diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c9c5ded..c7dfe44 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,3 +5,24 @@ for Node.js. It is based on [Strata](http://bigeasy.github.com/strata/), an
 evented I/O b‑tree.
 
 Memento is in development.
+
+## Open and Shut
+
+Memento creates a store which is an `EventEmitter`. You can create a new store
+by providing a directory for the store to `createStore`.
+
+```javascript
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+var memento = require('memento');
+var store = memento.createStore(tmp);
+
+store.on('ready', function () {
+  store.close(); 
+  store.on('close', function () { ok(1, 'created') });
+});
+
+store.on('error', function (e) { throw e });
+```
+
+The directory must be empty.
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0518101
--- /dev/null
+++ b/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter, util = require('util');
+
+var slice = [].slice;
+
+function die () {
+  console.log.apply(console, slice.call(arguments, 0));
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+function say () { console.log.apply(console, slice.call(arguments, 0)) }
+
+function Store () {
+}
+util.inherits(Store, EventEmitter);
+
+function createStore (directory) {
+  var store = new Store(directory);
+  process.nextTick(function () { store.emit('ready') });
+  return store;
+}
+
+Store.prototype.close = function () {
+  var store = this;
+  process.nextTick(function () { store.emit('close') });
+}
+
+exports.createStore = createStore;
diff --git a/t/basics/create.t.js b/t/basics/create.t.js
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ced05c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/basics/create.t.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+require('./proof')(1, function (step, tmp, ok) {
+  var memento = require('../..');
+  var store = memento.createStore(tmp);
+  store.on('ready', function () {
+    store.close(); 
+    store.on('close', function () { ok(1, 'created') });
+  });
+  store.on('error', function (e) { throw e });
+});
diff --git a/t/basics/proof.js b/t/basics/proof.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50c9645
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/basics/proof.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+module.exports = require('../proof')(__dirname);
diff --git a/t/proof.js b/t/proof.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ef9945
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/proof.js
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+var fs = require("fs"), path = require("path"), crypto = require("crypto"), Strata = require("..");
+
+function check (callback, forward) {
+  return function (error, result) {
+    if (error) callback(error);
+    else forward(result);
+  }
+}
+
+function objectify (directory, callback) {
+  var files, segments = {}, count = 0;
+
+  fs.readdir(directory, check(callback, list));
+
+  function list ($1) {
+    (files = $1).forEach(function (file) {
+      if (!/^\./.test(file)) readFile(file);
+      else read();
+    });
+  }
+
+  function readFile (file) {
+    segments[file] = [];
+
+    fs.readFile(path.resolve(directory, file), "utf8", check(callback, lines));
+
+    function lines (lines) {
+      lines = lines.split(/\n/);
+      lines.pop(); 
+      lines.forEach(function (json) {
+        json = json.replace(/[\da-f]+$/, "");
+        segments[file].push(JSON.parse(json));
+      });
+      read();
+    }
+  }
+
+  function read () {
+    if (++count == files.length) callback(null, segments);
+  }
+}
+
+function stringify (directory, callback) {
+  objectify(directory, check(callback, segments));
+
+  function segments (segments) {
+    console.log(JSON.stringify(segments, null, 2));
+    callback();
+  }
+}
+
+function load (segments, callback) {
+  fs.readFile(segments, "utf8", check(callback, parse));
+
+  function parse (json) { callback(null, JSON.parse(json)) }
+}
+
+function gather (step, strata) {
+  var records = [];
+  step(function () {
+    records = []
+    strata.iterator("a", step());
+  }, function (cursor) {
+    return true;
+  }, function page (more, cursor) {
+    if (more) return cursor.offset;
+    cursor.unlock();
+    step(null, records);
+  }, function item (i, cursor, page) {
+    if (i < cursor.length) {
+      cursor.get(i, step()); 
+    } else {
+      cursor.next(step(page));
+    }
+  }, function (record, i, item) {
+    records.push(record);
+    step(item)(null, i + 1);
+  });
+}
+
+function serialize (segments, directory, callback) {
+  if (typeof segments == "string") load(segments, check(callback, write));
+  else write (segments);
+
+  function write (segments) {
+    var files = Object.keys(segments), count = 0;
+
+    files.forEach(function (segment) {
+      var records = [];
+      segments[segment].forEach(function (line) {
+        var record = [ JSON.stringify(line) ];
+        record.push(crypto.createHash("sha1").update(record[0]).digest("hex"));
+        records.push(record.join(" "));
+      });
+      records = records.join("\n") + "\n";
+      fs.writeFile(path.resolve(directory, segment), records, "utf8", check(callback, written));
+    });
+
+    function written () { if (++count == files.length) callback(null) }
+  }
+}
+
+function deltree (directory, callback) {
+  var files, count = 0;
+
+  readdir();
+
+  function readdir () {
+    fs.readdir(directory, extant);
+  }
+
+  function extant (error, $1) {
+    if (error) {
+      if (error.code != "ENOENT") callback(error);
+      else callback();
+    } else {
+      list($1);
+    }
+  }
+
+  function list ($1) {
+    (files = $1).forEach(function (file) {
+      stat(path.resolve(directory, file)); 
+    });
+    deleted();
+  }
+
+  function stat (file) {
+    var stat;
+
+    fs.stat(file, check(callback, inspect));
+
+    function inspect ($1) {
+      if ((stat = $1).isDirectory()) deltree(file, check(callback, unlink));
+      else unlink();
+    }
+
+    function unlink () {
+      if (stat.isDirectory()) fs.rmdir(file, check(callback, deleted));
+      else fs.unlink(file, check(callback, deleted));
+    }
+  }
+
+  function deleted () {
+    if (++count > files.length) fs.rmdir(directory, callback);
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = function (dirname) {
+  var tmp = dirname + "/tmp";
+  return require("proof")(function cleanup (step) {
+    deltree(tmp, step());
+  }, function (step) {
+    step(function () {
+      fs.mkdir(tmp, 0755, step());
+    }, function () {
+      return { Strata: Strata
+             , tmp: tmp
+             , load: load
+             , stringify: stringify
+             , serialize: serialize
+             , gather: gather
+             , objectify: objectify
+             };
+    });
+  });
+};
+module.exports.stringify = stringify;