The Curator of Curiosities

Tara was colour blind.

In a barcoded and colour coded world, she lived as if in a noir film. Light was her most trusted ally. Shadows and silhouettes lent a character to everything she saw.

She had a great love for mystery. She was a detective, a hunter of rarities’.

For over five years she worked as a curator of all things inexplicable. Her catalogue was open to all and was adored and renowned the world over.

The favourite among children was the ice cream flavoured dreams (one lick for one dream), and the baby rainbow in a jar which was donated anonymously.

For those grieving a loss, the cape of hope was like the reassuring hug they got from those they lost, infused with the happy memories of loved ones to last at least a month.

The Parrowl (a bird which was a cross between a parrot and an owl) spoke only in tongue twisters. It was a great hit among those that needed a puzzle fix to take their minds off the banalities of everyday.

Tara’s favourite was the elusive and immortal black orchid, a sniff of which would allow her to see the world in colour for thirty seconds.

The collection was about to have a new addition - a labradorite stone, no larger than coin. Staring into the play of colours, the stone would awaken within its beholder a

At midnight on a Sunday, the curiosities were forever lost and so was Tara. A purist had lit a match without hesitation.