In Ghent, Mea acquires an unexpected companion: her own shadow. It has long legs, excellent stamina and no objection to taking the scenic route.
Beside the water, the houses appeared to be living a second life beneath the surface. Mea was admiring their upside-down rooftops when she noticed her elongated self on the paving. It looked as though it already knew where to go. Suspicious. Mea had not even decided about coffee.
Illustrated fiction inspired by original Travel2City photographs. The places come from separate journeys, not a one-day itinerary. Characters, dialogue, props and some composition and lighting are artistic interpretations.
Ghent
Her shadow crossed the paving before Mea had finished taking a step. Slender, a little dramatic, it was willing to take up more space than she was. Mea slowed down. So did it. With her next step, she noticed her scarf performing a small dance on the ground. The quayside was offering more than handsome houses: a private little performance she did not need to raise her phone to enjoy.
“You get all the legroom, of course.”
Ghent
At the next canal she stopped and raised a hand. Her shadow did the same, without hesitation or asking why a grown woman was playing on the pavement. Mea gave it a satisfied smile. Across the water, a roof glowed red; somewhere nearby, lunch was cooking. She tried a tiny movement of her fingers. Excellent. At last, someone who understood even the most complicated choreography on the first attempt.
“You’re hired. No probation necessary.”
Ghent
Beneath the castle walls, her companion disappeared into a broad band of shade. Mea looked at her shoes, then at the stone turret. A break, then. No dramatic goodbye, no obligation to remain visible. She paused there too. The stone held its own silence, while a conversation she could not understand drifted in from the street. For the first time all afternoon, she did not even have to keep up with herself.
“All right. Five minutes unsupervised.”
Ghent
Beyond a small bridge, sunlight returned to the path, bringing the familiar outline with it. This time Mea did not test anything. She simply walked, smiled now and then, and let her scarf follow the air. Her quiet companion no longer needed a destination. There was room for both of them in every step. And somewhere around the corner, that coffee was finally waiting.
“Come on. This one’s on me.”
Travel2City journeys continue between the covers of a book. Discover our illustrated travel world.
Discover the book →That evening, she skipped the list of streets in her notebook. She drew a small figure with a long line behind it. For a few hours, Ghent had lent her company that required no explanations. When she finally ordered coffee, she ordered one.
Mea Zen · Colombine MichelangeLove