This is one of many of my own short imaginings inspired by my favourite book, Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. (Image: Construction Ahead, by Kay Sage)
After many days in a fruitless search, we came upon a woman walking in the road. Despairing of ever finding Palima I stopped and asked her where we were and how far we still had to travel. She replied that we should be glad for we had reached the city—its very centre in fact.
Looking about at the arid buildingless country, a tumble of dismissals of the woman broke out in my thoughts. But I turned back only to see her opening the door of a lone town-house. It was several stories, narrow, and clearly belonged in a terrace. But there it was like a windowed obelisk, casting its long shadow over the road. I called out to her, but she had already disappeared inside.