Spirited Away - A New Age

The Market

Dear reader,

Wherever this story finds you, be it in a coffee shop, snuggled on your couch, waiting in line at the register, or dramatically flopped on your bed, I hope today was a good day. And if not, I'm here to help you escape into words for a while. Goodness knows how many times I've had to turn to a book or story. May peace find you <3 

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"Chihiro, don't cling like that. You'll make me trip."

Embarrassed, I let go just as we exit the tunnel and walk into an enormous space, bringing us to a stop simultaneously. Columns arch high up into the ceiling, dramatically encircled with unlit sconces that are covered in cobwebs.

Leaves pick up and dance around my feet like fairies but the space is quite dim. The only light filtering in through the stained-glass windows do nothing to dissipate the melancholy vibe. The space, while empty, also feels full. Like invisible bodies pressing in on me just waiting to swallow me whole though there isn't anyone else here but us.

"What is this place?" I croak out.

"Oh, do you hear that?" My mom asks after a beat.

I try and breath through the adrenaline as I listen carefully, hearing a faint rumble in the distance. "Maybe it's thunder. We should probably go before it starts raining. We wouldn't want to miss the movers, right?" It feels like my feet are rooted to the spot now that we've stopped walking.

"Maybe we're near a train station." She says, ignoring me.

What?

I'm not sure why she's so distracted and seemingly as unbothered as I am. My dad either for that matter. Mom even has a little smile on her face. Can they not feel the air pressing in? Is it just me?

"Come on. Let's go check it out." Dad says, walking towards an opening at the other end of the room.

I drag my feet forward, not wanting to be left in this heavy space any longer. I glance behind me one last time at the dark tunnel and see that there are actually three dark tunnels.

Strange. I didn't see any other entrances other than the one outside.

All of a sudden, I get the feeling I'm not supposed to be looking at it. Like I'll get left behind if I don't have eyes on my parents. I whip around and sigh in relief when I see mom and dad just few steps ahead of me. We cross the room quickly and step outside.

The light temporarily blinds me and I blink a few times trying to focus. Jaw dropping, I stare at the grassy knoll before me. The wind blows gently and rolls lazily though the strands, a picture-perfect moment. I close my eyes and tilt my head up to feel the sunshine warm my skin, the breeze blowing though my hair feeling like a caress. I feel free.

Smiling softly, I open my eyes to drink in the view again when I see a rock jutting out of the hillside. Squinting, I see a moss-covered ear.

Ugh. ANOTHER statue?

Looking to my left, I see the remains of old downtrodden path lined with more statues. At the top of the hill, I can see roofs of a few buildings too.

"I wonder what those buildings are." I whisper.

"I knew it." My dad says, excited.

"It's an abandoned theme park. See?" He gestures for us to look up at an old clock tower at the top of the building. "They built them everywhere in the early '90s. Then the economy went bad, and they all went bankrupt. This must be one of them." He pauses to look at the clock for another moment before walking towards the old path.