Her, Him, the Past

CHAPTER 1

It was raining on a summer afternoon.

Looking on a small windowpane close to the ceiling I stared at the cascading droplets of water. Then a thought came to my mind. Did I bring an umbrella? s**t. I didn't. I then let off a sigh and rubbed my temple in frustration.

"Aly? Hello, ~ Earth to Aly?"

I quickly turned my head on the person in front of me. It was my co-worker Dean. We are in a coffee shop where we both have part-time jobs. It was already lunch and we had to eat in the staff waiting room.

"I'm sorry what were we talking about again?" I said taking my cup of coffee and holding it, blowing the vapor away.

I had spaced out for a good minute while he had been talking.

He then rolled his eyes and sipped on the cappuccino he had ordered. This is Dean Michaels. that eye roll alone tells you that he wouldn’t be my boyfriend nor brother.

"We were talking about– oh wait let me rephrase that" He then cleared his throat "While you were thinking about rainbow-colored Pizzas, I WAS talking about how we could hang out later." He said with a smile. the smile you one would make in plotting mischief.

"I don't know... Well, I still have to finish making the questions for Mr–" I was cut off by Dean's finger on my lips.

"My God, Holy Mother Theresa, I didn't know a saint has reincarnated and so happened, had a best friend who was gay. Come on Aly, you need to get out occasionally." He sat back on his chair and picking up his drink once more.

"Being single is one thing but being boring?" he took a sip “I don't think I can handle having to watch you transition from Rapunzel to Mother Gothel in just a week. So whaddya say?"

I looked outside and looked at him once more.

I'm already 20, barely became a college student, Orphaned, doesn’t know parents, Haven't had the luxury of having a lot of friends, have a part-time job as a waitress in a small coffee shop, barely even eating 3x a day, eye bags on my face, thin arms. I mean, how could I party? looking like this?

"I don't know Dean... I mean look it’s raining. it might still be tonight?" I said in excuse with a nervous face.

"My heavens Aly! you really...–"

I was ready to tell him, no, but I noticed something was odd happening. Dean's voice had slowly pitched down. my ears were filled with ringing and I couldn't hear anything. This feeling was unfamiliar. My heart was racing. I could feel it. Its intensity makes my adrenaline rush all over my veins.

I felt anxiety and fear at the same time.

I looked at Dean and he was still talking. I looked everywhere and it was as if everything was frozen, the smoke from the coffee, the droplets from the windowpane. Then I suddenly heard something. a clink. it was a coin. I looked below and a coin had grazed my fifth toe.

 I went outside to the main lounge, looked at everyone in the coffee shop, glancing in everyone's direction, and looked at one person. He was already outside the shop.

He wore a long trench coat and a fedora, everything about him screamed suspiciously. My gut told me to follow him, but I felt very nauseous and thought I would just pass out when I tried walking further. I looked once again at the coin sat down on my chair and reached for it.

As my fingers drew close to it, I felt nervous. It’s just a coin, Aly. I kept repeating to myself. On a whim, I picked it up.

My eyes widened.

"Thomas, save her!"

Gunshots, Men in Black, A rainy night, 8:00, A fallen coin, A tall man, A mother, A child.

"I love you, my Baby. I love you my Aly."

A tear then fell down my face. Who were they? Why did she call my name? Is she who I think she is? I need answers.

"Hey! Aly!" I looked at Dean who was as confused as I was. The surrounding noises then came back. The sound of the busy street, people chattering, the music in the coffee shop.

"Hey, are you ok? I won’t be forcing you if you really don't want to go ok?" I looked at him showing a concerned face. I then looked at my hands. The coin I picked up. Who were they?

•••

"You really made me nervous back there, one moment you were looking fine, the next you were already tearing up"

I still couldn't process everything. I couldn't think of which I would think of first, the fact that for a moment everything froze or that vision. that clear vision of someone being shot.

"Hey, I think I might go home for now," I told Dean and sat on the bench. I felt nauseous after that vision. We were in front of our lockers prepping ourselves to take the next shift, but after that occurrence, I couldn't imagine myself working appropriately.

"Are you ok? did the thought of going to a club grinding really disgust you?" He said picking his apron "Alright, I'll just pray that you'd somehow survive that lifestyle of yours. My poor friend. Every day is a dry season." He feigned crying.

I smiled at him and went to the manager to ask for permission.

It was still raining, but unlike a while ago it only had little droplets.

I walked on the sidewalk with my wet sneakers squeaking on the bricks, I put both my hands on the pockets of my coat and walked in a brisked manner.

