Visitors

“Sp what dp we do for sightseeing here?” said Micky.

“It’s dark. Too late for sightseeing>, said Lily

“No sightseeing here. Just a night’s sleep before our last lap home.”  Said their father.

“Oh”: said Rose. “Why couldn’t we just keep going. We’d be home before morning.”

“Well, said their mother, “If you three want to be hitched up to the car and pull it along the Interstate, we could. But your father and I need some sleep.”

“Hey look,” Lily pointed out the window. On a huge glassed fronted high rise nearby, only some of the windows were lit up. In a pattern. It spelled “HI!”

They all stared for a few seconds and then their mother said “I wonder if that is on purpose or an accident/”

“I don’t know what that building is. Nothing about it in the guide book”

“It looks new. A hotel maybe?”

“‘I don’t know if this place  needs another big new hotel.”

They were all tired so they closed the blinds and went to bed.

Next morning, they were in a hurry to leave. Home was calling after weeks of travel and extended family. But when they were outside, before heading to the garage, Dad said, “I’d like to stretch my legs a little, Just to the end of the block and back”. Everyone was amenable and they started off. There were a few horses and carriages, for tourists lining the sidewalk. All the kids eyed them with interest. A squirrel, after a crust, darted near a hoof. The horse raised it and stamped down, hard, on what should have been the squirrel’s talk. But it had avoided it. And when the hoof was settled back down the squirrel dashed in, grabbed the horse’s leg and bit it. They all saw it clearly. And then it was away again.

“Wow,” said Mikey. “I never saw anything like that before.:

As they all recuperated. Rose saw a pigeon hovering and then land on the head of a handsome and very well-dressed woman. Except as soon as it landed, it became a hat. Straw and not really resampling a pigeon at all. “Wow. Did you see that?”

“See what, honey.” She was gazing up at the “Hi” building of last night. “It looks as it it’s still saying something, doesn’t it. But with the sunlight, I can’t really tell.”

They all looked. And in that moment, most of the windows faded to darkness, leaving only those that spelled out “BYE” with reflected sunlight. The all stared and shock their heads. Dad turned to the doorman and said “What is that building.”

“Don’t know yet,” said the doorman. “it’s new.”

“Well,’ said Dad. “Interesting city you have here.’

As they went to get into their car, none of them turned to notice the doormen briefly, very briefly, turn from his normal human skin color to a light green. And his ears lengthened along with other changes. But just as quickly, the changes were gone.