The Echoes Of Autumn | Minseok

Chapter Six

After the encounter with the old man I stumbled out of the toilet feeling lost.

Completely lost.

I ignored the man who was yelling at me and pushed passed him.

I looked towards the table where Sumi was sitting and saw that it was now empty where she had left her cup and plate there.

I paced over to the table staring at the empty cup and the crumbs laying on the plate. I picked them up when I saw a tissue had been placed under the plate.

Sumi had scribbled a note on top of it. I would recognise her beautiful calligraphy writing anywhere.

'Thanks for the plaster and worrying about me today...

Xx"

I set the plate back down onto the table and picked up the tissue with care as if it was a fragile piece of glass that could break at any moment.

I read the note five times before gently folding it up and placing it in my pocket to keep. I grabbed the dishes again placing them into the sink and began untying my apron to leave on the hook.

I grazed my hand across the familiar counter before walking out of coffee shop. A cold breeze hit me and the sky was beginning to turn a dark blue along with purple tints from the sunset and I sighed still not believing that I had travelled back in time.

I began to take the once familiar route back to my apartment from the coffee shop. The streets were less packed and as I walked down one by one the street lamps began to flicker on lighting up the darkness of the streets.

A body then barged me harshly on the shoulder where a stab of pain hit me and the shoulder began to feel numb.

The man did not apologise and instead continued to walk into the distance without another glance back at me.

"Stupid idiot.." I mumbled under my breath rolling my shoulder back.

I soon made it back to my apartment which was strangely familiar but felt different and off at the same time.

This obviously was not the same apartment I had back in 2017 but the one I had back in 2015 before Sumi had come into my life.

The walls were a stained grey colour, the kitchen was outdated and the living room was a complete jumble full of mess. The floorboards creaked and squeaked with every step I took towards the bedroom where a bed lay with plain black sheets and a small bedside table on the side. I stood looking at the bedroom I once slept in two years ago that looked completely bare with no warmth at all.

'It's not for long..I'll leave soon.. I'll wake up soon.' I reminded myself.

I took out the tissue where the note Sumi had written was on it and placed it onto the bedside table before walking over to the closet

I pulled open the doors to the closet where my clothes lay and took out a black sweater and jogging bottoms and headed into the shower room.

I stripped out of my top and jeans leaving me only in my boxers and I stared at myself in the mirror.

Obviously a lot more than my face had changed.

I placed a hand onto my bare stomach where the muscle was defined and hard.

My body had basically reverted back to the way I was two years ago as well.

When I was healthy, happy and looking after myself.

Something that the 2017 Minseok was not doing.

I shook my head and stepped into the shower and let the warm droplets of water fall onto my body relieving my aching bones and feeling like pure bliss.

I haven't been this happy to have a shower in so long and so I stood there just savouring every drop of warm water that splashed onto my body before beginning to scrub myself clean.

I hopped out of the shower with my wet hair sticking to my forehead and quickly dried myself off. I slipped into my clothes and began ruffling my hair with the towel to quickly get off any excess water which splashed onto the steamy mirror.

Padding out of the bathroom I checked the time which now read 7pm.

Ironically time had gone pretty fast this evening and my stomach started to growl notifying me that it was probably time to eat something.

I scurried over to the kitchen opening the top cupboard already knowing what I was expecting to find.

Loads and loads of readymade meal packs.

At the time I wasn't much of a cook so I practically lived on this food.

So simply took one packet out and threw it into the microwave for 2 minutes and casually waited for the beep to ring out.

I placed my bowl of food onto the counter and stared at it hoping that whatever I was eating was edible since 'I have gone back in time'

I took one mouthful chewing slowly before stuffing my face with the food so fast that I gave myself hiccups.

After I ate I decided to sit at the desk with a pen and paper and write down the poem that the old man had recited when I saw him.

'A once heart was beating, ticking with life
Now is lost within a sleepless night

Where darkness consumes them
Time is broken into shattered deaths
Until there is simply nothing left

Unless a glimmer of light can complete this quest.'

I blankly looked paper trying to piece together whatever this meant but was interrupted when I a piece of glass shattered from the kitchen.

"That's weird.." I mumbled getting up and going to the kitchen where broken glass lay on the floor but there was no one there.

I sighed shaking my head convincing myself I was hearing things and for the second time today I picked up the glass throwing it away but cut myself.

I went over to the sink to wash the blood away and by the time I removed my hand there was no cut there. I inspected every aspect of it and there was nothing.

'This isn't real..." I whispered.

I decided it was best that I get some sleep since I was pretty sure my mind was going mad and so I flicked off all the lights and crawled under the sheets of the bed suddenly feeling very lonely as I always did.

I am left with all these negative thoughts where I sometimes truly believe I was designed to be alone.

Soon sleep pulls me away and I somehow hope that I will wake up from this mad dream but although I make no sense of what is happening I can't help but let out a small smile when the image of Sumi appears in my head of when I saw her today. So I close my eyes and let sleep consume me.

~

'I am walking through a maze.

Where the sun is shining brightly and the birds are singing sweetly.

I follow the voice that calls me.

The force that pulls me towards the direction they want me to go in.

The warm sensations that tingles my entire body and makes me feel as if I can fly.

Until darkness sweeps over and the bird flee leaving the screeches of bats to take over.

The warmness is replaced by coldness and I am frozen.

The air is being choked out of me and I am suffocating.

Stabbing pains make my body arch and I look up to see a figure holding a dagger grinning...

'Tick Tock... I think your time is up..."

A/N: Yay another update for you cinnamon rolls! Okay so that dream was kinda freaky but what does it mean!? Do I know myself? Not really hehe!

Thanks for Reading My Cinnamon Rolls!