In the village, there was an invisible floor ghost. The floor ghost was indistinguishable from the floor itself, like an invisible snake, causing people to trip over its tail or head. The moment you dropped something on the floor, the floor ghost would quickly snatch it up, never to return it. Naturally, it felt as though you were sinking into the ocean with each step you took. In fact, the floor might actually be liquid. Or perhaps, it wasn’t even a floor at all. Though it pretended to be covered in fallen leaves, beneath it was nothing but emptiness, and if you stepped wrong, you might just slip right through.
The villagers learned many ways to avoid dropping things on the floor, and they were always cautious.
When they were young, people wore bibs. Originally meant to catch food spills during meals, the villagers wore similar items even as adults. These had evolved into “catchers,” shaped like inverted umbrellas of various sizes. Some people wore them on their shoulders, some on their chests, and others around their waists. This way, even if they dropped something while walking, they wouldn’t lose it. The catchers grew heavier and sturdier over time, made of a mix of plastic and a bit of metal.
The villagers were always wary of the floor, studied the floor, and trained their eyes to see the floor from new perspectives.
Each time something was dropped on the floor, the floor would change a little, rebirthing itself. The floor ghost slithered quietly like a snake.
Some people walked without catchers.
Only those who had nothing to lose could walk without them.