PROMPT TWENTY-ONE: MAGICAL ITEM You’ve just been given a magical item, like an invisibility cloak, or those X-ray glasses; flying carpet, golden goose. Something from a different culture. Your choice. Tell us about it. Or yourself/the world in relation to it.
“Curiouser and curiouser!”
Along with the old copy of Alice in Wonderland,
which was preserved in an ornate wooden box,
that I purchased at the estate sale was something
that I believe the seller didn’t know was there...
I’ve always had a fondness for old books and boxes.
But it wasn’t until years later that while carefully handling
the old manuscript that I discovered the box had a false bottom of sorts.
It wasn’t very large but then it didn’t need to be. The almost
threadbare dark purple velvet cloth held something that was flat.
I sat at the dining room table, alone.
Hubby was off on a business trip and our warm and comfortable
nest was empty of our chicks. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon.
I had taken a pillowcase to place the book on,
and had been carefully inspecting the intricate box
when I must have triggered the hidden drawer...
The afternoon sun was low enough that the rainbows
from the crystals in the window landed on the object
and even through the cloth there was a slight reflection of light.
I retrieved some paper toweling so I could place and unwrap the object with care.
I thought about getting gloves of some sort...but my hands were clean...
one flip, two and there was a small shard of glass... no, it was a mirror.
Sort of a rectangle, not quite an oval about four inches by six.
Someone had taken the time to gild all the rough edges with a silver solder.
I could see the reflection of the chandelier.
I was hesitant to see my own reflection.
Alice had to touch the looking glass didn’t she...
was I ready for such an adventure?
©JP/davh
