A Place That Felt Empty
416 Words
The market of Ranu felt quieter than it should have been.
Alex told himself it was because the puppet show was over, because the crowd had thinned and the vendors were packing up their goods. That was the logical explanation.
Still, he found himself standing there longer than necessary.
The space beside him was empty.
Earlier that morning, it had been filled with a girl who laughed too easily, spoke without thinking, and stepped on his foot without apology. Now there was nothing—just shifting bodies and familiar sounds that no longer held his attention.
Alex glanced toward the hanging fabrics where she had disappeared.
Nothing.
He frowned slightly, annoyed at himself. He had known her for less than an hour. They had shared a pastry and a few words. That should have been the end of it.
And yet.
He turned away from the stage and walked slowly through the market. His eyes scanned faces without intention, pausing on every girl with tied hair or a familiar silhouette, only to move on again.
Ridiculous, he thought.
Near one of the stalls, a vendor called out to him. “Another pastry, boy?”
Alex shook his head. “No.”
He reached into his pocket instead, his fingers brushing against the remaining coins. The metal felt cold. He closed his hand around them, then let it drop back to his side.
For some reason, he could still hear her voice.
*I’m a girl. You’re supposed to give me the bigger one.*
The corner of his mouth lifted before he could stop it.
Alex stopped walking.
He looked around, suddenly aware of how ordinary everything was. The market hadn’t changed. The stalls were the same. The noise was the same.
Only he felt different.
By the time he reached the edge of the square, the sun had climbed higher. The morning was moving on without him. He took a breath, straightened his posture, and turned away from the market at last.
As he passed through the gate, he glanced back once.
Just once.
The road beyond the market stretched empty and unremarkable, leading back to a life that felt far more familiar—and far heavier—than it had that morning.
Alex did not know the girl’s full name.
He did not know where she lived.
He did not know why she had left so suddenly.
But as he walked away, one thought followed him, persistent and quiet.
He hoped he would see her again.
- Writer
