Missing Pages

Unneeded Presence

Chapter 2 - Ageha

Leaving the taxi, I soon came across the place that would be my new home... The big house seemed to have come straight out of a movie or book, standing in there with all its magnitude and beauty that seemed to make me feel like I didn't belong there, that I was in the wrong place.

... Yet I was in the right place...

"She's an Egyptian Mau." A female voice suddenly spoke out of nowhere, startling me as my attention was on the cat lying on the stairs of the house, whose air of superiority seemed to suit the place more than I did.

"What?" I ended up questioning, looking for the owner of the voice, not noticing that it was coming from the doorway that was only a few feet away from me, allowing me to hear her without any problem.  

"I said she's an Egyptian Mau." The beautiful Japanese woman with red hair repeated what she had just said looking at the cat, which made me understand that she was mentioning the animal's breed. "But in any way, will you come in or not?"

Both her presence and her words sounded intimidating, and I didn't know what would be the better answer to give to her, so I remained in silence, which seemed to have annoyed her even more.

"Uncle will only arrive later, if you don't want to come in, you can wait for him in there on your own, BUT don't tell him later that we were the one who didn't allow you in." Yet confuse about everything that was happening, only after hearing what she told me was that I noticed she wasn't alone.

Behind her, a young person that I couldn't tell if they were a man or woman was watching our conversation in silence while someone else seemed to be watching me from the window on the second floor. Yet it could have been just my imagination because I didn't saw anyone in there when I looked upwards while the red-haired woman went inside, leaving the front door open to me.

... Or at least I thought it was for me...

Seconds later, I found myself following her to the second floor of the house, without any introduction she guided me to where my new room would be or used to be my old room, this was yet confusing to me as it should be to anyone else too.

The silence remained between us both in all the way. I wasn't even able to talk to the other person who was with her earlier, as they soon retreated to someplace were seemed to be the kitchen in there when I walked in.

"I'm sure you'll find everything you need here. Maybe even what you don't need too, considering how exaggerated Uncle can be sometimes." She spoke from the doorway while I put my bags in the bed.

... Sheets that looked like silk in a burnt pink lined the bed and the... Six pillows that lay in there too...

"But if something still missing, you can talk to Uncle later. He'll probably be back at 5 pm for dinner." It was obvious that I shouldn't ask her for anything. "Although I think he'll be back early today as he didn't even want to go to work."

The last words she spoke almost in a whisper, running a hand through her hair, but I ended hearing even if she didn't want.

"Anyway, this is everything that I needed to tell you. Be free to look around the house if you want to, but the room next to yours is off-limits, because this is my room, okay?" I just nodded my head. "Good, besides this, we usually have dinner around 6 pm, but someone will come to let you know if Uncle hasn't arrived yet... Well, see you later."

She spoke before leaving the room, or at least she intended to when I held her arm, making her look at me strangely before I dared to ask something that had crossed my mind since she spoke to me earlier.  

"Onamae wa nandesuka?" Finally, I was able to ask what her name was.

"..." For a few seconds, she said nothing to me, but I could see in her face that she was surprised by my question before she composed herself and answered me a name. "Sam-Samantha, but everyone just calls me Sam."

"Sam..." Strangely her nickname sounded familiar, but it could be just an impression as I couldn't put a face to the name. "Thank you, Samantha, and I will leave the exploration for another day as I still need to unpack my things."

I mentioned, looking to my bags on the bed, making her mimic my action... In a friendlier way, I should even say.

"It's your choice, but anyway, I see you at dinner." Closing my door on her way out, she must have returned to downstairs, as I didn't hear the next room door open.

... I was entirely alone in that new space now...

Looking better at things around the room, it all seemed to be antique, vintage dark wood pieces that matched perfectly with the light walls and the large French door that overlooked the balcony.

On the shelves next to the bed, teddy bears reminded me that this was once my room, and I wondered if everything was the same as my childhood.After all, I couldn't see my child version sitting on the dressing table that was before the bed, under the only window the room had beyond the door for the balcony.

At the foot of the bed, an ancient chest seemed to hold the rest of the toys that should once have been scattered on the floor and carpet, but yet... No memories from the place crossed my mind.

... Things I should remember seemed to not exist in my mind, and the only comfort I could find in there was the familiar smell on the pillows that helped me relax as my eyes grew heavy and sleepness overtake me as I fell asleep.