{ Chapter One }
“Come on Robyn, if you just take another fifteen dollars off, I’ll definitely buy it this time!”
Robyn picked the lamp up, looked at it, and then frowned. This frown told me one thing and only one thing - she wasn’t going to budge about the offer again.
I sighed and hung my head down, getting myself ready for what I was about to hear. I had to think of something quick before she firmly declined again.
Setting the object on the counter top, she said, “Alex, you know I can’t take anymore off –“
“Please Robyn,” I interrupted and pleaded while clasping my hands tightly together. “just this one time and I promise you if you do this, I’ll come to your shop tomorrow morning with a load of your favourite cupcakes, you know, the ones from uptown!” I took a slight step back, astounded at the words that flew out of my mouth.
Wow, when did I think of that?
To my surprise, her eyes widened and there was a slight twinkle shining in them. A good feeling sparked inside my gut. “You mean the Taylor Robskin’s kind?” She ushered her words out slowly like as if she was telling me a dark secret of hers. The twinkle in her eyes begun to grow.
I stood, looking at her, astonished at her words. As her words sunk in, I nodded, the curves of my lips turning upwards into a pleased smile.
Huh, this is turning out strangely well. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?
"Yeah Robyn, those kind,” I confirmed, exaggerating a slight bit and then said as I unclasped my hands, “But I’ll only get them, if you agree to my bargain.”
The mention of the bargain caused the glint in her eyes to disappear and be replaced with uncertainness. I felt my inner self groan in frustration. Please don’t tell me I’m back at square one? Can she not realise how desperate I want this?
If you want it so bad, then stop being so stingy and pay the full price of it.
No way in hell will I do that!
Fed up with the silence and her uncertainness, I leaned forward and placed my elbows on the counter top, clasping my hands together once again so I was able to rest my chin on it. “Come on,” I coaxed softly. “You want them, the cupcakes want you, so heck on with it and just say yes.”
“Alex…” She uttered.
“Come on,” I coaxed once again, using a much softer tone.
“Alex, I don't think...“
"Robyn -"
She waved her hand, signaling for me to stop trying. "No, Alex. I will not do it."
That’s it. I’ve had enough of this! I’m going all out for once and for all.
I leaned back and stood up straight with my arms crossed over my chest, clear frustration radiating out of me. “I’ve been coming in and out for almost a month now, Robyn! Can’t you see how desperate I am? Look, look into my eyes and see for yourself,” I opened my eyes widely to show her I wasn’t kidding about my desperation.
Usually, I wasn't the kind of person who would willingly let someone witness such an emotion like desperation in me but today, I was going to let this card sly and like I said, go all out.
Robyn took a look into my eyes for a quick second and then pulled herself away. She still had the look of reluctance on her face.
Come on, woman! I gave Robyn a stern expression, letting her know I wasn't going to go anywhere until she agreed. Whether I was being an annoying pest or really childish, I didn't care - I was not leaving without the lamp with me today. I was not going to give up until I had that lamp and if I had to stay at the shop for countless of hours for it, I will do it.
After a few moments, it seemed to me as if she finally understood me because she had turned her head away and sighed in what I thought was in resignation.
Wait... did I finally do it?
“Alright, alright. I’ll give you the lamp for seventy-five dollars,” She said.
I had finally done it. Hallelujah!
"Oh thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed in joy. I was in so much joy, I grabbed her hands and shook them while saying a few more 'thank you's to her. I didn't know what came over me as I wasn't the type of person who would openly express my gratitude like that or grab people's hands, but I was just in so much relief and excitement. Not sure what I was in relief for, but it didn't matter at the moment.
Finally motioning myself away from my current excited state, I went into my hand bag and grabbed for my wallet. Taking exactly seventy-five dollars out, I placed it on the counter top and went in to grab for the lamp, but Robyn stopped me.
