1 The Antique Shop

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" she asked me, bluntly. "I mean, you and I are in a prom dress and we are walking in a shady alley at midnight!"

I blinked my eyes at her, not answering her question. I continued to move my feet until we could reach the end. But I highly doubt that there is an end.

"We have been wandering here for sometime now. We should go back." She glared and pulled the skirt of my dress.

I twisted my body and reflexively slapped her hand away. "You were the one who tried to deceive me into coming here, knowing there are thugs and criminals in this kind of alley every night. Congratulations! You are now dragged by me."

The blonde girl gritted her teeth and took a step back. It was unfortunate for her that she stepped on a muddy puddle of water and tainted her dress. While watching blondie make a fool of herself, I laughed and felt myself being overwhelmed by joy.

"Shut it," she declared. In a moment afterwards, her eyes bulged. She slowly retreated, taking me with her. She mumbled but I still heard it through the silence of the night. "You have gotta be kidding me, Ainsley. This isn't what I wanted. I don't want to die yet."

I turned my head to see a bunch of shady men, pacing towards us with a smug smile formed on their faces. "R-Rebecca?"

"Wa... What?" Her voice shook. I grabbed her hand as we ran towards the opposite direction of the dark alley, going farther away from where we both entered.

"This way." It was a whisper my ear. My eyes observed Rebecca, who only shot a look at me.

She asked, "Did you—"

But I cut her off when I told, "So it wasn't you. It wasn't me either."

We heard the whisper over and over again. We followed it through the black wooden door. Blondie shut it as soon as we entered. I panted so heavily that I needed water. Coincidentally, I caught a glimpse of cups on top of the center table. Smoke was still seen in the cups with greenish water. Being so desperate, I drank one cup, half a second, then poured more in and did the same thing.

Rebecca's nose crinkled as she looked at it. "What are you drinking? Is that moss? Disgusting!"

I groaned. I really wished that I didn't have to explain it to her. Instead of telling more than I could say, I uttered in one word, "Kiwi."

She gladly took a sip of it and suddenly coughed while she swallowed. Rebecca stuck out her tongue. "Ugh! Disgusting. It doesn't taste like kiwi. It's more like..." She glanced up the ceiling in search of the perfect word to describe.

"Tea," I mentioned with a sly smile.

She scowled, "I will kill you."

As I remembered, Rebecca Harper dislikes tea. No. Actually, hates tea. She proclaimed that tea tasted like bitter medicine and that's just... Yuck! For her, I guess.

I couldn't stop laughing at Rebecca, thinking that I tricked her twice this evening. How dumb is she? Oh, blondie, if you ever think of crossing the line again, I wouldn't think twice in leaving you to a pack of wolves.

A creak upstairs began to alarm us. Slowly, feet walked down the stairs until it revealed an old bearded man with round small glasses reading a red hard covered book.

"Who are you?" Rebecca started.

He adjusted his glasses and squeezed his eyes. "So you heard the whispers. Am I right?"

I was startled. Was he the one who led us here?

"Yes," he chuckled and closed his book.

Did I said that out loud? How embarrassing!

She crossed her arms and legs once she took a seat on the vintage couch. "Okay, old man. That's creepy. How did you do that anyway?"

The bearded man explained that he was up in his balcony when he saw us being chased by thugs. He lowered his voice so that he wouldn't disturb sleeping people, but made it loud enough for us to hear.

I found it hard to believe.

It was just that the whispers were as if blown in our ears. Mine, if it didn't occur to Rebecca.

"What are you girls doing outside in the middle of the night? You both know that it's dangerous, right?" He sipped tea, after giving us a question to answer.

"It's all because of this ridiculous Ainsley." She rolled her eyes then raised her head up high, filling herself with pride. I let her babble on and on about how we ended up in the dark alley then got chased by a bunch of "ugly men"—it's her description and not mine. Should I include credits to the owner? Plus, I could've described it way more fancy than blondie here—then how we heard his voice that managed to guide us inside his house.

"Antique shop," he corrected.

"Okay. Antique shop," repeated Rebecca.

At the same time I blurted out as my eyes shined with interest, "Antique shop? No way! But—" I gazed at the furniture and objects around the room, curling my lips downwards in disappointment—"how come majority of the items are...err...looks modern?"

He grinned, then gestured us to follow him upstairs. The wood creaked louder as we stepped on it. Then my eyes glowed like stars as I faced a room full of objects that dated back a hundred or a thousand years old. I gasped then squealed while Rebecca stood still and quiet for the first time.

