I am really challenging myself with my next scenario. I came up with the idea of Train Station. That has stuck in my head and I can't shake it loose, so now I am stuck with coming up with something. My problem is I know nothing about Train Stations except what I might have seen in a movie or read about in fiction. I have never been on a train, or bought a ticket at a station. Let's see what I can do...
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The young real estate agent watched as the custodian flipped through a number of keys on his chain finally fitting one into the massive door. His hand was large but wrinkled with age spots and she guessed he must be in his late sixties. He took a while to get the key working and she thought maybe she shouldn't have tried to fit this stop in before her big afternoon meeting with her biggest client. He wasn't exactly her client yet but she was determined to get his business and thought she had found a few places that would fit into his plan of finding a location for a special events center. She knew she had the morning and didn't think checking this old place out would take long. It might be something she could show later or not at all. She was always checking.
The custodian finally pushed the solid wood door open and led her into the old train station. The musty smell accosted her first along with swirling dust caught in streams of light coming in from small portions of the windows. The light was barely escaping from the areas that had been left uncovered by ill-fitting plywood that had been placed over them. The space was dark and covered in cobwebs. She didn't think this was anything she was looking for. She was about say she had seen enough and turned to the custodian. He was looking up at the high ceiling and smiling. She followed his gaze to the old iron gridded ticket area and massive double archway. It was boarded up as well with spray painted X's across each piece. There were some bench seating needing repair and the entire area was much larger than it had looked from the outside.
"It's been a long time," he said still gazing at the large room.
"You know this place?" she asked.
"Sure do. Happy time when I walked through that archway," he pointed to the red X's. She looked at him again and saw he was still looking around and smiling.
"What's the big deal?"
He looked at her and the smile was gone from his face. He said a little gruffly, "The big deal? Don't you see?" He put out both arms and pointed to the archway. "The trains pulled in right outside there. This was where we came through to start our new beginnings." He turned and pointed to the ticket area. "Or we got our tickets and said goodbye." He seemed to be getting a little riled and it made her nervous.
He must have realized his outburst and dropped his hands to his side and smiled down at the wood floor. He shook his head, "Don't mind me. I guess I see this place different."
She watched him with curiosity. She took another look at the high ceilings. It would take some work but the structure was still quite amazing. There were beautiful crown moldings and interior trims still intact. There were chair railings across the entire length of the wall with the bench seating. She glanced back at the ticket area. It looked to be constructed of solid wood and the iron work was interesting and intricate.
She began to picture movement as it might have been. She began to see the crowds of different people walking the lengths to the ticket booth and standing in line. They would be checking their watches and holding their bags. There were young men hugging young girls that tried to hold back tears as they parted. There were families rushing forward as they saw their loved ones coming toward them through the archway. There were memories circling the entire length of the room. There were journeys that were ending and always just beginning again.
This old train station had so many memories locked away, she thought. It would have been easy to pass it over as a dirty mess but what better place to continue creating more memories?
She looked back at the ticket booths. It could serve as a great buffet and bar area. Some of the iron work would need to be removed and possibly used in another spot but she was sure it would work. The double archway would serve as a perfect focal point and who could ask more than these wood floors? She was beginning to see where this could be her best option for her newest potential client. She was sure she could bring him over to see what a great special event center this could be. She could see the place as the custodian had said - differently - as a place where new journeys began. Wasn't that what special events were?
She took a few steps and turned to the custodian and said, "Would you be available again this afternoon?" She grinned at him, "I think I might have someone that could also see this place as something different."
TT
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