Something odd hovered over her eyes but before I could've processed what it was, it went away. "How about I get something for you to put that lamp in." She said as I rested my hands beside me. "While I go to the back, don't try to touch it; it's a very fragile antique and would break if not handled with care."
What she said didn't make sense to me. "How old do you think I am? Ten? No, I'm nineteen, Robyn - old enough to know how to handle objects especially those of the 'fragile' kind." was what I wanted to say, but instead I just nodded dully and said, "Got it."
"I'm being serious, Alex. Don't touch it." She ordered in a deadly serious tone.
What was with her? Why was she being like that? I shot my hands up in the air and took a step back. "Robyn, look, I won't touch it, alright?" I stated firmly.
Her brows went up. It seemed like she was not convinced. I sighed in annoyance and shook my head. "If you're really that worried about me touching the thing, I'll just stand a few metres away until you come back." I shifted myself backwards until I was in enough distance. "Better?"
Her brows went back down and she nodded in satisfaction. "I'll just be a moment." She went through the back door and disappeared.
While I was standing there, waiting, I couldn't help think Robyn was a weird woman. Although she was a very kind, thoughtful lady, she was just plain weird sometimes. I mean who tells a person who's just brought an item from their shop not to touch it? Ah, why am I bothering myself with something like that? I shook my heads and got rid of thoughts.
I gazed my eyes aimlessly around the shop. But as I did, my eyes straight away spot the lamp that was quietly sitting on the counter top. Immediately, curiosity pulsed through my veins and I had the urge to come forward and touch it. The shiny silver metal -which did not seem rusted one bit- shone brightly under the shop's lights. Not to mention the little white jewels incremented all around the body of the lamp. It was a beautiful thing - that lamp. Too beautiful for its own good.
Suddenly, my hand came into my view and it was approaching the lamp.
No, you cannot touch the lamp! You mustn't!
Robyn's voice pierced through my mind and as much as I wanted to stop myself, I couldn't.
I must touch it, I felt myself saying.
With each step, I was getting closer to the lamp and before I knew it, I was in front of it - just a touch away from it.
Wow, you really are something, aren't you?
My hands grabbed for the lamp. An electrifying feeling shot through my fingertips to all over my body and weirdly enough, it felt exhilarating. That was probably the first time an object has made me feel like that. And probably the last time.
Turning the object around, wanting to take a whole 360 look of it, I had noticed there was a pack of dust covering a certain spot. Using my sleeve, I smudged the dust away. The dust didn't budge. I tried again, smudging much harder this time. Eventually, the dust went away and I discovered something printed underneath.
Jinn.
I slightly tilted my head to the side, unsure of what I just read.
Jinn? I had never heard of such a word before. Wait, was it even a word? Maybe it was a code for something.
When my fingers went over the fine print, a spark shocked me and caused me to drop the lamp, making a sharp 'clink' echo throughout the shop.
Ouch! What the heck was that?
A small burning sensation begun to rise in my fingers and just before I was going to do anything about it, it disappeared. My brows rose up. Ah, not weird at all, I thought in puzzlement. I stared down at my fingers and found there was no print or mark on them. Strange. I then went to wriggling them and found there was nothing wrong with them. Extra strange. They appeared and felt perfectly normal.
Sounds of footsteps was heard in my ears.
She was coming back!
Dashingly, I grabbed for the lamp, placed it where it was before and ran to the spot I was supposed to be. I smoothed out my dark brown wavy hair and tucked a few strands behind my ear, trying to look occupied once she got back.
Robyn came out of the back door and in between her hands laid a plain brown box. As she placed the box on the counter top, she hovered her eyes over me and then looked back down, placing the lamp carefully inside the box.
"You didn't touch the lamp, did you?"
I took a semi breath in. "Nope," I said, making a popping sound on the 'p' and let the held in air out.
"Oh, good." She said after a few seconds of silence. "There you go, packed nicely just for you."
I walked forward and grabbed the box, smiling. "Thanks."
