Magic Shop

FOUR | SIX PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW DEAD

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He must be imaging things, right? Dawn told himself as his eyes wondered to the person in front of him while his mind was making any kind of explanation right now. The guy was wearing an all dark blue three piece suit. He had a monocle on his right eye. It fits him perfectly as he gave an aura of a knowledgeable person who are in their early twenties. His right hand holding the door handle and his other hand is holding a pocket watch that. His eyes traveled to him a little longer as he observed his pure white hair and dark blue eyes.

 He must be dreaming.

Is he even human? Dawn asked himself again. He shouldn't have gone to this place. He told himself again. He tried to smile and slowly walk backwards away from the man but the man who was wearing a blue suit walk towards Dawn and smile at him putting his pocket watch on the pocket of his suit and putting both of his hands on both of his pants pockets.

Dawn felt awkward and took a step back before something else happen but the man seemed like he knew what Dawn was doing because he also took a step forward closing the gap between them.

Am I in a kdrama show or something? I’m not even the heroine.

Dawn suddenly felt irritated. He felt like the man was just messing with him and was to open his mouth when a voice was heard inside the shop.

“Stop fooling around Lae, it’s time for business.” The voice came from a woman, Dawn thought. The voice was soft and fragile at the same time. But, what, Lae? Is that the name of the man who is in front of me right now? Dawn’s thoughts are all over the place that he can’t seemed to function right now. He felt like he needed to breathe for a moment.

Why is he even here in the first place? He asked himself. The man in front of him smiled and look back inside the shop. Dawn’s eyes followed his movements and was astonished to what he saw.

If beautiful was the only word to describe something magnificent and gorgeous at the same time then Sue him for he can’t even utter any words right now for he was bewildered.

The voice came from a woman he said to himself but not just any woman, the woman was wearing an all black dress like she came from the victorian era. She’s wearing gloves. Her hair was tied in a messy but gorgeous bun revealing her soft skin from neck down to her shoulders for they were exposed. She’s wearing a long sleeve dress that has a very minimalist design but it looks elegant. Her waist seems to have a corset for it looks so small and define.

Her skin was pale as snow and her lips was as pink as the pink rose. He was intoxicated at first however he managed to get hold of himself as he muttered himself to calm down. Despite of seeing a beautiful gorgeous woman in front of him, he felt irritated for some reason and wanted to go home at the moment.

It’s not like he was not attracted to the woman however, since he went to prison because of his step mother, he developed some kind of trauma being closer with opposite s*x and it was making him uncomfortable.

“Christine, you know that he was about to leave if I didn’t open the door right?” the man whose name was Lae said.

“Yes, I know that, but what you’re doing right now is scaring him.” The woman whose name was Christine said. She rolled her eyes and put her left elbow on the table and rest her chin on her left hand while lazily looking at Dawn’s eyes down to his pair of shoes.

“He’s taking two steps backwards already, let him in.”

“Ah!” Lae said. “Of course.” Lae moved his hands to gesture him inside. Dawn hesitated. He was calculating some reasons to his brain because he doesn’t want to go inside.

“If you want some coffee and cakes, we have it all inside.” Lae continued. “Plus we can give you a bonus”

“I’m uhm..I’m” Dawn stuttered. He was a socially awkward man and he don’t know how to respond to people who gives 100 percent of their energy plus he doesn’t really wanna go inside. “I’m just passing by,” He managed to say. “I don’t have any money for coffee.” He lied, Of course has money but he doesn’t want to go inside.

All of a sudden, he felt a hand on the back of his shoulders. The man whose name was Lae put his hands on the back of his shoulders as if urging him to go inside, “Please,” he said, giving him that so convincing smile. “Our drinks and delights are all free. You see, not many people can see the shop so we offer free drinks and cakes for the people who can see our beloved magic antique shop.”

“Magic Antique Shop?” Dawn mumbled and instantly, he was inside the shop. The door behind him closed and Lae, was already walking towards Christine. He managed to breathe when Lae was already far away from him. Dawn doesn’t really like people invading his personal space.

His eyes roamed the place. His eyes first notice the chandelier that was hanging in the middle of the shop. His forehead creased as he battles if it was really made of gold because it shines naturally without any light. The ceiling was also astonishing. The details of the painting that was painted and put there, he never knew someone who has something paint in their ceiling just this one.

