Dreams, Secrets, and Transformations: Beyond the Enchanted Looking Glass

Estate Sale

Martin Christi woke up Saturday morning, stressed from the frantic, chaotic work of the past week. He took a deep breath and let it out, exhaling completely.

Today he had time for himself. He extracted himself from the bed and as he stood up, the long silky nightgown he had slept in, dropped down into place. He strolled to the bathroom. After taking his morning relief he pulled the nightgown off and stepped into the shower.

Twenty minutes later his morning ritual was complete. He felt refreshed and dressed in a pair of women's 'boyfriend cut' jeans, a rock concert t-shirt and running shoes. He suddenly felt the desire to take a drive. The weather was perfect for late spring. Warm enough to put the top down and enjoy the open air. Riding with the top down and some good music was one of the best ways Martin found to lose the stress of everyday life, the other was to dress up in one of the outfits he kept stored in a closet in the extra bedroom of his little house where he lived by himself.

He punched the button and the garage door rumbled open. The engine of his Mustang came to life and he backed out onto the street. He checked to be sure the garage was closing up as he headed down the street. First stop would be to pick up a breakfast sandwich at the nearby fast food place. It wasn't healthy but some days you just have to feed your worst desires.

After pulling away from the drive-thru he looked up and down the street trying to decide which way he wanted to go. Left. He turned and began his morning trek. He wandered through town seemingly turning at random, based on just what direction felt interesting at the time. He avoided getting on any highways wanting to stay on quieter streets and at slower pace.

As he cruised through one neighborhood he spotted a sign for an estate sale. He decided to follow it and take a look. He didn't expect to find anything to buy, but nontheless, he would still enjoy just browsing. Arriving at the address, he parked on the curb behind several other vehicles and headed toward the house.

Wandering through the front room, it appeared that many other people had already been through to claim much of the items. Things appeared to be in a state of disarray. There was a folding table with a couple people sitting behind it who looked to be in charge, so he approached them.

"Hi," he offered a smile, "I was driving around and saw the signs, thought I'd take a look around." "Welcome," a lady in a white tee answered, "there are still a few really good items left. Feel free to take a look. Anything you find is for sale." "Thanks," Martin answered and headed off.

As he wandered from room to room he overheard a couple ladies talking. "Ten months and nothing," the first explained. "Just disappeared."

"Well, maybe he decided to take a trip, or start over. Im sure it was a midlife crisis," the other responded.

"With nothing?" the first answered.

"His car is still in the garage, his clothes all seem to be here, I heard his sister even found his luggage was still in closet. The investigation has, so far, turned up no evidence of fowl play. Normally, they wouldn't sell things off so quickly but it is so outside his character to do anything like this, and the family can't afford to keep the house or pay any of his bills. He was just such a loner and then to up and disappear like that, doesn't make sense."

"Well, what are they to do? I heard they will hold the money from this sale, for several years, in case he shows up again, but nobody expects him to."

"How strange," Martin thought to himself as he wandered through a bedroom.

He walked into one room and sorted through some DVDs, CDs, and vinyl records. He found a couple classic vinyls that interested him and took them with him. In another room he spotted a mirror over in the corner. It was a free standing full length mirror. The frame and stand were made of some kind of wood, but it looked old and worn.