Headed to the Roman mall on my day off. My first visit since the gang left. At this mid week point my footsteps echoed on the polished tiles, and the higher corridors hid in darkness. No one was buying suits. A few veterans browsed the shoes.
I hope the businesses can cope, but having the place to myself was a dream. All the employees worked as normal, and still recognised me from childhood. I guess they make enough at the weekend to run at a loss.
Some of the gang used to roll their eyes when I insisted this was the place to spend Sunday afternoons. But I never backed down. And although maybe today was richer in an alternate world where they are by my side, I could at least explore the place on my own terms.
The Roman mall was mind blowing when the doors first opened. A place where the building served you! On that initial trip a talking pig handed me a pack of sweets. I freaked out at first, but Mum insisted this was the future, and to accept his gift. And fair play to Mum, the pig remains at the sweet counter, albeit waiting on a trotter. I bought some soda banshees, so he must have been on to something.
'Hello Venus! Nice to see you again. A cherry ice today I presume?’ The mouse in the drinks store said. He has asked me that same question since I was seven.
‘Not today, although I might change my mind later..’
‘No problem! If you do, you head on back now, ‘ the mouse replied. His grin revealed two enamel teeth. A few of the wire whiskers were fraying. The whole set must have been replaced a dozen times over. I would love to see the other robots whizzing around at night, working on their sleeping cousins. Imagine if the vending bears as work were this run down! Link would have a fit.
I spoke to the elder owl at the camera shop. A crack runs through his sailor hat. I wonder how long that has been there for. Considered asking him about my Butter mouse clips, but his hoots were wheezy, and that depth of question might boil his circuitry. His wings struggled enough handing me a new SD Card.
After a dip in and out of some clothes shops, I finished my sweets on the bench under the statues of the Gods. We often wondered how this tied in with all the kooky animals employees. Why those pale marble faces holding spears and lyres watched foxes in check shirts and dancing tigers. Fell down a mind hole about this mall being a world within a world. Does an even smaller world exist in the ear of the cookie selling rabbit on floor two?
Made me think about the Butter Mouse. The other one. How can something like that exist alongside a place as goofy as the Roman mall? Does he enjoy the characters, or want to tear them down like the others? Is the whole city a playground to him? One were he choose to ignore the swings, and burn the insects?
Makes me worry about Deni again. Will give them a call.
Every time I walk out the doors, and the front desk bear tips his hat, I worry it is for the last time. And I suppose the last time will come eventually.
But a fun day today. Good to see my old friends.
Clip: Nothing new in this footage of another world today (!) But is that the sound of a shopping mall in the background? Coincidence?