Mall Fountain 2:17 AM
Westfield Galleria, Atrium Level
Water
Still. The pump shut off at midnight. The surface reflects the emergency lighting in an unbroken plane.
Ambient
The hum of the HVAC system. A single escalator running somewhere above. The tick of cooling metal.
The fountain is hexagonal, tiled in turquoise ceramic from 1988. The center jet is dry. Around it, six smaller nozzles point inward like accusations. The brass plaque reads 'Donated by the Kiwanis Club.'
A shopping bag from a store that closed in 2019 sits on the fountain's rim. No one has moved it.
Coins
Pennies, mostly. A few nickels. One silver dollar that catches the light differently. The wishes they represent are decomposing.
after hours · no lifeguard on duty