She’s too curious not to

She just couldn’t quite see through the high chain link fence. Even between the gaps between slats it looked like an empty lot, and she wasn’t quite tall enough to see over. The coils of barbed wire made the area seem hostile. She stood there, holding the keys, confusion and indecision playing on her face before settling into a sharp resolve. She walked down the sidewalk towards the gate, her hoof beats echoed against seemingly empty buildings.

The lock opened with a sharp click. The handle opened with the scrape of metal on metal. Through the gate was a neglected lot, overgrown with trash entangled weeds. She frowned. There was a low squat building at the end of a short paved walk. The walkway was made of stones, many of them cracked with more weeds poking out.

The building was a simple wood structure, with a clay shingle roof that was once maybe a vibrant red, but now dull and dirty. The building was about twice the size of her tiny studio apartment, still small. It’s door was mounted on sliding hinges, with swinging wooden shutters that could close over it, as the weather demanded. The shutters were held in place by a large stone block on each side.

She slid the door open. A thick layer of dust covered a bare wooden floor. The building seemed like it was divided in half. She stepped inside and coughed. The front half was mostly empty from what she could see, with the exception of a low table in the center of the room and a small cabinet with a small brass figure on top pushed up against the left wall. Another sliding door on the back wall led into the rest of the building. On the table was a small bowl with two sticks of incense burning. Altar. Not a table. It was an altar. She blinked in surprise.

“Hey, you.” She looked around wildly. “No yeah, you. Over here. You’re trespassing. Scram. We’re closed.” She put her hands up in a gesture of apology. “Sorry, I’ll go-” She took a step back. “Hey, wait. Stop.” She stopped one hoof suspended above the floor unsure. “Come here, Yeah. Over to the cabinet.” She looked at the cabinet. The figurine stood on top of it, hands on his hips tapping his foot impatiently. He was staring at her hand.