September 2, 2024

My parents and I were trying to catch the train. I held onto my mom’s hand telling her there was no need to rush after she nearly tripped down the stairs a couple of times. We got out of the station at one of the stops we were supposed to transfer at. We were at an empty parking lot of a Universal Studios. My dad said he needed to drop some things off first since he was going to need to come back later.

We entered a small garden that resembled a Japanese shrine. There were signs in both English and Japanese explaining that the shrine was a place for petty criminals to redeem themselves. They would be freed from the premises if they ever chanced upon meeting someone who was dressed as the emperor. The signs also introduced other “ghosts” who would wander the grounds and interact with the guests.

We walked by a small spring designated for refilling water bottles. I noticed mine was empty. Up ahead was a larger pool which my cousin had already dived into. She commented on how nice and cool the water was.