Where the Lost Things Go

Falling

Pippa was having the worst day of her life. At school she had forgotten her homework, became mortified, and cried in front of the entire class. The teacher had ignored her distress and reminded her to do her work in a timely fashion. She had stood there, tears welling up unbidden, hearing the muted whispers of the other children as they stared at her. She had left class and didn't stop walking until the school was far behind. 

 She sat, desolate, on a park bench and cried some more. She had always been an anxious child, but lately life had become unbearable. School was constantly looming like a monster intent on destroying her, and at home it was no better. Her mother, who had been cold and distant for as long as Pippa could remember, hadn't spoken to her in a week. Sometimes she thought that her mother didn't love her. 

 Finally, the torrent of tears stopped, and Pippa was in a slightly better place. She sighed, and pulled out her sketchbook. She had been drawing the March sisters from her favorite book, Little Women. She examined her sketch of Jo March, considering that it was decent, though certainly not good in her opinion. She adored Jo, who was brave and confident...unlike her. Pippa sniffed, the tears threatening to return in force. 

 She rose from the bench and wandered aimlessly around the park. Where would she go? School wasn't an option, and nothing could make her return home. She was quite alone. 

 Suddenly, she felt an something pulling at her, like a magnetic force. On the pavement, a black hole rimmed with violet opened before her wondering eyes. The aforementioned force drew her downwards toward the hole, gently at first, then so strongly that it pitched her head first into it. 

 Pippa was falling through violet and black nothingness, with no breath to scream, unable to understand what was happening. All at once, the ground rose up before her, and she was on solid ground, surprisingly with no broken bones. 

 She stood, trembling, her head spinning. She looked around, and started in surprise. 

 At first, she thought that she must be in a junkyard. All around her, odd items were heaped up in large piles, from pillows to tools. But when she looked around more, she saw that the junkyard (if that was what it was) stretched as far as her eyes could see. Pippa wiped her face, completely confused. Beside her, a pair of scissors fell through a small hole rimmed in violet, just like the one that had gotten her here, wherever here was. 

 "Where am I?" she asked out loud. 

 She began to slowly walk among the the piles of junk, stepping over pencils, chairs, and rugs. In some places, the heaps were so tall that they resembled hills. The light was low, and Pippa guessed that it was nearly night. Occasionally, she picked up items that she found interesting: an ivory-handled hairbrush, a cd of Bing Crosby songs, a red beret. She was looking for a blanket to use as warmth when she heard voices. 

 Two children, a boy and a girl, climbed over a pile of junk. "Hey!" the boy spotted her and hurried her way. "What are you doing here? This is our territory."

 Pippa stared, unable to answer. The boy looked wild, wearing only a pair of sweatpants too large for him.

 "Well?" He demanded. 

 "Ease up a bit, Harry, she's scared." The girl, who wore a cotton dress that desperately needed a wash, came closer to Pippa, a kind look on her face. "Which clan to do you belong to? You don't look familiar."

 "I - I don't know," Pippa replied nervously. "I don't know about any clan. I lived with my mother."

 "So did I," said the girl patiently. "But where do you live now?"

 "I don't know!" Pippa burst out. "I don't understand. I fell through a crazy vortex to this godforsaken place, and I don't know where I am." Tears came to her eyes again. Baby, she scolded herself.

 The girl nodded. "I see," she said. "You're new. I know it can be confusing at first. You'd better come with us."

 "But - where am I?" 

 "You're in the place where the lost things go, and if you're here, it means that you're lost yourself."

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