Later, his eyes moved to the left. He clearly noticed the different clocks and antiques that was displayed from left to right. From the the astonishing red carpet below his feet from the different tables and chairs that was displayed. Dawn just can’t comprehend what he was seeing right now.

Is this just an ordinary Magic Antique Shop? He thought and suddenly he grew weary and wanted to leave the place.

“Are you done looking?” Dawn’s eyes met Christine’s. He gulped and walked a step forward as if he was intimidated just by looking at her. Christine seemed to notice it however, she just smiled at him. “I don’t bite young man.”

 Young man? How old is she? In Dawn’s perspective he can clearly see that maybe she was in between in her teens or early twenties.

“You’re scaring her Christine.” Lae mimicked what Christine had said a moment earlier as he walked towards them holding a black tray with cakes and beverages. Christine chuckled she obviously noticed his mockery but decided to ignore it thinking that her colleague was cute.

Lae put the tray on the table near Dawn and said, “Come on sit, it’s all for free.”

Dawn was really hesitant he doesn’t want to overthink anything, who would offer a free coffee and a cake just by noticing their shop? Dawn heavily criticized.

”Uhm…” He really wanted to decline the food being offered but he doesn’t want to sound ungrateful and a jerk so he carefully walked towards the table and sit to the chair.

Lae seemed to be satisfied by what he just did because he smiled and pat his head as if he’s just a child. The embarrassment Dawn is feeling right now skyrocketed. He felt like his ears were turning red just by thinking about it.  

Lae then found his place on Christine’s side and begun chatting as if Dawn was not there. That was the only time Dawn felt at ease and looked at the tray that was placed in front of him.

He first  noticed the coffee with a cute design on it. The smoke coming from it indicated that it was just prepared. He gulped as he was addicted with good coffees. His eyes then eyed the pink strawberry cake.

Dawn was really contemplating to either eat the cake or just run away but he felt like they were reading his mind for when he decided that he should just run away, both of them look at him. He inhale deeply trying to find his courage and slowly get the fork that was beside the cake.

As soon as he took a bite, he can’t get enough of it that he inhaled a piece of cake in just seconds. Dawn was shocked. He knew to himself that he was hesitant at first but now, why? Is he that hungry? He asked himself.

He knew that he just ate something before he got here but now, He sighed in defeat and grabbed the mug of coffee and sipped it. Just like the cake, it really taste different and out of this world. He can’t even believe what he’s eating that he just… “How did you make all of these?” Came out from his mouth before he even realized it.

Dawn felt his ears turning red for he did not expect his sudden outburst but Lae just smiled. “I learned to make cakes and bake with my master years ago, unfortunately, he died.” He said. He nodded accepting his explanation. Thankfully Lae seemed like a friendly person to him making him comfortable on the process.

 Lae looked at Dawn’s plate before standing up, “Do you want another one?”

Dawn blinked his eyes, processing what Lae just said before answering, “I can still have one?” he shyly asked. Dawn swear that his ears are now red because of embarrassment but he really wanted another one. Lae chuckled and nodded turning his back to Dawn to walked towards the kitchen.

As Lae get another slice, Dawn looked at Christine who was now busy looking and browsing a black note book. At that moment, Dawn felt chills all over his body. There’s something about the lady in front of him that gives him chills and like he’s expecting something to happen.

Christine felt Dawn’s gaze and slowly look at him. Flustered and doesn’t know what to do, Dawn looked down at the tray and suddenly, like a blink of an eye, two cards appeared out of nowhere.

Shock was an understatement to Dawn. He’s beyond shocked right now. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s sure the cards appeared instantly like a pop up ads on the Internet but the thing is this was not possible!

Scared and panicking, Dawn mustered his courage to look at the two cards who have weird markings on it. The cards has a black and gold color with different kinds of cravings. It felt like it was covered in mysticism surrounded by planets and stars with magic circles he saw on animes.

Doesn’t know what to do, Dawn grab the cards slowly and flip it to see what was on the other side of the card. The moment he saw he other side of the card, he felt that his brain was strucked with lightning making him numb for a few seconds as he processed the picture.

On the other side of the card was the six person Dawn missed so much.

How is this possible!?

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