"Dear, you like old things?" he inquired.

Rebecca answered it for me. Not that I like it. She just helped me not waste any more time to observe each item. "She's literally obsessed with them."

I halted and breathed the smell of historic pages that wrapped the old bookshelf. I clutched a book with golden linings and soon mouthed the title: Redamancy. "The act of loving in return. A love returned in full," I beamed the meaning.

The book in my hands appeared to be taken care of quite delicately. It's golden and a beautiful crown was stamped as the cover. I began to turn the pages, noticing that it was a fantasy and romance novel.

"Oooh, pretty!" Rebecca's eyes dazzled.

I frowned. "Read another book. I don't want to share mine with you."

"Come on. Why don't you want to read it together with me?" Her attitude suddenly changed into a goodie two shoes person.

"After torturing me since elementary?" My jaw clenched. "I think not."

"I didn't exactly torture you," she replied. I doubt she could hold herself calm until the end of this discussion.

"But you still did. There's no denying that."

"How infuriating!"

"It is."

"It was just a simple payback that never even happened because of you and your cheap tricks."

"Am I really responsible for being born?!"

Immense silence drowned us, especially the bearded man who had his brows raised until we finished our argument.

"Sorry," we muttered to the old man in unison.

I continued to read the book and flipped more pages. I never stopped but Rebecca reminded me that it's already late and we aren't back at home yet. Sadly, those thugs might catch up again on us and do terrible things that I dare not imagine.

"You can stay here for the night. Call your parents. They might be worried for you," suggested the old man.

"Thanks," I said with a smile as blondie dialed her phone and told.

He looked at us with curiosity, adjusting his round glasses. "You are siblings?"

I shook my head immediately and snarled, "Who wants to be her sibling?"

Rebecca sighed and squinted, "I agree with her, but that's just unlucky since we are half-siblings. Oh and please forgive our manners, my name is Rebecca and this is Ainsley." I heard her mumble as her face flushed, "We were going to sleep in for the night but you didn't know our names."

"It's fine, dear. I forgot to introduce myself as well," he giggled. "My name is Robert Clocks. I am a clock maker."

A question mark was raised from my mind. "Clock maker? You make clocks?"

He nodded then Rebecca asked, "We don't see any clocks. Except for that old grandfather clock." She pointed at the clock with polished wood.

Robert laughed. "That's because my clocks aren't here."

"Then," I said, "where is it?"

He did not tell. Despite of his secretness, he smiled and handed out two fancy pocket watches from his desk. One was black as dark as the night. And the other is plain white, so clean and so refreshing to admire. He told, "Take one."

We stared at him blankly. Once again in unison, we asked why. He only said that he made it and just wanted to give it to us. "No other reason."

He informed us to write our initials on the back of the watch with the golden paint that he left on the table.

I took the dark watch and she took the other. He trumpeted, "This watches have magic like no other seen in this world. It would help you find each other when you needed each other the most."

"That's cliche, Robert. Ha!" she crooned.

"Believe what you want to believe," he said.

But I sang, "We will believe it when we see it."

Later that night, he pointed us towards a room. Two twin beds inside with a cabinet filled with glamorous vintage gowns and dresses from the medieval era. He explained that it was his twin daughters' room and that they never got to use it anymore after they went for college. He also indicated that he would gladly allow us to rest and sleep just for the night. Just as planned.

"Ainsley," blondie whispered softly while I plopped onto my chosen bed.

"What?" I asked furiously, not wanting her to disturb my peace and happiness for a change.

"Let me borrow the book. You finished it already. It's my turn now," she decided.

I tossed it to her and quietly closed my eyes, sending myself to the dark. Slowly and surely, I am falling asleep.....

= 🗝️ =

Awes.

I kept hearing awes.

My eyes fluttered open and I saw a magnificent golden room and crib. I. Am. In??? WHAT?!

The bed was so soft, but I laid down the crib as people wonder around me.

A boy, not older than ten maybe, sparkled his eyes as he dawned on me. Then there was a woman with wavy navy blue hair. The same as the child's. And eyes of a blue sky. Lastly, a man. His hair was dark, raven. And superior black eyes made me feel butterflies in my stomach.

"Alique." He stood there, watching me smile. But he never showed any expression on his face. "Her name will be Alique Pagillian."

Then he left.