Otherplaces – Derhallow Square (A to Z Challenge, D)

Coming of out the alley, I found it.  A collection of odd shops, strange restaurants and a sad little street market.  The lighting was ancient and their were no vehicles around.  As I was in a hurry, I only took time to stop in the bookshop, purchased the first thing that caught my eye and left.  Since then, I have never been able to find my way back.

Derhallow Square

Like this place

There is little to distinguish this square from any other square in an old city or town, an open area, a statue, shops and restaurants all facing the square.  The building are all of antique style, nothing seems to have been build more recently than a century ago  and most are older.  While none of the building seem to be in excellent repair, none are falling apart.

The shops are filled with a variety of goods appropriate to their type, but the deeper you go into the store, the odder things become.  A fishing shop may have whaling harpoons, mermaid bait and guides to sea monsters behind the perfectly normal rack of rods and lures.  The bookshop has piles of out of date best sellers and mysteries in the front along with newspapers from across the globe. But in the back are misprinted and obscure books, photo albums, and stranger works.

The restaurants and pub contain odd and unexpected menu items and drinks which may go unnoticed among the everyday items on the menus and chalkboards.  The other patrons in the dining establishments are all involved in deep philosophical and esoteric discussions and may, or may not, welcome visitors.  The majority of other patron seems to be from the local area but at least one table will be populated by foreigners from some exotic locale talking in their native language, which the servers seem to know, except when asked what the foreigners are saying.

When the street market is in session, which is now and then, various people, most of whom seem homeless have rickety stalls and items spread out on worn blankets.  A fascinating selection of found items, unusual handcrafts amid a myriad of junk and trash.  Food and intoxicants will often buy more than cash in the street market, especially if one is seeking information rather than physical items.

The doctor, dentist, lawyer and other professionals whose offices face the square are rarely there but will be if there is an emergency.  Their offices are a mixture of antique and ultramodern tools and equipment run by terrifyingly competent specialists who refuse to explain what they are doing but do it very well.

People can only find Derhallow Square when they are not looking for it, it is only accessible to the wandering or the lost, those seeking it are doomed to disappointment.

Notes: Image from wikipedia and is in the public domain.