THE EMPTY NECKLACE
by Nobo13
Copyright 2012 Nobo13
*****
The Empty Necklace
In a series of alleys, far beyond the sight of the street, behind a door that invites no one lies a shop. An antique shop. My shop.
Illuminated by only the drifting sunlight from the front windows, my shop is a dark labyrinth and like all labyrinths there is treasure. Among the piles of dust, in the damp corners that see no light, on top of the wooden tables that are brittle and yellow, there are gems. Truly like diamonds in the mud, there shines my livelihood. I might not take care of the shop but I at least look after these treasures.
It’s a usual morning as I stand behind the counter with a copy of the paper. I don’t really care for world affairs but there is little to do. What books exist in the world I have read them all. The futile repeats of society is my only entertainment, that and customers.
When was the last one? Ten years ago? More? I looked up to see the doorbell. A tiny golden bell that rung a soulful song hung there. I chose it specifically because of that but my only regret is that I never hear it. It hangs there like a forgotten god. Its once golden gleam is now a dull fall into dereliction.
I sighed as the paper proves boring and disappointing. Always the same in my eyes, the only things that change are the dates and the titles. I sighed before sipping my cold coffee from yesterday or the day before. I do not look after myself so well, my lifestyle has left me isolated. My shop is more an island than in a major city.
As I think to myself when the next customer would come, a sudden song plays. The tiny shimmer of happiness fills the air as I lose myself in a smile. My eyes closed as I bathe in the song. Only footsteps disturb my joy. Once the song is lost beyond time I fall back to reality.
A well-dressed young lady has entered, still in the doorway doubtful of whether to come in or not. We made eye contact for a moment only to lose it soon after. My thoughts were that she was lost but she then entered. That door doesn’t let just anyone in. She has come here for a reason.
As I put my paper away I noticed the girl’s surprise at the state of my shop. I smile slightly before watching her pick up a pocket watch. For the moment she stares at its beauty. What doubts she had with the shop are now gone. As I said, I take care of my treasures.
It isn’t long before she makes her way to me. I can see now that her skin is pale, she is sick? No, there’s something more to this. I smiled as I imagined the possibilities. One of them seemed to fit the bill. Why she was here and the strange impression I got from her. Especially that deep long stare she had with the watch. There was no doubt.
“Good morning, Miss, how can I help?” I greeted her
She turned to me before shaking her head. A cold girl huh? I grinned and nodding to applauded her. There wasn’t any doubt in my head anymore, I had worked her secret out.
“If I can suggest, Miss, that vase has an interesting story”
“The vase?”
“Yes, the purple one in the corner”
She stared at me with suspicion. Was it a coincidence with my words? She then hesitantly made her way into that dark corner. She simply took the most probably situation and forgot about me but I knew. It wasn’t a coincidence at all.
The floor over there was sticky. She immediately let out a gasp as she treaded towards my vase. I couldn’t help but giggle a little as I watched her scan the area. There were many vases over there, all sorts from all eras. She looked about as I told her where it was. When she saw it she was confused. Among all the gold plating, the jades, and the priceless, I had wanted her to pick up a simple everyday vase.
She stared at me with eyes that I wanted to see. Those eyes filled with suspicion, with fear, and with doubt. I smiled to myself as I nodded to her. I watched her as she picked it up. The moment she did she had dropped it. The fall didn’t break it but left a deep crack.
“Ah, that was a good one as well” I sighed
“Who are you!” she shouted
I stared at her before smiling. I said nothing as I watched her shake. We stared into each other’s eyes for such a long time. The air filled with fear, and with panic. I stared into those terrified eyes and saw myself staring back. Ah, these eyes of mine are still filled with such darkness. I thought I had it under control but there it was in my eyes. That evil inside me.
“Ah,” I laughed, “Forgive me, Miss, I only meant to tease you. I’m not too good with people”
“You haven’t answered my question yet! Who are you?”
“Hmm? Isn’t it obvious? I’m the shop owner”
“What are you? How did you know about my ability?”
“Ability, Miss?”
“Don’t play dumb!”
“Ah, sorry, Miss, calm down… I don’t mean any harm”
“Answer my question first!”
“Very well… I am the owner of the shop and all you see before you. And to your gifts I simply guessed”
“You guessed?”
“Yes, it that such a problem?”
There was silence before I smiled again.
“Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?” I asked
“…I’m looking for a DVD”
“In an antique shop?”
“…”
“Well, you certainly are a first”
“Stop playing dumb, I know it’s here”
“Ah no, Miss, I don’t mean to hide it from you. I’m merely saying you’re the very first to come here knowing what you want”
“What is this shop?”
