top of page

The Noodle Shop

Rob Spice, New Jersey, USA
August 2004

Today was the same as yesterday. This seemed to be a trend in my life, recently. Eat, work, sleep; the epitome of the average joe.

It was during one of my long walks back to my apartment, that it hit me. I came upon the same noodle shop that I pass everyday, and my brain told me to turn left across the traffic light. This seemed to be the logical choice because my apartment was only a couple blocks to the left, but contrary to what I told you in the first paragraph, today would not be the same as yesterday. This would be a turning point in my life. It was time to reject common sense. This would be my way of taking a risk. I would keep walking straight down past the noodle shop, and I would go where-ever it takes me.

My heart began to quicken as I walked on. The buildings began to look strange and unfamiliar, and the sidewalk seemed to be empty. Even the honking of the taxi drivers seemed to fade into the distance.

As I approached what appeared to be an old drive-in movie theatre, I heard a little girl laughing. I decided to go see what she was doing because I didn't think it was safe for a small child to be in an abandoned place at night. I followed her laugh until I got to the movie screen, but the whole place was deserted, and there was no sign of the little girl. The only movement in the whole place was the slow creak of a crooked street light. After I searched the whole theatre, I decided that the little girl must have gone home, so I turned to go back to my apartment because this adventure was starting to become a little more frightening and a little less exciting.

I was about to leave when I heard that little laugh again, so I turned around as fast as I could to try and see where the little girl was. To my amazement, the movie screen was all lit up, and the little girl was running to her father with a couple freshly picked flowers in hand. I turned to see if there was someone projecting the movie, but the booth was deserted and dark. When I tried to look at the screen again it had turned off, but the little girl was still laughing. My heart started racing, and I turned and ran as fast as I could out of that movie theatre. I ran and ran, but the laugh still followed me as I sprinted past unknown buildings. I thought my heart was going to come up my throat as I saw the little girl running in the darkened windows holding out the flowers for me. My chest had become numb, and my legs screamed as I pushed them harder than I ever had in my life. I closed my eyes and and sprinted thinking of nothing accept that eternal laughter in my mind.

All of a sudden, the laughter stopped. I stopped running and forced myself to open my eyes as I tried to catch my breath and release the knot in my throat. To my surprise, I was standing next to the noodle shop. I took the left turn to my apartment, and I never saw that little girl ever again.

Rob Spice, New Jersey, USA
00:00 / 01:04
bottom of page