"Now remember about those cupcakes." She pointed her finger at me, "If I don't see them by tomorrow's end, I will not be very happy with you." She warned seriously.
I chuckled. "Don't worry, Robyn. I'll make sure you get them by tomorrow's end. I promise." I said confidently.
I told her goodbye, reminded her to trust me about the cupcakes for the last time and headed out of her antique shop. I was quickly met with the freshly cool air and light drizzling rain drops. Looking up into the sky, I instantly noticed how much grey it turned since I went into the shop.
How on earth did the weather change so quickly in the past hour or so? Unless I was in that shop longer than I thought. How long was I really in there for? I thought for a second, but with a light shake of my head, I pushed the unnecessary thoughts away. I've been asking or wondering about too many unimportant things today; I had more important things to wonder about, things like -
"Oh god," I muttered as realisation hit me.
I couldn't believe I let it slip out of my mind!
I hurriedly jogged my way to my car which was -thankfully- close by to the shop and quickly hopped in. Without a second to spare, I rampaged through my bag for my phone. Once I found it, I saw that I had missed 3 calls and 4 text messages. I silently let out a cuss, instantly feeling bad inside.
Damn it, silent mode! You're going to get me into trouble again.
I dialed the number and placed the phone to my ears.
After two rings, the person picked up and answered. "Alex?"
"Hey Val, sorry that I missed all your calls and text messages. I had it on silent mode again." I said wholeheartedly to my best friend. This was probably the third time this week I had forgotten about picking her up.
A sigh came through the phone. "Ah, it's okay. I kind of knew you were going to miss them if you were at that shop." She whispered.
I knew instantly what she meant when she said 'that' shop. I mean that was the only shop I had been going in and out of for the past month. Alright, I was exaggerating there. Wait a second, why was Val whispering?
"Val?"
"Yeah?" came her soft response.
"Why are you whispering?" I asked, curious to see what her answer was going to be.
I heard sounds of ruffling and shuffling in the background. What was she doing? "I'm kind of hiding right now."
My brows furrowed, questioningly. "Val, what do you mean you're 'kind of hiding right now'?" Then a thought hit me. My eyes widened and panic sunk in. "Is there someone trying to get you-"
She quickly interjected and hastily said, "No no no no, it's not what you think! I just saw somebody I wasn't expecting to see in a million years." Another sigh came through the phone.
Who on earth did she see if she's 'kind of hiding away' from them? "Do I know who this 'somebody' is?"
She let out a soft humorless laugh. "Oh you know this somebody very, very well."
As I was about to reply, I heard the sound of a door opening and then utter complete silence. There was some static noises along with Val's heightened breathing that were buzzing in my ear. At that moment, I felt as if I was in a horror film, just about to witness somebody die over the phone. Subconsciously, I nervously gulped and listened intently to the phone.
"Crap!"
Val's sudden hissed outburst caused me to let out a startled sound and my heart to jump out of my chest.
"Val, what the he-" I stopped in mid-sentence as I heard an unrecognisable voice through the phone.
"Woah, Val, what are you doing there, under a table?"
She was hiding under a table? Are you kidding me, Val?
Shuffled sounds came through. "Oh, you know just chillin'." Val said nonchalantly.
"Under a table?"
She did one of her fake, awkward laughs. Oh, she's heading into a great direction, I thought saracastically. "Yeah," she replied. "It just so happens to be a great place to relax. I can't believe it took me this long to uh, realise."
After her reply, I suddenly heard silence. I sat in my seat, waiting, but I still heard nothing. Taking the phone away from my ear, I looked at the front screen and noticed she had hung up on me. A second or two later, my phone chimed.
You have a new text message!
The text was from Val.
Wow, she texted real fast, I thought in amazement. I opened the text and there, laid three simple words.
Fitness centre. Curb.
I knew exactly what I had to do.
