1 Antique Shop

One day, I found a weird shop while walking home after an exhausting day at work.

At that time, I was really surprised, after all it wasn't the first time I walked by this street. I knew that where the shop was there should have been a dark alley with a dead end, so it was no wonder why was I so greatly shocked.

"..Am I getting old?"

After all, there was no way a store was suddenly constructed over night, more so a shop that looked as old as the one in front of me. On the glass display was a bunch of old toys, mannequins and ancient looking furniture.

"Welcome."

The tiny place was cluttered with so many junk it made difficult to locate where the croaky voice come from.

"...Hello."

Walking among tattered clothes, old clocks, weird-looking ornaments, creepy dolls among other knick-knacks, I was soon disappointed. Was there really nothing interesting?

When I was planning on leaving, a certain dusty book hided among the items grabbed my attention.

"..Godly Slayer?"

It sounded like the typical light novel so why was it on an antique store? To satisfy my curiosity I was about to open it and take a quick look when I was suddenly interrupted.

"Are you buying?"

"!!!"

A few centimeters behind me was an old woman with a head of discolored hair combed into a bun. She was so close to me, I could practically almost count every single one of the infinite amount of wrinkles she had.

Stepping back to create some space I awkwardly coughed.

"Kuhum. Yes I am planning to."

Her emotionless eyes that were accentuated by a green eye-shadow were filled with a joy so big it looked like madness.

"Is that so? Is that so? Finally..! Finally!"

Was she that desperate to sell something? Well, if I was the owner of the shop I would porblably be as desperate as her.

The place was just too shabby...

"Will you read it? Will you?Will you?"

She continued as she looked at me with eyes as big as plates and smile that extended to her ears.

Isn't that obvious?. I almost retorted, fortunately I managed to contain myself and only nodded.

"Ahaha! Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes!" She began spinning like a little girl.

I slightly frowned but didn't say anything. Thinking that there were indeed all types of people. It was particularly creepy considering she was almost as ancient as the things she sells.

Suddenly stopped spinning, she asked me another question while I was facing her back.

"Tonight?"

What?...

Did she meant if I would read it tonight?. Giving it some thought, I answered honestly.

"Uh... I don't think so, I'm deathly tired after all. Probably tomorrow—"

Crack!

I couldn't finish speaking as the sound of a snap resonated among the room.

While I was wondering what it was, she turned her head towards me. Her croaked nose looked even more prominent from that angle but what I noticed was that blood was pouring out of her finger which was between her teeth.

Did she just bit her finger to the point of breaking her bone just because I will not read the book tonight? With such toughts my face lost all color.

The woman who didn't look particularly strong become extremely terrifying in my eyes.

Her eyes kept staring at me while she gnashed her teeth (with her finger inside), making a disgusting sound.

Just hearing gave me goosebumps. And before realizing, my mouth opened by itself.

"I-I was kidding.."

Without any shame, I deny it.

After a minute of silence (on which she kept staring at me) she began to laugh out loud, spilling her saliva everywhere.

"..."

After what happened, the shop didn't look as interesting in my eyes as before, plus with the crazy old hag watching me, I wasn't in the mood to continue to look around the store.

Immediately paying for the book, I made my way to my home.

***

Locking the door of my house, I could finally relieve myself of the feeling someone was watching me.

Taking out my shoes, I walked towards my bedroom. The place wasn't really big, but as a single man on his thirties, it couldn't be considered bad.

Looking at the new acquisition I had on my hand, I couldn't help but let out a sigh..

"...Isn't my look just terrible?"

The simple, dirty and somewhat tattered book had the same price of a new popular novel. Feeling bitter, I placed the book on my desk as far away as I could, hiding it from my sight.

"Let's just forget about it."

Jumping to my bed, I aimed to start the next day anew as if nothing ever happened.

Closing my eyes, I drifted to sleep.

....

...

..

.

Or so I wished.

After turning on the bed for the twelfth time, I finally couldn't handle it any longer.

Kicking the bedsheet aside, I walked towards the window.

"Sh*t, I have to work tomorrow yet no matter how tired I am, I just can't sleep!"

Scratching my head out of frustration, I took a cigarette out and took a deep puff.

"Huu.."

Thump!

Startled, I turned around.

The book I had bought, fell on the ground.

"...Didn't I put the book far away from the corner of the desktop? How the hell did it fall?"

Seeing the book made me remember the weird look on the old hag's eyes as she walked me out of the store. Although the light covered her eyes and most of her face, I couldn't forget her sinister smile at that time.

Dispersing such thoughts, I lied down on the bed with the book at hand. Anyway I couldn't sleep so I figured that and old book could make the trick.

Yet, when I opened the book my eyes almost fell out.

"That f*king old hag! Was it all a scam!?"

I couldn't help but feel ashamed. Just moments ago I still felt apprehensive of that old witch!

I could almost see all the colors my face was making.

"She must be laughing right now!"

Although the content was perfectly fine and was easy to read, there were many missing pages. As if someone had ripped them purposely.

"Ah, Whatever! As long as it could help me sleep.."

Although I started the book to force myself some sleep, the more I read the more I become absorbed on the story and before I noticed it. I had already finished.

Unexpectedly, it was a good read. More importantly, it did bring me sleep as I felt my eyes growing heavier.

Turning to look at the clock on my night stand to see just how much had I been awake, I was left astonished.

[ 3:00 a.m. ]

Making some calculations, I realized that it had took me only 6 minutes to finish the book..Although there were missing pages, but it was still a big book!

Despite wanting to reopen my eyes again to reconfirm, I couldn't.

My mind felt muddle headed and my eyes didn't obey me.

Then, there's no then. Because after that, I was already in another world.