Writing Prompt #1

Prompt from a friend: "Okay, describe your ideal personal room. Like a garage, or art room, or personal library. Use your words to make it as immersive as possible."

The Cave

On the edge of a calm mountain lake there is a rocky slope, rising up to a hill rolling away from the lake. The side facing the lake has an opening not too much taller than myself. Into the entrance is crafted full-length window panes that can be easily folded to the side as a doorway. When they're open, sheer curtains of aquamarine get pulled on by the lakeside breeze as if to play. Inside, the cave opens up from around 6.5 ft at the windows to slope up to 9 feet at the back. Shelves have been made from some naturally occurring rock features here and there, holding art made from leaves, insect specimens, and books on the human condition of all sorts.

Sitting by the window is a sturdy bench of light colored wood that has firm, steel-blue cushions to sit atop and plenty of misfit pillows of ochres and blues to arrange as desired. The bench faces outside to catch a beautiful view of the lake with a mighty mountain range rising up behind it, and edged by happy little trees. Next to the bench, sits a side table that is home to a small laptop, a cup of hot tea, and hidden underneath is a light blanket for those colder mornings. There is also a type of spade-leaf vine creeping up from a planter behind this side table, up and around this wall. On the opposite wall, immediately inside a few pegs have been drilled into the stone. One of which is an established home for a day pack which has a few crumbs of dried leaves on the bottom. Another supports a knit sweater. A third holds a bouquet of sage left to dry. There are three more not yet taken.

The walls are illuminated by glowing lamps with brass fixtures, reminiscent of candle lamps of old. With more inspection, one would find that they are LEDs encased in a warm glow bulb meant to flicker here and there to create such an effect. Tiny wires find their way across the rocky crevices to the solar power source outside. Further in, a skylight allows the natural light from above. It's connected to a mirrored tunnel that leads to somewhere on the south-facing side of the rocky slope. A lever near the back of the room can be used to close or "turn off" the light. The skylight reveals a desk and more rocky and/or wooden mounted shelves with more valuable keepsakes, crystals, and books. Between the desk and the pegs at the front sit a low shelf and a macramé above, woven of ivory, umber, and ruby yarns. On the high end of the 9-foot wall, opposite the window-doors, a large bison skull hangs, decorated with feathers, beaded crafts, and symbols of ancestry. An ombre sun or halo is painted on the wall so that if you stand square to the skull, it appears between the beast's horns. It is framed on each side by the non-candle lamps.

Below the bison skull is a lounging area with a coffee table. There is a wide-format corner couch and a small coffee table, games and drawing supplies stored on the underside. In the corner just behind the creeping vine is wrought-iron rack cradling beer and wine in individual bottles. This rack stands on--and frames with twisty vine-like decor--a multi-door fridge, 3-feet high, for snacks and chilled wine.