He’s high up—it makes my stomach churn, but it almost looks fun.

“You alright?” I shout.

He looks around. His eyes meet mine, and he tilts his head.

I thought he might not have heard me. I question him with thumbs-up, because he looks around my age. He nods to the gesture.

The blue sky glows against his back. The wind wants to knock him down, but he continues to shuffle over the concrete wall.

“What’re you doing?”

He looks at me again, his eyebrows furrowing. “You’re nosy.”

I’m taken aback for a moment at the sudden insult. I nod and mumble an apology, then continue on my way.

“Hey!” he calls from behind me after a moment.

I spin around, and a smirk spreads across his face.

He jumps down from the wall. It’s a far drop, but he bends his knees and breaks the fall, then bounces to his feet—as if he’s taken that drop plenty of times. “If you ever get admitted to a mental hospital, let me know.”

“Okay?”

He shrugs, gives me a small wave, and runs in the opposite direction, all too quickly.

I shake my head. I’m never visiting my aunt in this odd town again.

I ignore the interaction and continue my exploration of the city. It’s a solemn place, but it has some good restaurants.

I follow the white wall, tracing my finger along it as I walk. It’s twice my height, and it towers over me. I round the corner where the white wall bends, revealing a sign and further down a grand, guarded gate.

An old sign reads: Lox Mental Hospital for the Epileptic and Mentally Disturbed.