Magic Shop

16 | GHOST STORIES AT THE CONVENIENCE STORE

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Dawn blinked several times as he tried his best to calm his heart that was beating loudly than before. His mind was in a complete predicament as Dawn was battling if he should just ignore what had happened to them last week or report the culprit to the authorities.

Dawn had two choices. First was to ignore the case because it do not affect them and the second was to report who was the master mind of this serial murders. Yes, it was a serial murder. After this incident, different murders will happened. Back in the future, it was night that time when he watched the news from a Television market inside the mall. The name of the culprit was Leonard Jackson who was a salaryman.

He was alone and his daughter and wife died in an accident.

When the media interviewed the murderer, his answer was, he did not remember anything from the past or why  he did those kinds of killings. The police tried their best to hear his reason but the more Jackson remember his past and what he did he always fall into despair. Crying and telling everyone that he was sorry however, he did not know why he was sorry.

The police conclude that he was mentally ill and decided to transfer him in a mental institution for people who did murders and suffered from a big mental blow. Since Jackson was a serial killer he was placed in an isolation cell where he was guarded by several police officers. However, month after his transfer, he was found dead. Jackson hanged himself and his last words were,

God will never forgive me.

  Leonard Jackson’s story was then published with a different story telling he was manipulated and controlled. Or He was putting an act to gain the public’s pity. There were also several theories they came up with for his death was mysterious. The public did not know how he got a rope to hang himself nor where did he get some blood. The autopsy report told them that he did not suffer from any wounds at all. However, he was covered in blood. Like he was a sacrifice.

Later on they concluded that he scummed into madness. The public said that it was God’s punishment.

Back in the future, Dawn really did not care about him as he was focused on his problems and busy battling his demons trying to survived. But now, he felt like he was a completely dumb i***t for he did not know where the second murder is going to happen or  who is the second victim.

Dawn sighed. His ears clearly hearing his friends talking but his mind was somewhere else.

If I report it to the police, I would be suspected. I don’t have any alibis because I was also in the scene of the murder with my friends. I was separated to them when we went to the haunted house. The reason I found them was because Ayase shouted. But if I’m not going to report it to the police many people will die.

Dawn was in a serious dilemma. He did not trust the police at all also. Having a past trauma inside the prison and was falsely accused by r**e, he does not want to relay on public authorities. So, even though he felt heavy inside, he brushed the matter aside. The only reason he was here because he wanted to save his friends not anyone. Dawn also made a theory that if he would touch other people’s death it might cause a ripple effect on the future.

So he mustered all his strength to put his attention to his friends who was busy talking about the police who visited River.

“What did they say?” Sejin asked once again as he opened a pack of potato chips.

“They told me to be careful as I should know that working with such late hours was dangerous especially, we witness the corpse back there. They waned me to be alert because the murder might appear and want so silence me.” River said as if it was something trivial.

“Then, it means it’s really dangerous. There’s no guard in this store and you’re just alone here for hours!” Sejin pushed on the matter but River just shrugged. Roen remained silent while Dawn was just listening to his friends. He was sure that it was safe for River to work even though there’s a murderer lurking because he knew the future.

“I need money to live, you know.” River said as a matter off fact.

All of them fell silent as they can’t deny it. River was a scholar to their school and was also supporting his three siblings for his parents were a bunch of losers who only knew how to drink alcohol every day.

Roen can’t bare the silence anymore so he opened his mouth to say some suggestion. “Let’s just hang out here then making sure that River is fine. Let’s come back tomorrow since it’s weekend and we don’t have any assignments. Besides, it’s only a matter of weeks before the exam and the summer break.”

Sejin’s eyes beamed with delight and happiness. His brother was right. River was about to retort how troublesome it would be when Dawn interrupted him. “We’re doing this for ourselves not for you. We want to hang out that’s all.”

Dawn made up those reason because he knew that River really hate being an inconvenience or baggage to people. Maybe it was because he was the eldest and the people around him always expect  to keep his shits together. Dawn does not like how those things had affect his friend at all. He bitterly smiled.

“That’s right!” Sejin supported Dawn’s reason. River ended up closing his mouth for he knew he can’t change his friends decisions once it was already firm.

Dawn grabbed some snacks and eat them when Sejin opened up a new topic. “Have you heard the stories the girls in our classroom was talking about?”

“Gossips about who is popular?” River made a mocking comment and all of them laughed.

“No, I’m not interested in those things. But recently they were talking about an urban legend!” Sejin said he threw his arms in the air exaggerating what he had said. He almost tossed Dawn’s snacks thankfully he moved fast as he was able to dodge his big arms and fist.

“Careful!” Dawn commented but Sejin ignored him.

“Urban legend?” Roen asked trying to remember if he heard those stories but when he realized that he was not even paying attention to class much more to those useless gossip he gave up.

“Yes, it’s about the train in Express station every three am.”