As I reached an alley it began to rain once more. dammit. I cursed under my breath. I looked everywhere but there were only apartment Buildings and knowing the owners, and me living there and getting kicked out, I couldn't shelter there. I looked around once more and saw a*****e. A thrift store to be exact.

I quickly ran towards it covering my head with my hands.

"Ahh, the rain. such a nuisance" I awkwardly said to the shop owner.

He was an old Asian man who was wearing his rectangular reading glasses while holding a newspaper. After looking at me from head to toe he then continued reading.

There were ottoman seats on the corner of the shop, I went there instantly, took off my coat, dried my ponytail using the coat, and sat down. I patted the coat on top of my legs since I wore skin-tight jeans and I can easily catch colds. Wouldn’t want that. s**t, I uttered a curse under my breath.  Now I’m wet, confused about what happened, and slowly having a head-shattering headache. What a day.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head up. Thoughts then came gushing through my head as I tried to make sense of what happened. Maybe I was just tired. Or hungry, I guess. Maybe I just hallucinated, maybe it was the coffee.

As I opened my eyes, I looked at the shop. There was a lot of stuff, surfboards, chairs, bikes. Valuables. Stuff that mattered to one person before. I stood and began to scan the store to buy time while waiting and hoping for the rain to eventually stop.

I looked at one rack and saw a handful of books, the other paintings, and the other, a collection of coins. Then the memory of the event came back to me. I slid my hands on my pocket and slowly reached for the object, the moment that I almost touched it, I pulled out my hands. I felt the fear again, I began sweating and panting.

I looked around and looked at the coin collection once more. But as I looked at it closely, there was one that had been missing. I counted the years on the coins and looked at the year missing. I then remembered the coin I had. It matched.

My eyes were stitched, in my confused state, I quickly grabbed the coin. And as expected my heart quickly beat twice as normal. Sweat rolled down my face, and tears formed on the sides of my eyes.

The vision once again played. I looked at the coin and stared at the coin collection. I then grabbed the frame containing the coins and took one out, the coin showing the year before the coin that I picked up. using the cloth, I found on the rack as a glove to not directly touch the coin. I looked at the coin. Maybe.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and hurriedly touched the coin

“How did she escape?”

“Find her! Don’t stop until you do!”

Two People, A river, white rose, coin, a lady in a blue cape. The baby with a scar.

“Let’s leave them all behind”

“Just you and me my love”

I then opened my eyes. The vision was still a blur, just like the first coin it was like snippets of a movie.I stared at the coin and diverted my eyes with the scar on my hand. Was that me? If that was me then…

I looked at the other coins and grabbed the cloth I used earlier, I wanted to grab another coin but I felt someone looking at me. I looked at the end of the aisle I saw the angry store owner.

“Hey! What are you doing?!” it was the store owner.

I was in a daze and I suddenly felt startled. I eventually dropped the coins. My eyes darted at it while one rolled towards the owner’s feet. My eyes then shifted to the owner’s face who is now looking at the coin that had just rolled. He picked it up and looked at it, looked at the coin collection, and now at me.

“I swear sir, it is not what you think it is-“

He cut me and went directly for his telephone. I was nervous. Am I finally going to jail? I thought. I’ve never been in jail, with all the threats from my landladies telling me they'd call the police if I didn't leave, I’ve never been in jail.

“Sir, this is a misunderstanding, I swear!” I followed him to the counter and nervously bit my lips

“You stole the coin! You were the stealer!”  He said while pointing his index finger at me “And now you steal the other coins? You stealer! You going to jail!” He shouted.

I had no alibi, I could tell him I picked it up, but the fact that I have no witness and I even went here on my own, even brought out the coin on purpose. Even took out one and would have been two if he'd caught me later If I could turn back time.

“Please, sir! I…” I hesitated for a second but as I heard the other line on the phone I couldn't think of anything else. “I’m going to pay for the collection. The coin collection” I blurted without minding. oh s**t. What have I brought myself into? Do I have money? NO! but I don’t want to go to jail either. I bit my lips harder and felt the metallic taste of blood dripping from it.

The owner looked at me and dropped the telephone. He went to the aisle where the coins were and came back to the counter. He showed me 10 of the coins in a glass frame.

“$250,” He said and held his hands towards me.

I knew for a fact that this was overpriced, the years on the coin would prove so. My hands were already shaking, that price would be my entire allowance for a month. The state I was in when I was 17 replayed in my mind. No job, no home, no food, no one. My mind went blank.

“Do you want to buy or go to jail?” the store owner said.

I stared at the coins. With these, I would experience much more hell than I’ve ever had. I’d be plunging back to what I had been in.

I looked at the store owner once more.

