Thirteen-year-old Caleb had never seen anything like it. The city was loud, bright, and overwhelming, a world away from the quiet, rolling fields of his Amish home. As he and his father walked through the bustling streets, their eyes widened at every towering building, flashing sign, and honking automobile.
But nothing prepared them for what they found inside the grandest structure of all, a shopping mall.
It was a palace of wonders. Glass storefronts gleamed, escalators hummed as they carried people effortlessly upward, and neon signs flashed words they couldn’t quite decipher. But amidst all these marvels, one thing stood out above the rest, two sleek, silver doors that mysteriously slid open and shut on their own.
Caleb tugged at his father’s sleeve. “What is this, Father?”
His father furrowed his brow. “Son, I have no idea.”
They stood, transfixed, as an elderly woman in a wheelchair rolled up and pressed a small button on the wall. With a soft chime, the doors glided open, and she wheeled herself inside. The doors sealed shut, and above them, a row of glowing numbers began ascending one by one.
Caleb and his father watched in silent fascination. The numbers climbed higher and higher, paused for a moment, then steadily descended.
Finally, with another soft chime, the doors slid open again. But instead of the elderly woman, out stepped a stunning young blonde, tall, radiant, and looking like she had just stepped out of a fairy tale.
Caleb’s jaw dropped. His father’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Without tearing his gaze away, the father leaned in close and whispered urgently, “Caleb, go get your mother.”