“Express station? The new built train? Why?” Roen asked confused. He was confused because the train station was new built and it was already blessed by the church so, they assumed that it was safe. However, now, there’s a rumor that that place was hunted or has an urban legend?

Sejin nodded as he continued while River and Dawn just listened to their friends with full attention. “Riana, the girl I’m close with right?”

“The one whom you flirted before?” River mocked. Sejin just flipped his middle finger and continue talking.

“As I was saying, She told me that before the station was built people who visit the place at three am disappears and their corpse will soon appear if there was a new victim. However, she also told me that now that there was a new built station and the train comes every day, when you board the train in exactly three am, you will find the people who were reported missing to be in the same train as you!”

“Those are just lies” Roen said as he grabbed another gelatin.

“That’s what I thought so too however, remember Lee Ann from class 3-A one of our seniors??”

The three of them nodded. Who wouldn't remember the school most popular girl right?

“She said that she was supposed to visit her siblings out of town and was riding the same train at Three am and when they passed through the tunnel, she saw a pale white woman who was wearing a long gown sitting in the corner of the train!”

“Is that the reason why she never came back here?” River asked. Lee Ann was supposed to graduate at their school but later on it was announced that she had transfer.

Sejin nodded, “yes. That’s why the girls are all afraid.”

Upon finishing Sejin’s story, Dawn raised his right brow. He can’t remember if he heard this kind of rumors in the past.

“If we’re going to talked about urban legends and ghost stories, I have one.” River said as he neatly fold his trash and wiped his hands before grabbing another set of snacks.

“You have one?” Roen asked.

“Yes, One of the regular customers of the store once told me a story.”

“Go on,” Sejin urged his friend. He was feeling the excitement down to his bone. He obviously liked this kind of thrill especially when it was midnight and they are alone spending time with each other as the cold summer wind passed through them.

“Remember the burned orphanage downtown right?”

“That place was burned down right?” Dawn said finally he remembered something in the past.

River nodded gently as he tapped the table making the atmosphere more intense. “Rumor said that before it was burned down, the children was reported missing.”

“Missing!?” the three of them exclaimed.

“There were no reports such as those,”

“Yes, there was none because the authorities tried to conceal the matter. Remember when there were so many police asking if they saw some individual who was lurking at the orphanage?”

Three of them nodded once again. They feel agitated. “There was a certain schedule the children always follow. They usually play outside every three in the afternoon. Afterwards, the nanny would count their numbers to see if someone was still outside playing.” River was not even in the peaked of the story but Dawn felt like all of his hair in his body was standing up because of the cold summer air. It was the same for Roen and Sejin.

“ Several weeks before the police came, the nanny counted the children she knew someone was missing however, she could not remember who was the child.” Sejin blinked and gulped as he felt his heart beating wildly. Roen remained calm despite feeling chills all over his body.

“ The same happenings happened over and over again. Afterwards the police got involved so, they secretly patrolled the area however, they did not find anyone who was suspicious. So, since their investigations was fruitless they decided to use another method. However, after the police left, at three am after midnight. One caretakers was awake surveying the area when she heard murmurs and cries of children asking when will they go home. The called for a priest from the church however, the same thing happened over and over again and they decided to abandon the place and burn it.”

All of them fell silent for a minute trying to calm their hearts that were beating wildly like a drum of war.

“Is this true?” Dawn asked anxiously. He suddenly felt like someone was behind him.

River shrugged. “I don’t know however, it was true that the orphanage was burned after they left and there were a police investigation that happened.”

After recovering for some time, Roen was now the one who will tell a story. “I have one too.”

“You?” Sejin did not believe his brother. Roen just scoffed at him and ignore his exaggerated half brother.

“Do you all know the light house on the sea right?”

“The one built after a huge storm landed here?”

“Yes, that one. It’s near Andrews house since his father was a fisherman.”

“Go on.” River said and Dawn just nodded.

“Back in the nineties, there was a rumor that a ship had sink in the sea near where the light house was built. Months ago, a couple was visiting the light house. They were cuddling and enjoying the sea, afterwards, they heard a loud noise and when they looked to their left, they saw a big ship.”

“That’s all?” Sejin said. He sound disappointed. Roen grimaced before saying, “It’s not finished yet idiot.”

Dawn and River chuckled. “the ship was transparent as light was passing through it, they thought it was just some kind of reflection but then, they saw people who was on the ship and all of them where children! The eyes of the children were black and blood like tears were falling unto their eyes. They were crying and begging when will they come home.”

“s**t! It was almost the same with River’s story! It involves children!” Dawn whispered. He was not usually someone who was openly believe in these kinds of things, but when you already travel back to the past and experience different kinds of things, he knew that this might not be a coincidence.

“f**k! I’m feeling chills and goosebumps! The wind was so cold!” Sejin rubbed his arms.

And after a while they all heard sounds coming from nowhere. All of them looked at each other, their hearts were not calm at all.

Boom! A loud thud was heard and suddenly all of them shouted like a bunch of kids being scared because it was halloween.

“AHHHHHHHHHH!”