Strange Solace

There is a ten-story pagoda situated in a wild botanic garden, somewhere in London, England.

Only those with great curiosity or those in the depths of despair enter.  

This is because once you enter the pagoda you cannot leave, and you must pick a level on which to live, and once you go up, you cannot go back down.

As you climb the steps to the first floor you feel a slight tingling beneath your fingertips and a soft breeze whispering in your ear. The first floor empty except for a white cat with a pale grey face and light blue eyes who purrs and rubs herself against your leg. 

On the second floor you are greeted by an ethereal mist, it reveals glimpses of your past and offers you a chance to heal old wounds. To let go of regrets and lighten your heart.

The third floor is filled with shimmering crystals which radiate a healing energy, you feel it warming your soul.

On the fourth floor you are surrounded by a lush garden, blooming with vibrant pink and purple orchids, their sweet and spicy fragrance filling the air. 

The fifth floor is filled with mirrors, large and small revealing your heart’s desire and your greatest fears. You don’t realise that they will now never come true.

The sixth floor is a chamber filled with shimmering light; it is a sanctuary of dreams. 

On the seventh floor you stand in awe of a celestial observatory where the stars whisper secrets of the universe and reveal the connectedness of all things. 

The eighth floor contains a library which holds every book ever written. 

I do not know what is on the ninth floor. I see no reason to leave the library. Although the cat informs me it contains an orb glowing with pure magic. I am not sure if I believe the cat.

Copyright: image believed to be in the public domain and used for creative, non-commercial purposes. Edwardian postcard of the Pagoda at Kew Gardens. Likely published pre-1910.