The Storage Space was no longer appalled, simply or otherwise. It no longer cared.
Its newest customer, the blond boy, pummeled a wall that rattled and clattered as he uttered a string of the crudest obscenities…apparently directed toward something he called “vanilla Minecraft.”
Amelia called out, “Tommy! Please! There’s enough clatter here already from the renovations!”
The Storage Space couldn’t possibly imagine the craft of mining vanilla, since vanilla couldn’t be mined. Amelia had stopped singing its favorite aria. The supposed “renovations” were only a lie by that oddly dressed Pat so he…or “they” as Tommy would call this strange Pat person…could crowbar his way to all the Storage Space’s hidden treasures under Amelia’s nose.
But the Storage Space didn’t care.
Slithering announced yet another visit from the ghost of Irwin, Le Grand Rat.
The Storage Space didn’t care.
Le Grand Rat whispered amid slithers of his hatred for Karen who’d had the effrontery to kill him in self-defense.
Karen… Did not deserve to be thought of ever again. Karen had betrayed the Storage Space.
Elsewhere something akin to sepulchral silence reigned as that other young boy, Fifi’s clandestine lover, crept around on his rainbow shoes, using the keys he’s stolen from reception long ago to stuff all his empty suitcases with treasures from other people’s storage units. Amelia of the beautiful voice…and Karen when she returned…would get in trouble.
The Storage Space didn’t care.
Then that even more oddly dressed Pat, crowbarring treasures hidden since the 19th century out from behind the metal walls, freed a pocket of air subtly scented with starched linens, oiled leather, fine cigars, and exquisite perfumes that were no longer available.
Amelia aahed, stroking some freshly exposed wooden paneling.
Pat told even more lies about restoring the old theatre and pocketed a sterling silver snuff box when she wasn’t looking.
If the restoration hadn’t been a lie…if the grand old theatre was really, truly, going to be returned to its former dignity, its former glory…the Storage Space still wouldn’t care.
