Twists, turns, and cobblestones directed the alley, weaving in and out of the eyes of busy urban cosmopolitans. He found himself whisked past tea-shops and currency exchanges, pubs and camera stores, football club storefronts and windowsills sporting the latest, imported genuine leather. The maze on the way to the way to Blinkpark Academy’s tailor shop seemed even more difficult to navigate than being accepted to Blinkmark itself.

Finally, he found himself on Christie Circle, just as the instruction-cassette directed him.

918, 920, 922, and then a plain, black door. He shuffled with hesitation down towards the road’s dead end just to confirm what he already suspected. 926, 928, and then a boarded-up storefront. The black door must have been 924.

Before he could knock, the door opened, seemingly by itself, but upon looking down, he saw a wrinkled, whispy haired crone in powedered blue slippers and a black cane.

“First year at Blinkpark?” She said in an almost tortoise-like, low voice.

“Yes, ma’am. I know I was supposed to make an appointment, but I couldn’t find the proper registration form on the school’s website. Is it still—“

“Back to right corner. Take your shoes off, and stand in front of the mirrors.”

…

He was set. One pair of black and blue elastic-band basketball shorts reaching down to his knees. A solid muscle tee undershirt going halfway down his bicep, and his blue SnapBack hat cocked at a corner on his head.

He laced his walking shoes, black and blue with white lightning bolts along the sides.

“I look okay, right? This is it. I can’t believe this is happening. I’m going to Blinkpark.”

“One more thing, she croaked from behind the dressing room. You’ll need this,” and with her she brought a green acoustinc guitar with a white strap. “Strum.”

He did, and felt a slight tremor below his feet. The light fixtures of 924 spun in perfect circles around them, and all noise and motion seemed to evaporate away like steam after a long awaited bath.

“Best to watch what you eat in the mess-hall,” she said. “I can see your belly beginning to poke out from under there.”