“As you are walking toward the next intersection if you see a person who is wearing something red, stop flipping your coin and follow that person instead. Follow the person wearing red until you see a person with long brown hair until you see a man in a pinstriped suit. When you see a man in a pinstriped suit, return to flipping your coin.” Ruth Ozeki’s Prompt #3 in the Preface to Choices (Borderline Press, 2016

GUEST BLOG BY ALEX LAMBRIES: Alex Lambries, 17, is a junior at Park City (Utah) High School. She loves skiing, hiking, biking and cooking. Her high school team took first place in a regional culinary competition. She is a loving and competent big sister to Gabrielle, 15, Elizabeth, 12, and Nicholas, 9.

We walk into the mall and I flip a coin, which directs us to the Pretzel Shop where I buy a cinnamon and sugar pretzel. I see a Polynesian guy with luscious black hair and blue eyes. He’s wearing a red plaid shirt. I turn to my grandmother and say, “Didn’t you know that Polys wear plaid shirts all the time? They rock.”

I watch him buy lemonade and a peanut butter and a jelly pretzel (eeeww) which is almost enough to deter me from pursuit, but those blue eyes drive me on. He strides over to Granny’s Book Nook and looks over his shoulder. Why? Is he in the Fifty Shades of Grey section? He slides a shiny volume onto the counter and pays for it.

I can’t hang around to see what he buys because I have to follow the prompt and I’ve seen someone with long brown hair: Chewbacca. I must follow him, but not before he glances at me and give him a wink. IChewy goes to the Oakley Kiosk, browses thick Coke bottle lenses with pink frames, puts them on, and presses a bell.

A secret trap door opens in the floor and he disappears. I drop down into the rectangular pit of mystery and doom. The corridors are lit by smoldering torches. I try to follow the friendly hairy beast, but I only see cages of flamingoes. Now I am on a platform which undulates and begins to rise until I am in the center of a circus tent.

I see a guy with luscious black hair and blue eyes, a red plaid shirt open at the chest under a pinstriped suit. He is reading to children who are waiting for the circus to begin. They are sitting in Chewbacca’s lap listening to Red Shirt read Horton Hears a Who. He looks my way and winks.

I decide to sit right here and not flip another coin.