“It’s an antique shop of course, albeit a little unique… did you enjoy the vase? It’s a favourite of mine”
“…Can you see it as well?”
“Yes but I do so through years of research and reading. What I see is but my imagination of what happened. You can see it as it was with but a touch, I envy that a bit”
“…”
“Well, why don’t we have a seat”
“Why?”
“So I can hear your story of course. I haven’t spoken to anyone for a long time, please”
I cleared some space and took two chairs and a table from my Edwardian collection. The scene was like a thief’s hideout. Royal seats and treasures in a dark damp room.
I sat myself down before putting a DVD case on the table. Her eyes widened as I watched her hide her anticipation. She sat down as I leaned on the table.
“Well?” I asked
“Well what?” she frowned
“Aren’t you going to tell me?”
“Aren’t you going sell me the DVD?”
“But I am?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Ah, did you think money would buy this?”
“…How much do you want?”
“I just said didn’t I? Not even all the money in the world would be enough to buy this. It is special after all”
“…What do you want? To use me like the others?”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Miss, I don’t intend for that. I simply want a trade”
“A trade?”
“Yes, your story for the DVD”
“…Are you serious”
“Whenever you’re ready Miss”
I sat back and closed my eyes. The only thing my body detected was her voice, everything else didn’t matter. Almost as if I was asleep, or better yet, an unborn child listening to its mother from within the womb. I dreamt as I heard her speak.
*****
When I was young, I discovered I had a strange power. I could perform object reading. I was able to see the memories of the things I touched. Of course it didn’t work for everything. Living things did not work. Items that were not treasured did not work. Generally the olde
r the object and the more loved it is, the clearer my visions are.
When I was a child, everybody thought of it was little white lies. ‘Nothing more than a child playing around with her imagination’ they thought. If only it stayed that way.
I don’t remember when but soon I was travelling everywhere and with different people each time. First it was with my father, then my mother, then my uncle, soon it was with people I didn’t even know. I corrupted my family with my power… This gift was a curse that tore my family apart. No matter whom I got into contact with, their smiles and reassurance was soon soaked in my darkness.
I was used as a tool to blackmail people, track down those with unpaid debts to the mafia, even as a tool to hunt down and kill others.
I cried every night with only my bracelet as my only comfort. The bracelet my father had given my mother when I was born. The memories it contained were my only happy memories.
It must have been ten years of the life before I escaped. What prompt me was my discovery of an item. That DVD. It was all coincidence that I happened across a certain book. A book from an incomplete library called the Akashic Records.
The library is said to hold all knowledge of the universe. Past, present, and future events are written as if the writer was there. Even the details of your whole life, your feelings and thoughts are contained within the records.
The book had no memories what so ever but it did contain five pages about me. More specifically it had five pages of my future written down.
With that I was able to escape and hide from being used again. It gave me the directions to the first object I needed to find this shop. The last page was interrupted so I had to rely on my power to find the rest. It took me two years to find you. And now that I have, I am scared.
I do not know what evils you hide inside yourself but you cannot hide it from me. I am the same, I know the tricks to hiding secrets. There is something of an abomination that you hide in those eyes, you’re an evil far worse than any of those I’ve seen.
*****
I awoke from my dream as I looked up to the girl. I smiled and came back to lean on the table.
“And now you are here for the rest of the library?” I smiled
“Yes”
“Should you come to have the memories of the Akashic Records, you would become something of a god… even a demon might grow from your heart”
“I am aware of that”
“Oh? For what reason do you seek becoming a god for?”
“I want to right the wrongs caused by my existence. I wish to return my family to how it was… like the memories in the bracelet”
I watched her weep as she held on to a simple bracelet tightly.
“Very well,” I picked up the DVD case and handed it to her, “It was an interesting story”
“That’s all?” she stared shocked
“Yes?”
“…”
She took it from my hands and stood up. She didn’t believe I would give it to her let alone trading it for a story. Her eyes were filled with doubt but tears of joy poured out of them. She opened the case and placed her pale fingers onto the DVD.
There she stood frozen as the memories flowed into her. The history of it all was too much as she fell but not before I caught her. I rested her back in her seat before getting some smelling salts.
She came to as she sorted out her thoughts. As she remembered what had happened, she turned to me with fear. Eyes deep with the strongest fear and… no, it had been such a long time since I saw that look. It wasn’t fear in her eyes but sympathy. It seemed it was impossible for her to obtain the library but she did see it, the other memories on that DVD.
I smiled and brought the two of us some coffee. She sat there in silence as I relived what it was like to have a fresh hot cup of coffee.
