Where did this place come from?

I dragged my suitcase behind me, the wheels crackled against the uneven surface. I look up at the sky and see the last stream of sunlight disappear behind the grey clouds, which loomed over and demand to dominate the sky and threaten to shower down with acid rain. The clouds have started to move again and the bird has flown away. It felt like everything was back in motion again.

I scanned the street and not a shadow was in sight. The wind blew past me, lifting my hair which flailed around my face. Shop signs were left dangling on chains, lampposts were flickering on and off and bins were knocked over, leaning over to one side as the food piled out, swarming with maggots and flies, I quickly looked away, it was a disgusting sight. Pieces of rubbish, leaves and dust swirled around the floor creating small tornados as the wind got stronger, as I watch; a church bell rang, signalling the start of the evening.

I didn’t remember seeing this little village from the motorway. But the sight in front of me was hard not to believe. Following the sound of the loud bells, I found myself standing outside a church. The stony walls were different shades of grey and the weed plants around the holy building was  towering over the small daisies, who had no chance of fighting.

The large wooden door was slightly ajar so I pushed it open with all my strength. The hinges screeched loudly and my eyes had to adjust to the darkness inside. The small slit of light from behind me lit up the room a little. I could just make out many rows of benches on either aisles of the building and the candles left unlit on the altar.

“Hello?” I shouted, my voice echoed loudly, “Is there anybody in here?”

There was no reply. I closed the wooden door and stepped down from the porch. I lifted my suitcase down the steps and continued walking around the isolated streets. I was determined to find a soul in this place. There’s bound to be someone.

The view of the street I am on seemed like those from an American West movie. Each building stood on its own ground but there was electricity because a building on the end of the street was lit up. The sign of the shop was flickering on and off. I was happy and glad that there was someone here. There were wooden wagons on the road too; they were layered with hay and other goods. The street wasn’t too long but the fact there was no one around spooked me out.

Carefully, I pushed open the door. It was a small café. The bell hanging above the door jingled as I walked in. The printed tiles on the floor were matted with splodges of mud and spills. To the left, there were two large cabinets; the glass was misty with dirt. It looked like it hasn’t been cleaned for centuries. I swept my finger over the glass and looked through. There were cakes and pastries of different sort. There was a long row of cupcakes; each one had different coloured swirls on them and next to them were small slices of cake. Each one decorated vigilantly with a diminutive spot of cream and topped with a strawberry.

The sight was making me hungry. I looked away and the chandeliers scattered across the ceiling flicked, casting shadows around the room. There was no one in here. Spider webs clustered each corner of the room. In the far corner were small booths and in the centre were metal tables with metal chairs which had pretty patterns on the back. Though the design of the café was nice, the dirt horrified me. The surfaces were covered with stains and the wooden paint on the walls were slowly peeling off.

I was about to call out when the kitchen door suddenly swung open. A tray with a teapot and a teacup hovered in midair. I stood there in shock, my mouth gaping open and I thought my jaws was about to fall onto the floor. Scrunching my brows in confusion, I looked more closely. The tray hovered towards the counter beside me and settled down. Then the teapot rose and tilted, pouring hot tea into the teacup. Out of curiosity, I waved my hands over the teapot, just to make sure there wasn’t any string dangling the teapot. There was none.

The metal chairs screech across the floor as if someone has pulled them out from under the table. It feels as if the café was coming to life, but there wasn’t a single person in sight.

Am I becoming blind?

The kitchen was swinging open continuously as if people were walking in and out of it. The sliding doors behind the cabinet was opening and closing and a pair of food tongs were grabbing the cakes out. I stumbled back towards the door in shock and amazement.

What is happening here?

Is this place haunted?

I clutched onto the handle of my suitcase and quickly turned around just to get hit in the face by the door. The last thing I heard was the jingling of the doorbell and the last thing I saw was a human face as I fell back and darkness clouded over my eyes.