Summer Flash Challenge #2: Jeff Baker

The second in our new little series of challenge flash fiction stories inspired by a couple of different pictures. Here, Jeff has cleverly managed to weave both pictures into the story, and sprinkled magic into it along with the fairy lights. Enjoy a little early Christmas present, in the middle of summer!

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It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

            Wally Gordon ran his hand along the railing as he walked down the immense spiral staircase right in the center of the museum, humming a Christmas song and tapping the lit bulbs sticking out of the plastic holly that festooned the railing all the way down.

            “Naaaaa,” he said. “This isn’t crazy. 103 degrees outside in August and we’re spending the day putting up Christmas decorations.”

            He glanced down. From the staircase he could see several levels of the museum. A stuffed polar bear that was at least 100 years old (“oh yeah, he’s dressed for the weather,” Wally thought.) several paintings, some antique furniture. The museum was a catch-all but a popular one.

            “Hey, buddy!” Luke’s voice came from one level down the stairs.

            “Got the pictures?” Wally called down.

            “Almost! Thinkin’ about putting Santa’s hat on the polar bear.”

            “Ho, ho, ho! Santa was yummy!” Wally said in a deep, jolly voice.

            “Well, we got the pictures for the museum Christmas card taken,” Luke said. “Glad they shut the place down for the night so we could do this.”

            “Glad they left the air conditioning on,” Wally said.

            “The digital pics will be easy to send but y’know, sometimes I miss the old way. Darkrooms, the feel you were doing it yourself.”

            Wally trotted down the stairs and walked up to his boyfriend, moving the camera hanging down on his chest to the side so they could embrace.

            “I remember doing a few things in a darkroom.” Wally said.

            The two men kissed for a minute.

            “You done taking pictures?” Wally asked. Having the museum hire his boyfriend to take the pictures for the Museum’s yearly set of Christmas Cards had been his idea; Wally was Assistant to the Director after all. Nothing like hiring from in the family for the Museum’s Christmas fundraiser.

            The two men walked down to the ground floor and looked out the window into the Children’s Exhibit. A big sand pile with an ornately sculpted sand dragon lounging against the wall and an alligator looking like it was crawling up to the window. The ‘gator had been dyed green,  looking like the Christmas sugar candy Luke had loved when he was a kid. No alligator flavor though.

            “Hey, maybe we should put the Santa hat on the ‘gator?” Luke said grinning.

            “Naaaah!” Wally said. “Hey, it’s late. What do you want for dinner?”

            “I put leftovers in the cooler in your office.” Luke said. “Along with that big old sleeping bag of yours.”

            “Sleeping bag?” Wally said smiling.

            “Way late to drive home.” Luke said. “We eat and sack out here, okay?”

            Wally kissed Luke again. “Yeah, snuggled together like in a giant Christmas stocking.”

            They kissed again, Luke imagining snow falling outside.