “The Capital” a sign pointing left says “Huntington”.

Which way do you choose to go?

The Capital