Evergreen December

Case

"I'll be waiting til' we meet again." Those words kept echoeing within my ears.

I was standing in a garden surrounded with roses of all colors with the sight of a familiar face, a girl in the distance. Again "I'll be waiting til we meet again." echoed through my ears as I see her move her lips. The girl. She was smiling.Her dark hair swayed with the winds, exposing her forhead. It started to snow. Then everything went white as the scene faded into the light. Then I woke up.
"It's been the same for almost three months, a new world record." I murmured to myself as I moved my left palm in sight and continued to gaze upon it, contemplating on that dream.

"Why can't I remember anything."

It was already 9:36 AM when I woke up. I dragged the bedsheets to the side and I stretched my arms before finally leaving my bed. My did my daily routine of Bruce Lee training, 300 kicks and punches and the usual 100 pushups. After so, I pulled the shutters and let the blinding sunlight to enter the dark corners of my den, eliminating any malice-filled spirit that may have been the cause of my mysterious dreams.

I was never a breakfast person. I only ate brunch and dinner caused by the reasons of either being immediately being called to office this early time of day or because I was just too damn lazy for most of the time. But either way, I've adapted the lifestyle and I became more comfortable with it as time passed by.

The phone vibrated nonstop.
"Again? This early?." I answered.
"Yes, it's the same case. We found a lead." the voice of the chief said over the phone.
"Got it.", I replied.

To face the challenges of the day, I took my brunch of Rice, eggs and miso paired with my favorite average man's strong cup of Joe. Afterwards, I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and I put on my usual detective coat.

As I was about to head out the door, a glimmer caught my attention by the corner of my eye. It was that silver key pendant that I kept ever since my childhood and it rested beside a framed picture of mom.
She gave it to me after the accident I had when I was six. I forgot everything that happened before the day I woke up from coma. Mom told me that I wore that same pendant my entire childhood and that I told her it came from a friend. Unfortunately, I never remembered who that friend was and at the same time I have never spoken about her to my family.
The mystery goes on and it kept me wondering in circles all these years. I kept thinking hard, trying my best to remember who that "friend" was. She might have something to do with that girl in my dreams.

As I stood there, locked in the trance of wondering, I was reminded by the loud alarm of my phone that there was still work to be done. I smiled and grabbed the pendant on my way out.
"Good morning, Hiratoshi!" as I was welcomed by the jolly voice of someone I shouldn't have crossed by that early time of the day along with eyes sparkling like stars with delight and a smile that could make the whole world go crazy,it was also accompanied by the scent of green tea and cinnamon.
"Oh shoooot... why now of all times?" I thought to myself.
"...guess there's no escaping it."
I replied with an obviously fake and overstreched smile,
"Good morning Niki. How're doin?"
The response I had was too  unexpected in a form of a fist on my nose. I shouted in agony as blood slowly flowed out my nose.
"You should greet everyone who smiles at you to give you an energy boost for the day. Be thankful you brat and be honest about it." the jolly voice turned into the voice of a pissed woman samurai, the eyes that sparkled became eyes that stare with disgust and the smile frowned by the edge.
"Sorry! Sorry! Good morning, Niki! Have a good day!" I replied with reflexes faster than that of a lion accompanied by a forced smile. After my brief and unethical response, the face of death that gazed before me altered into that of an angel once again, with eyes that sparkled brighter than the sun itself.

This is Niki Toshiro, my next door neighbor and an old childhood friend that came back to town after her parents moved to Wales five years ago. Her blonde hair swayed with the breeze as it entered through the ancient and dusty balcony that rested beside our left with great fortitude. Niki had blue eyes, as blue as the vast ocean that one cannot ignore staring at when passing the old walls of La Amor Apartments. Her skin was flawless enough that you'd think she was a foreigner's daughter. Of all of her features, her smile stood out the most. It would either attract men, like flies attracted to food. I've described her smile more than enough when I was greeted by it earlier. But don't let it fool you. She may look like the girl of your dreams that made your jaw drop the first time you'll see her. She's like a wolf hiding in sheeps clothing.
My neighbors had apparently witnessed all her mischiefs towards poor little me. Like that one time when I opened my door, a bucket filled with chalk dust fell on my head. I was late for work that day, and there was a hell lot of work to be done. There was also that time when she pretended to apologize, and when I shook her hand, it fell off and fucking scared the hell out of me. It was a freaking gag toy! Sigh... back to the present.