An hour passed in silence before she decided to leave. As she handed me the DVD I shook my head. It was hers after all. Before she made it to the door I shouted out to her.
“Young Miss?” I looked her in the eye, “Might I interest you in this?”
I held out a necklace. It was something of an oddity. The necklace itself was beautiful white gold, laced with gems of all sorts but the centrepiece was empty. What was supposed to be wasn’t there at all.
Her eyes caught it as she came back with less hesitation than the first time. She looked at me before I smiled and nodded. Her fingers reached for it before she read its memories. At once her eyes came back to mine as she stared hopelessly at me.
Perhaps she thought why I was doing all this for her? Perhaps she never knew kindness like this before? I couldn’t help but imagine what it was but I couldn’t figure it out. After all, she had such a harsh life.
“I cannot help your family,” I apologised, “But at least I can help you”
“Why are you doing this?”
“We’re alike,” I smiled, “I only want atonement as well”
“What do you want for it?”
“Oh something like this is priceless, not even all the money in the world would be enough. But a treasure such as that in your hand would be a fair trade”
She looked at the DVD before she looked to me. She handed me it as I asked her to turn around. I put the necklace around her as I realised just how fragile she was. When she turned back the necklace had been completed. A dark ruby sat where there once was nothing.
I walked over and took the purple vase and handed it to her again. As she held it tears came to her. She wept as the words ‘thank you’ struggled out of her mouth.
*****
How long has it been? My father and mother are finally moving back together. I was getting tired of moving from my father’s to my mother’s every week but finally the whole family will be back together all under one roof.
I’ve finally settled back into school as well, I’ve never had to study because of you know what but now… it feels good. To know something, to actually work hard and gain knowledge through it is pleasing.
Suddenly that man came into my head. His words matched my feelings now. Was this what he meant? Spending years of reading and research against my simple touch?
Sometimes I am tempted to take the necklace off and use it again, but the dark shade of the ruby reminds me otherwise. I no longer need to touch my mother’s bracelet. I’m building new memories now. Happy ones.
I leaned on my desk as I stared at my homework. That man… how sorry I felt for him… If only I could help him.
I had thought the DVD would help me but all I saw was a certain set of memories. About a magician, the last magician. One that foolishly chased after knowledge and caused the downfall of everyone around him. All of the people he loved gone, stained by the darkness he had grown.
Nights filled with tears as he punished himself. He wouldn’t forgive himself and he refused to forget his sin. He refused to forget everyone he ruined.
All he could do was write. Write down everything, their names, their births, their deaths, their lives, their feelings and thoughts, their past, their presents, their futures, everything in the cosmos written down in a record.
Even after writing a whole library, he still didn’t forgive himself. The man who would be god. The magician who brought about the end.
I sighed and stared at the ceiling. Such a pitiful man. I felt so sorry for him. As I thought how much sorrow he was in I remembered his last words to me. ‘Thank you too.’ He said that to me with a smile. His eyes cleared for a second with that gratitude.
I thought more positively. I certainly saw him smile. Even if it was for a second, he forgave himself a bit. I imagined him there behind the counter. Sipping at a day old cup of coffee. Silently waiting for that golden bell to ring again.
###
About the author
“Hello, Nobo13 here. It’s been a while since the last book. I wasn’t in the mood and couldn’t write at all. I got K.O.-ed and ended up having surgery to save my life. But now that I’m working again I decided t
o write instead of work, sod’s law huh?”
For those who are tragically obsessed, Nobo13 was born 1987 in Cambridgeshire. He spent four years doing a Physics degree but spend most of the time doodling and writing. Currently he is training to be a Science Teacher.
Nobo13’s pen name is derived from using his surname, just look above! His more unusual hobbies are collecting headphones, staring aimlessly out the window (which consumes much of his time) and messing about with musical instruments- at the moment these are ocarinas and ukuleles.
Please check out my website and my other works, thanks for reading!
More from this author
I currently have a poetry book, two short story books- that only use 50 words in each story, and a children’s sci-fi book that are available from the following links:
Half a Century Alone:
The Monsoon Season:
The Other Half:
The Man in the Desert:
Lost in the Painting:
Fixing Broken Promises:
Finding Words for Love:
About a Friend:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/167774
A Date with the Hand of God:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/168440
You can also search ‘nobo13’ in the iBooks store!
Be sure to check my website every now and then for news and updates!
Connect with me online
Yeah, I don’t really use these but check out the website at least.
My website: https://www.wix.com/pmasterkim2002/nobo13
My blog: https://nobo13.wordpress.com/
My Twitter page: https://twitter.com/#!/lazynobo13
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