“Uhm… c-can you wait for a moment?” with shaky legs I went over to the ottoman where I hung my coat on.

When I reached my coat, I felt my tears roll down. For a coin huh. My legs gave up on me and I collapsed on the floor. What a day indeed.

I then wiped my tears and stood up.

I guess I’ll just have to live in the streets, again right?

I walked towards the counter with my head bowed down and my wallet held by my shaky hands. As I drew closer to the owner, I raised my head and saw the owner with a sweaty face and an awkward smile. Both my brows instantly knitted together in confusion.

I looked at the countertop and realized the coin collection was already gone. My confusion rose even more. What happened? I looked at the door of the store and saw a silhouette of a man who had just come inside. I hurriedly went outside. But with the rain, I could only see his figure. A tall man wearing a coat and a hat. It was the man from the coffee shop!

I went inside in a hurry and confronted the store owner.

“What happened to the coins?!” I shouted. I was confused at everything that had just happened. But on the contrary, I felt a bit of relief. Then suddenly a thought came to me. But with the coins gone how could I get the answers? That lady. Who was she, was she my mother? Relief in exchange for answers I thought.

“Someone buy them,” The store owner said in an elated tone. I looked at his hands and saw the cheque. $1000. The person bought it for a thousand. Whoever he is. He knew what it was exactly. And whatever those coins were. They were meant for me.

 “Man says, to give this to you” he then took out a piece of paper and gave it to me.

I looked at the paper, it was folded into four. I hesitated for a second. Doubts and anxiety rushed through me. What if this man knows me? What if he knows my parents? What if he threatens me? Questions of doubt gushed through me.

I shook my head and swiftly opened the folded piece of paper.

It doesn’t just work on coins

It wrote. I was dumbstruck. He knew better than I did. So I guess he knew everything about me. My past, the visions, what these coins were.

I looked at the store owner who was now using the cheque to fan his face.

“Can I be here for just a moment sir?” I asked the store owner.

He looked at me for a moment and went on what he was doing a while ago

“I watching you,” He said. I looked at the monitor next to his register, the store had CCTV’s all over the place. I hesitated to ask him to replay what had happened and who it was. But with him in trance with his newfound wealth, I don’t think he would agree, or if that man was wise enough, maybe the excessive value for those coins, disregarding the owner’s lack of knowledge of its real value, was to make sure he didn’t rat out.

I shook my head, walked towards the aisles, and looked at the objects that were there. This might be the perfect place to try this.

My eyes landed on a diary that was on the bottom shelf. It had those hinges on the book cover, but the lock had already been removed and the hinges already been rusted. Also looking at the pages at its side it looked pretty worn out.

I sat on the floor. Stared at the object for a bit and gathered every bit of non-existent courage I had and grabbed the diary.

“I love you”

“You love me, but I don’t Samantha”

Blood spurted, a man tied in a chair, a lady being hung upside down, rose petals and blood mixed

“If you don’t, then what’s the point Ed?”

“Don’t do this Samantha!”

What the hell. My eyes remained widened. I threw the diary in disgust, as it slid on the floor its pages opened. There were dried bloodstains with hearts written on it.

There is no doubt. The visions do work on objects.

That is a given now. But does it work on every object? I reached out for my shoes and closed my eyes.

 It didn’t work

It doesn’t work on every object. Does it choose the medium it wants? What is the ‘it’? the memories? As the questions grew in numbers I decided I should stop since the headache I had a while ago grown more and more, making my head throb.

As I walked down the pavement I thought about a couple of things, realizations, and conclusions. It was already night and the rain had stopped, leaving puddles and wet roads. As I walked the thought of today’s events still lingered on my mind

It works on certain objects, I still don’t know how it embeds the visions to some objects but others not. For sure, these are happenings. I cannot confirm if these are real for now. I might research later for Samantha who was a psychopath. But wait. What if she hasn’t yet been caught?

I paused walking. That is also a possibility. With that, fear crawled on my skin. what if the visions are all crime-related? Should I report everything? I bit my nails and realized that I bit my lip when I was in the shop. I felt my finger grazing on the wound and flinched. I should fix this before going home, I thought.

While walking, I noticed the alley. It seemed off. I’ve always walked in this route, but it felt different. It felt like something is out there in the shadows. With what I saw in Samantha’s diary I felt very cautious.

The alley had only one working street lamp post. I didn’t notice that as weird until now. I was holding my coat and tightly tugged it. The lamp post was still far but from this distance, I could see someone. Leaning on the pole he wore… a fedora and a coat. My heart raced. I stared at the figure as he turned his head to me.

What a day indeed.