Spiral Bound Journal

Beautiful New Home

"Alright, Bob, we'll just set you over here."

Morgan stood the mannequin next to one of the green screens. After double checking both its balance and that none of Bob's clothes got disheveled in the process, he stepped back and wiped his hands on his jeans. While a couple friends had helped move in some of the larger props, Morgan had set up most of the new studio by himself. Part of him hoped he wouldn't have to do this again. It had been tough enough moving everything from Houston to Dallas. Making this move to Minnesota was even more daunting. At least his space in Minnesota was reasonably close to his new house. If he wanted, he could walk or bike to this new studio so long as the weather held out.

Morgan flopped into one of the two convertible bean bag style chairs he'd gotten as props for the living room setup. Most of the move-in process was complete, leaving him a near quivering mess. He could use a few minutes of rest. He wondered for a moment if he should have grabbed a snack before sitting down. On the other hand, it was approaching dinner time. He would be home soon enough. As that thought crossed his mind, he realized he was not up for doing any more work for the rest of the day. From where he sat, everything that was essential for filming was in place. He could film a video tomorrow if he wanted.

The larger commercial space (converted from being a corner store) was perfect. The ceilings were high enough to provide adequate clearance for both his green screens. At least the ceilings weren't so tall that the acoustic panels couldn't be mounted. The big desk/bar prop was positioned in front of one of the green screens. The other screen lacked any furniture, giving Morgan more flexible filming options. Indeed, two bar stools and a keyboard with stand sat against the far wall. Smaller props were stacked under the window facing the street. The window's remote controlled blinds were open at the moment, allowing a sliver of the afternoon sun to trickle into the studio.

Having a moment to site helped Morgan catch his breath. The fact that he couldn't feel his heart's staccato against his chest also soothed him. After taking mental inventory of the primary shooting space, he stood up and stretched. He wanted to scope out the small office space one more time before heading home.

The office space occupied what Morgan suspected was a room used for cash and storage of valuable merchandise. While other fixtures in the former store showed some wear, the lock on the door was brand new. There was also a large compartment in the built-in that accommodated a large safe Morgan brought in. Smaller built-in shelves held the hollow books and other false objects, a way to store physical copies of his research notes.The remaining open shelves held some photo and video equipment that he needed in easy reach, such as tripods. A larger bar fridge stood between the safe and the desk.

Perhaps his favorite part was the desk. Morgan had found a sleek modular desk setup at an auction in town. The L-Shaped configuration allowed him to both have a booth-like space and still have visibility to the office door. Two monitors occupied much of the desk desk space flush against the wall. Meanwhile, the other desk space was left open save for a couple knick knacks. One was a foam stress reliever YouTube play button. It sat next to Morgan's most appreciated personal touch: a framed photo of a dahlia bloom. He had seen this bloom on Dand's computer a few months ago and remarked on it. When Morgan moved to Minnesota, Dana surprised him with this print as something of a welcome gift. The electric blue sky and shaded red petals contrasted the studio's necessary palate of blacks and greens. If nothing else, it mitigated eye strain. Fishing around in one of the desk drawers, Morgan dug out his wallet and keys before heading home.

The morning's rain had prompted him to drive to and from the studio that day. At least parking outside at this point would be less damp, a concern since there was only one garage spot at the new townhouse he shared with Dana and Quinn. With his Camry in the driveway, Morgan headed inside. He could already hear paws pitter-pattering across the floor as he approached the door. When he unlocked it, he found a gray tabby cat with light green eyes peering up at him.

"Baby Sage!" he cried.

Sage meowed and turned around, beckoning Morgan to step inside. Morgan shut the door and toed off his sneakers before following the cat down the hall. Soon, he found himself near the kitchen, where Quinn was standing by the stove checking something on his phone. BY this point, Sage stopped in the threshold, which allowed Morgan to see a still full food and water bowl set.

"Sagey, you have plenty of food," Morgan reassured the cat.

"That means precisely jack to him," Quinn piped up while still looking at his phone.

"Ha! What's for dinner?"

"Almondine chicken with carrots and brown rice."

"Sounds delicious! How long till it's ready?"

"Probably another ten minutes or so. Dana's downstairs, if you want to go get her."

"Aye, aye. Sage, you can come with me and go see your mom."

Sage chirped at Morgan but plopped down next to the food bowl. With an amused shale of his head, Morgan headed for the basement.

Once he reached the basement, he stepped further into the single room to find Dana. As he expected, she sat at a desk looking at her dual monitors. A large black and white image dominated the left monitor. Looking further, Morgan saw Dana tracing the edges of a textured strip tacked to the top of the desk. He walked over to the desk but stopped short.

"Dana," he greeted with as low a voice as he could manage.

Dana turned her chair a bit to see him.

"Hey," she replied with a small smile. "When'd you get home?"

"A few minutes ago. Sage seems to think I'm going to feed him."

At that, Dana chuckled. "That cat is bound an determined to wrap you around his little paw."

"Eh, it might work. And here I thought I'd be more attached to Bullseye."

"Funny how that works out. Instead, she likes hanging out on my side of the bed, which is where she probably is right now. At least she was there an hour ago."

"Wanna go check before we have dinner? Quinn says that will be ready shortly."

"Yeah, sure. Just let me save my changes."

As Dana tapped in a couple commands on her computer, Morgan could feel his shoulders relax. It was good to finally be home.

Prompt ▼

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