Sunday 26 August 2012

Mag 132 Big Room


Thanks go to Tess Kincaid who organises and hosts this meme. To read more Magpies please click here.
Big Room , 1948, byAndrew Wyeth

Big Room

I had heard so much about Big Room from my friends but had never visited it, believing, I suppose, that I should only enter it by invitation. After many years of no invitation being issued I gathered my courage and decided to go into it anyway. ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ I asked myself and my friends encouraged me. ‘It’s amazing,’ they said. ‘You won’t be able to believe your eyes.’

I said, ‘Why don’t you come with me?’ but they all demurred, declaring there were other, more pressing claims on their time. ‘Besides,’ they said, ‘We’ve already been there. It wouldn’t be so impressive a second time.’

I thought that was a specious argument but said no more. Having decided I would go I wanted to proceed immediately on my adventure, for that is what it felt like.

It was a cold day when I slipped into the room, but light reflected off the snow sufficient to allow me to see clearly. I was overwhelmed by the vastness of the room. I had never seen such immensity. Everything was larger than life. As I moved forward an enormous head in the window startled me but I soon realised it was no threat to me though I wondered what purpose it served. I tiptoed across the polished floorboards towards the fireplace. There was no fire burning and that surprised me on such a chilly morning. I knew then that the occupant of the room was absent and I relaxed, knowing I would not be disturbed.  Instead of a bright blaze two dogs sat in the grate – I had heard of fire dogs but had always supposed them to be devices to hold logs. These dogs were facsimiles of real creatures, quite attractive in their way, but of no practical use and certainly no danger to me, for all their great size.  I peered up – there were likenesses of people, and two candlesticks, on a shelf above the fireplace. A large clock ticked heavily, its pendulum swinging mesmerically. I gazed at it, all thoughts fleeing my mind. Presently, chimes rang forth, causing me to gasp and stumble and bringing me back to my senses.

There was little else in the room but a circular table on a tall stem. On it I could just make out two rosy shapes. They smelt like apples and as my stomach rumbled I recognised how hungry I was. I should have planned my journey and brought provisions with me.  I was sure the owner wouldn’t begrudge me a little nourishment. He, or she, would have taken the food with them, surely, if they had needed it. The problem was that I couldn’t reach the fruits and even if I had been able to I would never have been capable of lifting them. 

So, exhausted, I returned home to share my experiences with my friends. They brought me refreshments and sympathised with me over the apples. ’We felt the same,’ they said. ‘That’s the trouble with only being two inches tall; it’s very limiting.’ 

28 comments:

  1. Straight from Alice in Wonderland! LOL

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  2. I enjoyed the details of the room ~ From her perspective, it is an enormous room ~ Enjoyed the prose ~

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  3. I really enjoyed the surprise ending. Good work!

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  4. That's true, I couldn't even ride on Arthur if I would mesure 2 inches !

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  5. I LOVE IT and the last line is priceless

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  6. So glad to see the fiction writer in you emerge here again. A great read.

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  7. Hello, nice photo! Let's be friends? Http://lengilochka.blogspot.com

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  8. I was going to say sounds like Alice in wonderland- but the reverse! Fun-

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  9. ha very cool piece....having just watched a cartoon with my sons on the little people that live in the walls (cant think of their names) this was very cool...

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  10. I love your idea of making the narrator shrink in size to explore the big room. A wonderful surprise at the end! Thank you for sharing this interesting adventure, Paige. =D

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  11. Heh! Loved the Ray Bradburyish ending.

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  12. The Borrowers? Lovely post.

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  13. What a great story, loved it.

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  14. I love your descriptions, you have a gift of transporting your reader to the space.

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  15. My children used to watch a show called The Littles about a family who lived under the floorboards. This is as fascinating.

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  16. lovely..like the borrowers!!!x

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  17. A lovely tale, from beginning to end Janice.

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  18. Ah, so that's what it was all about.

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  19. Loved the surprise ending. Very creative!

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  20. A lovely twist.

    I had been a little worried...

    Pearl

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  21. At first I thought it was a mouse speaking...but I think I like the idea of little people even better.

    =)

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  22. You'd prepared me for any ending except this one! Great write.

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  23. Ha! Loved the ending! I can imagine it is very limiting.

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  24. Didn't expect the ending either. Wonderful write.

    Anna :o]

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  25. The ending surprised me...but you knew it would! :)

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  26. HA! Terrific all the way through, but the ending clinched it for sure. Thank you.

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  27. I love the way in which you took time to set the scene... and then the twist at the end - priceless!

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