A strange feeling accompanied Ken's steps as he walked the narrow, foggy streets of Blithe Hollow.
The houses were crumbling in time, the roofs were slanting, the fences were rusty and crooked.
There was a subtle vibration in the air; the branches of the trees seemed to bend slowly, as if they were watching for those coming. With each step, Ken sensed that the rules of the physical world here were not quite the same as the ones he had known before.
As he walked the streets, shadows flickered from his perspective, subtle vibrations in the cracks in the pavement, as if someone or something was always lurking in the corner of his eyelids. Ken almost thought he could hear the deep, muffled rustling coming from the walls, as if the houses were breathing too, trying to hide any secrets from him.
And then, around the next bend, he saw Norman.
Norman Babcock, the sixteen-year-old boy, stood there, his hands in his pockets, a faint but definite suspicion on his face. Norman had always been special; he could see ghosts, things that other people couldn't. Ken knew at first glance that the boy was not ordinary. At the same time, Norman noticed Ken immediately, and something about the man resonated strangely with his ability.
A faintly glowing shadow passed before their eyes.
Norman spoke in a whisper,
"You… see them?"
Ken stepped back hesitantly, then closer to the wall where the shadow seemed to want to hide. His heart was beating fast, the air suddenly heavy in his lungs.
"I… I don't know," Ken said, his voice trembling but trying to stay calm. "This… this can't be. This… it's not possible."
Norman moved closer cautiously to reassure Ken, his gaze both curious and sympathetic.
He held out his hand, but didn't force contact, as if the man might reach out to him of his own accord.
"Relax… nothing will hurt you. Just… look at what's there, but don't lift your head. We'll figure it out."
Ken's breath caught. He felt something deep down was wrong, but he couldn't explain why he was seeing the same thing Norman could only see because of his special ability. All his logic collapsed; the whole world suddenly felt strangely overloaded, as if it existed on two levels.
In the background, Martin Hale was pacing. The taxi driver and new friend were watching the events unfold. Martin had always been open to the oddities of life, but even he was a little surprised.
He saw Ken's trembling gaze, and how Norman was trying to carefully control the situation.
Martin spoke carefully, half to himself, half to the boys: "Well… I didn't see this coming."
But something tells me that there is a strange energy connected to Ken in this city. Maybe he shouldn't panic right away…
Ken heard the voice and felt a slight sense of relief, but his heart was still pounding wildly. The strange city, the mystical shadows, and Norman's presence began the initiation into a world Ken never thought existed.
And then a new shadow moved in the corner, subtly but clearly. It wasn't the street that came to life, but something that somehow connected to Ken and Norman.
The new rules of the city slowly unfolded, and Ken understood: this place was not what it seemed.