Chains - Chapter 1A

I wanted someone to understand, but there's never anyone who does, so I stopped looking... ~ Keu Tur Chai Mai (It's You, Right?), Getsunova and Tai Oratai

xxxxxx

Not once in my life had I thought of coming across this kind of... adventure. Wait, should I really call it like that?

No, I shouldn't. It was a nightmare, one that haunted me ever since it happened. And until now, those memories only made me become aware of a skill I couldn't even fathom as to where it could possibly come from.

"Natsuki, can you put these books for me on their respective shelves?"

That order, who just called me by one of my nicknames, from my boss Okasaka Shiro made me snap out of my reverie back to the past. Again.

Seriously, I was starting to hate this. Why was I remembering an old story of my life again when I was supposed to be forgetting them for giving me endless nightmares?

"Coming!" I shouted from the storage room where I was supposed to get another batch of the new arrivals of books for that store.

That's right. I worked at the only bookstore in town called "Pages & Scenes". Well, I had to earn money since I was living by myself. I didn't have parents to support me, you know.

And that nightmare was the reason. The nightmare which only held the memory of what had truly happened to me a long time ago.

But I should only think of that later. For now, it was time to focus on my job.

It didn't take long for me to finish putting the books to their respective shelves. So now we got stocks for those books that our customers were looking for.

Especially the one titled "Fifteen Years".

Well, perhaps I could understand the reason why it was so popular. It was a love story that spanned for fifteen years, only to end painfully because of the male lead's sudden death. Yes, I was aware that it was a sad story to read. But the underlying messages contained in the story was something I could consider incredible.

Once again, I was snapped from my musings when I heard the bell on the door clanged. I immediately put the book of "Fifteen Years" back to its shelf in order for me to check it out. I ran so that I could do so immediately.

But to my confusion, no one was there. Only my boss who was busy cleaning the grandfather clock that was placed there as one of the store's ornaments.

"Shiro-san, did someone enter here just a while ago? I thought I heard the bell rang," I tried asking, since I needed to be sure of something.

"What are you talking about? I've been here the whole time and I didn't hear a thing. Besides, if there was indeed a customer, then I should've spoken quite loud already, shouldn't I?"

At that point, my heart increased the rate of its beat. I couldn't possibly be thinking of 'that', right?

Despite the increasing fear in me, I tried smiling. "Sorry for asking something silly. I guess I was just hearing things."

"Something tells me it happens to you all the time," Shiro said.

But I chose not to say anything as a response. It was better that way than have other people worry about me. I couldn't possibly have them do that for my sake.

I had enough of dealing with discrimination and unnecessary fear for one lifetime.

Another bell ringing snapped me out again. This time, it was surely a customer coming in to the store. But for some reason, that person immediately faced to my direction before I could even say anything or welcome him.

Wait... Was he really looking to me?

And that was when I felt that incredible chill running down my spine. I could only close my eyes tight when I felt that.

Does it really have to happen here inside the store? Please, tell me it won't.

"Ellie, can you get another copy of "Scarlet Road" in the storage room?"

"Scarlet Road", huh? That was another of our bestselling books here aside from "Fifteen Years". But even so, both books were good reads. At least for me.

I chose to pay attention to the duty at hand instead of doing even more worrying about that chilling sensation I felt earlier. I was about to take a copy of "Scarlet Road" from the top shelf where Shiro placed it previously where I heard something.

I didn't dare turn my back for me to confirm what it was. The sound was enough. Once again, I shut my eyes tight. My hands were starting to feel clammy because of that. Moments later, there was the sound again.

The sound of chains being dragged.

I finally took a copy of the book that was asked to me and fled the room as inconspicuously as I could. Perhaps I should deal with that later...

Now that I knew the reason why I was feeling that chilling sensation.

xxxxxx

It was nighttime, and I was supposed to go home late because I want to check if the sound of the dragged chains where still in the storage room. But Shiro didn't want me to do any overtime at the moment.

"You'll end up getting sick if you still work late at night when you're pale like this!" he scolded in which I could only listen to as my head was low.

Despite being my boss, he was acting more as my older brother at this rate and I was okay with that. Well, he knew I was an orphan and we were once living in a same town before he moved to the city when he was in high school. As for me, I moved when I was in college. He recognized me after all this time and introduced me to his proudly owned bookstore. Right there and then, I decided that I should help him in thanks for taking care of me when I was young.

So that was about my life. Or at least part of it.

But even at the moment that I was outside the store and just staring at the crowd, that weird sound was replaying in my mind. Then again, hearing something that weird was enough to make me remember it.

I faced an antique shop just across the street and I could see a stand-in mirror even from my position. But my eyes soon widened after a frown when I saw something from my reflection on that mirror.

"Chains..." I could only utter that much.

Does this mean...?

"Natsu-chan~!"

"Wah!"

I was startled at that voice, followed by someone glomped me from behind that nearly made me scream. When I looked behind me to know who it was, I grunted at the sight of my cousin Kisara Tomiko grinning at me.

"You could've killed me from a heart attack with that!" I couldn't help almost screaming to Tomiko's face but she just let me go and grinned once again before showing me a V sign.

Seriously, this girl wasn't making it all easy for me to put things in her mind with this nature of hers.

"You were about about to have a heart attack when you were looking on the other side of the street, you know." Though my cousin was smiling, her voice was laced with seriousness and concern.

That alone made me remember the reason for me to be like that again. As inconspicuous as I could, I faced the shop on the other side of the street. The figure I saw from the mirror wasn't there anymore. I sighed in relief soon after.

"Are you okay, Natsu-chan?"

I nodded just for me to appease my cousin's worries for me. "Don't worry," I said, even though I knew it won't be enough to make her stop worrying about me. "Let's go."

xxxxxx

When I got home, I immediately headed to my room and threw myself on my bed. Great! Why was I feeling so tired all of a sudden?

But I tried shaking that off from my system as I recalled something. I sat up and took the mail that was on my mailbox earlier. The only written word on the envelop was the name of the sender.

Or should I say a pseudonym?

"This is the fourth month now, huh?" I muttered and found myself smiling as I ran a finger on the pen name written on the envelop.

'Kamihikoki-san... (Mr. Paper Plane)'

Despite all the weird happenings in my life since that incident when I was in elementary, for some mysterious reasons, the letters coming from Kamihikoki-san were giving me reasons to smile at the end of the day. I wasn't sure why was he doing this to me.

But for now, I couldn't thank him enough for helping me clear my mind with those letters coming from him. The words written in those letters somehow held wonders that I couldn't think of knowing how or why it could do those things to me. And with the life I've been trying to live since my parents' deaths, Kamihikoki-san 's letters were the gift to me so that I could overcome those life challenges I've been facing day by day.

I sighed as I opened the letter and prepared myself to read it, knowing that I would never be able to sit still after reading that.

However, the letter only contained ten words that made me frown, though. And definitely enough to make my heart beat fast once again.

'Don't allow the chains to haunt you like this forever.'

What was that supposed to mean? And why...

Why would he talk about the chains? Chains of what?

Seconds later, I instinctively raised my head upon hearing that sound again.

The sound of chains dragged on the floor. And the sound--it was coming... from inside the house.

But as soon as I raised my head, I froze at the sight that greeted me that was followed by words that were seemed to be hissed.

"Help... me..."

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