~
After twenty minutes or so, I finally parked my car on the curb I usually picked Val up after her workout sessions. It wasn't too far from the fitness centre she worked out at, probably a five minute walk distance away. I looked around me, trying to spot Val. I pushed the passenger window down to get a clearer view, but she wasn't in sight anywhere.
Where was that girl? Just when I was about to pick up my phone and give her a call, the passenger door opened. For the second time, I let out a scream and my heart had leaped out of my chest.
Ow, my poor chest.
"Oh thank god you're here!" She breathed exhaustedly as she hopped inside, shutting the door behind her.
I looked over, just staring at her. She looked like a complete mess. Her hair strands were crazily coming out of the top of her strawberry blonde hair and if I saw correctly, there were a few leaves stuck in her pony tail and big splotches of dirt stains all over her white tank top and pink shorts.
What on earth happened to her before I got here? Roll on the ground?
"Val, are you alright?" I asked, scanning over her to see if there were scars anywhere. Thankfully, there were none.
She rested her head against the head rest and shut her eyes. She replied quietly, "Just give me a minute to catch my breath." When she caught her breathe, she lifted her eyes opened and opened her mouth once again, her eyes glued to the ceiling of the car. What she said though caught me off guard and left me puzzled.
"Did I do something wrong this past year?"
My immediate response? A few blinks and complete silence. Why did she suddenly ask such a question? It wasn't like her to ask me or even herself those types of questions. Did something to her with that guy she was talking with? Did that guy do something to her? Who on earth was that guy?
Before I could've asked or said anything, Val spoke - in utter bitterness. "I must've done something this year to deserve the great privilege to see that Sam Walker." As the name flowed out of her mouth, she shut her eyes and rested one of her semi-dirty arm over her eyes.
Simultaneously, I was left dumbfounded.
Sam Walker.
The name chanted repetitively in my mind. That was a name I wasn't expecting to hear for a very long time, well as long as we were alive. What was he doing back here especially back in town? Wasn't he supposed to be half way around the world by now, settling comfortably with that new -
"Alex?"
Val's voice pulled me out of my unsettling mind and I looked over to her. She had a panicked expression on her face. I rose my brows up, waiting for her to speak again.
"Did you hear that noise?" She asked as she turned her head around, scanning all over the front seat.
I shook my head, following wherever her eyes were looking over. "What noise?"
"That rattling noise."
"I heard nothing."
Then I heard it. Rattle rattle. Rattle rattle.
I froze. "Was that the noise?" I asked softly.
Val nodded slowly. "That was what I was talking about."
The noise came again and I quickly snapped my head to where I thought it came from. My eyes laid where Val was sitting. The sound was coming from around her, but where though? The sound came once more, but the sound was much louder this time.
"Oh my god! It's coming from here!" She crouched down and lifted the brown box that was beneath her feet. "Alex, did you buy an animal and dumped in it here?"
That was the box with the lamp in it! "No, I didn't buy an animal, Val! It's the lamp I was talking about!" was what I wanted to clarify to her, but she had opened the lip and inside, the lamp was rattling like crazy.
Val's eyes shot wide and she quickly shut it closed. "What the heck?" Her outburst voiced out exactly what I was thinking. "Was that a lamp I just saw?" She asked as she placed her hand firmly on top of the box which was rattling. "Why the frick is that thing moving? It's an inanimate object!"
"I don't know!"
The rattling started to grow to the point, I felt the car began to move.
"Alex!" She called out as I sat there with a blank expression.
"I don't know what's going on!" I shot back.
"Alex, I don't think what you brought is a lamp, but really a bomb."
I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous thought. "Don't be stupid, Val. Why would that thing be a bomb?" No way could that lamp be a bomb! Robyn wouldn't sell such a thing at her shop and let alone allow someone purchase it! Unless she was a mad woman on the run for selling harmless looking objects that were actually a bomb in disguise!
