Pike Place Market was a little bit odd and a little bit magical, at least in Angela's opinion.
The front of it looked normal enough. The Main Arcade was at street level. It was a farmer’s market. Meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruit, flowers, and seafood were the main things sold.
One of the most famous shops was the fishmonger's. Whole fish were thrown through the air to men waiting behind a counter. They would catch the fish and wrap them in paper for people to take home for supper. The fish were tossed over customers' heads and through crowds. They flew within inches of people walking by. It made buying seafood a breathless, exciting, acrobatic act. Tourists came from all over the country to see the flying fish of Pike Place Market.
But it was the Lower Arcade where Angela felt magic.
A staircase led below street level, where there was a maze of shops. You never knew what you’d find around any corner. Angela had been awestruck and charmed the first time she went to the lower level of the Market. She’d found beautifully painted kites, jeweled hummingbird feeders, arts and crafts, and fancy teas. There were perfumes, clothing, jewelry, ornaments, and fine wines.
So much to see.
You could spend days searching the Market’s corners and never know all its secrets.
As Angela stood in front of the wooden door in the deserted shop, she remembered the good times she’d had in the daytime Market. She understood how Mindy had felt scared, though.
It was dark. She was alone. She could hear something faint coming from the other side of the door. She wasn’t sure what it was.
And there was only one way to find out.