Secret World, Wild City

• Ella Howells

I’m stitching with every step on the footpath, swinging my arms back and forth in rhythmic motion, headphones clasping my head, emanating a forcefield. The headphones use electromagnets as mediators for energy, a permanent magnetic field that attracts and repulses the electrified diaphragms, creating sound waves. It’s important to have a personal forcefield, some kind of imaginary LARP-esque armour of light conjured to keep your path on course and your arrows straight. I would be curious to see the stat report of how many times I’ve stitched the same places, round and round the city in circular motion. When I was a quirked-up teen, I used to carry a pendulum in my pocket, a pointed synthetic moonstone on a long silver chain, to help me decide which routes to take. I found it again the other day and decided to give it a whirl (literally). In order for it to work, I “program” it to perform a circular clockwise motion for an affirmative position. If it holds still, it’s a no. I hold it in the air and ask it whether it’s a good idea to walk into the city. It whirls in agreement, so I proceed.