It was a very plain, wooden door. Except for the doorknob. The doorknob was crystal. It sparkled even in the shadowy light.
Angela stepped closer. She reached out one hand and trailed a finger along the door’s edge. There were carvings that she hadn't seen at first. Animals, trees, stars, circles, lines, and maybe something like ancient symbols? She couldn’t really tell.
Angela took a step backwards. And another. She stared at the door from a safe distance. She tried to remember exactly what Mindy had told her.
Pike Place Market was one of the oldest public markets in the United States. It had been around since 1907. But it wasn’t only a place for buying, selling, and entertainment. It also provided housing to some people who lived in Seattle.
Angela’s friend, Mindy, lived with her disabled grandmother in an apartment at the Market. The apartments were specially designed for low-income, senior artists. Mindy’s Nana Ree used a wheelchair, but that hadn’t slowed down her painting. Pike Place Market gave her enough space to paint as well as live.
Living at the Market made Mindy an expert on all things Market-related. Or so she thought. Sometimes that bothered Angela. Angela might not live so close to the Market, but she was born and raised in Seattle. She’d been visiting the Market since she was old enough to take the bus on her own.
So when Mindy told Angela that she’d noticed something weird, Angela thought it was just part of their I-know-it-better-than-you-do competition about Pike Place Market.