The Hollow Places

“Uncle Earl believes strongly in Jesus, Moses, the healing power of crystals, the Freemasons, the Illuminati, that aliens landed at Roswell […] He is not Catholic, but he believes in the miracle of Fatima, visions of Mary appearing on toast, and he is nearly positive that the end times are upon us, but seems to be okay with this, provided it does not interfere with museum hours.”

This lengthy, list-like sentence, which uses asyndeton by omitting conjunctions, mirrors the overwhelming and contradictory nature of Uncle Earl’s worldview. It directly establishes the theme of Belief Systems as Frameworks for the Unknowable, portraying a mind that accommodates disparate beliefs without conflict. The final clause adds a layer of humorous characterization, grounding his cosmic concerns in the mundane reality of running a small museum.

“Sure, they briefly looked alive, but so what? They had a kind of benevolence, like stuffed and mounted guardian angels. Uncle Earl’s basic kindness infused every corner of his beloved museum. It was a kind place. It was beginning to feel like home.”

This passage develops the Wonder Museum as a symbol of sanctuary, explicitly connecting it to the theme of Defining Home and Safety in the Bizarre. The simile comparing taxidermy to “guardian angels” re-frames potentially frightening objects as protective, personifying them with the benevolence of their owner. This characterization of the museum as a place “infused” with kindness establishes it as a safe haven for Kara, contrasting with the malevolent forces she will soon encounter.

“One side was an otter, turned with belly toward the viewer, head tilted up. […] From the other side, it was a dead body. You could tell by the crossed arms and the wrapped shroud that covered everything. […] The corpse’s head was at an odd, broken-neck angle, to match the otter on the other side.”

The introduction of the corpse-otter carving, a key symbol, uses stark visual juxtaposition to create an immediate sense of unease. The description contrasts the living animal with the shrouded corpse, with details like the “broken-neck angle” reinforcing the object’s disturbing and unnatural duality.