A Charming Mess

To your surprise and great joy, you might find that you are sitting on a bed in a guest bedroom gone haywire. There are picture frames and baskets of unfolded laundry on the bed. There is a mirror on the floor, slumped against the wall. More laundry hangs drying from the curtain rod over the window. Apothecary jars and beakers of various sizes line the shelf behind the bed. A large angel figurine stands with these. The angel is pouring water from a pitcher into a birdbath for a pair of doves.

There are wooden bowls brimming with semi-precious stones and bowls laden with packets of flower seeds. Snapdragons, to be precise. A table pushed against one wall has a perfumer's organ on it. It also features an alarm clock and a wooden crate overflowing with interesting rubbish: bottles of various sizes, measuring cups, painters' masks, jars, and spoons. There is a tall stool parked at the table with a powder blue throw hanging off its back and a cat toy on its cushioned seat. There are at least two more cat toys in the room, nestled in unexpected places like the objects in a hidden pictures drawing.

A box fan on the floor is pointed at a pair of wet shoes. On the wall behind the bed, above the shelf of apothecary jars, a small picture of George Washington hangs. There’s a framed pencil sketch of a farmhouse hanging beside it. On the bed, one of the aforementioned picture frames contains a red mohair-covered board with brass keys mounted on it. They are different sizes and shapes. Under that, a framed Thomas Kincaid print. Six pillows of various sizes and constitutions in mixed pillowcases proudly crown the bed.

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