"Then what's with the rattling then? Explain that!"
"Do I look like I can explain the rattling?" I said exasperatedly.
"Exactly 'cause it's a bomb!"
Straight after she said that, she quickly hopped out of the car and ran towards the open park nearby. I followed suit avoiding the few weird glances that were sent my way.
My mind was in such a frenzy as I was running after her. Could it really be a bomb? What happened if it really blew up?
I started to panic. I began to run quicker and eventually I caught up to Val. Just by looking at the lamp, I knew it was close to explode or do something dangerous. Instinctively, I grabbed the rattling object which made my hands rattle like crazy, and aimless chucked the thing into a group of bushes.
"Run!" I yelled frantically and ducked for cover under the nearest bench.
Val hurriedly followed behind me but she didn't duck under the bench. She stood with her hands on her hips and looked sternly down at me. "Oh, so you finally decide to believe me now?"
"Val, hurry up and get down here!" I scowled and motioned her to come down with my hands. "Hurry!"
She mumbled a couple of words I couldn't quick catch and crouched down under with me.
"Wow, I don't think you chose a secure enough place, A." She said as she sat herself down and causally crossed her legs. "I mean, we're just so close to the thing that we'll most likely explode into a bunch of pieces." A sad sigh escapes her mouth. "Should we move to a better location?"
I looked at her with a gaped mouth, astounded. "You're kidding me, right? You're more worried about the way your body will disperse when it blows than actually dying?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps, perhaps not."
That girl will always surprise me no matter what. And that's what makes me love this girl so much. She was probably one of the best friends I've ever had.
Suddenly the ground shook and as it shook, we both grabbed each other and screamed to the top of our lungs.
"Before we die, I need to confess something!" Val said, her blue eyes shining into my brown ones.
"What is it?" I replied. "Quickly, tell me before -"
"I ate that lemon pie, not Michael!" She said, clear guilt evident in her voice. "I'm sorry!"
I loosened my grip on her. "You ate my pie?"
"I didn't mean too! I was just so hungry."
"I was so excited to eat that -"
A vigorous shake caused me to shut my mouth and tightened my grip onto Val.
Oh, it's happening now. I'm going to die. I'm going to die!
While I was anticipating for the worst to happen, something unexpected happened instead.
We emerged out of under the bench and instantly, I scanned the area. There weren't any trees coming out of their roots, there weren't any destroyed buildings, there weren't any decapitated bodies laying anywhere - practically everything was perfectly normal like nothing had happened.
"I'm confused." Val was the first to speak. "Did that earthquake really happen? Or did we imagine the whole thing?" A horrid look crossed over her face as she turned to look at me. "Would that make us freaking crazy if we did?"
I was in such a state of confusion that I wasn't even able to speak or move. From my peripheral vision, I saw Val head towards the bushes, supposedly the very area I had thrown the lamp. I watched her as she looked around, checking each bush carefully. Then at one bush, she had stopped looking. I wasn't able to see the look on her face as she had her back to me.
"Alex." She called out a second later, her voice sounding very serious. "You have to come over here and see this."
Slowly, I made my way towards her and something in my gut made me fearful.
What was I about to see?
As I reached to where she was, I hesitantly peered my head forward little by little.
And then I saw it.
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Hi there reader! This is my new story and I’m… BLOODY EXCITED ABOUT IT! Haha. Excuse the language.. I’m just… a tad bit crazy… While LATHB is on hold (aka in the planning process), I couldn't help myself and write a new story. As you know I MUST DANCE! CLAP CLAP! (write I mean, not dance).
So, what do you guys think? I do apologise if this first chapter was boring as a stick, but don't read on because of it. The next following chapters will be soooooooooooooooooooooo much better, I promise! If they aren't just come over and give me a slap with a newspaper roll. I'm kidding, don't do that. I'll kill you if you do. Kidding (or am I?).
Please don’t forget to vote/comment! :D
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!