onyx: poltergeist

sixteen

JAYDA

I scrolled up from the latest message I sent to the group until I finally found the snapshot of the necklace receipt Mr Lambert found and sent last night from my home, tapping to enlarge the photo before zooming into the store address printed on it. Thankfully the place my mother went to get my present was located just a stone throw's away from my home, located further down the street I frequented before switching bodies with Mr Lambert, so that means getting there was not much of an issue for the both of us.

I adjusted the sunglasses I picked out last night and shuffled down the familiar road, turning around every now and then to check if Mr Lambert was catching up with every step I took. It amuses me how Mr Lambert is so tall, and how small I was compared to him, because I had to turn around quite a number of times before I could finally find out where my figure was around me.

Both of us finally stopped in front of a small building located adjacent to a lonely gas station. Unlike many other shops, Robinson's Antiques had its own standalone building instead of taking up one of the many shopping mall lots downtown. It was a quaint little store, with a wooden carven signboard that displayed its name. In fact most of the antiques inside were made of wood anyways, considering how Mr Lambert and I were instantly greeted with the musty smell of oak furnishings when we pushed the glass door open and stepped inside.

There was one small problem with having too many wooden antiques haphazardly displayed inside a small store though; even with Mr Lambert's height I couldn't tell if there was anyone inside. There should be someone inside, judging by the OPEN sign displayed proudly at the door, but where was he or she?

"Hello?" I called out from behind an eclectic wooden table, "Anyone there?"

"Oh?" the husky reply sounded out, bordering on some sort of excitement, "Great, I have guests. Come over to the display counter."

I beckoned for Mr Lambert to stay close behind me as I weaved in and out through the wooden antique labyrinth, overwhelmed with a sense of relief when I finally stopped by in front of a dusty display case. Behind it sat a rather elderly man with black framed glasses as thick as mine and a neatly combed head of silver hair. Frederick, read the tag he proudly pinned to his vintage looking sweater.

"Welcome, I'm Mr Frederick Robinson, the owner of this fine place," he smiled, "How can I help you two?"

"Good afternoon Mr Robinson," Mr Lambert greeted politely from beside me, "we came today to ask about the necklace my mother bought from here a few weeks ago. Both of us would like to know where it came from before it was sold here."

Damn, Mr Lambert's acting skills really were top notch.

"Have you heard of a lady named Julie that came over here almost a month back? Julie Hudson?" I added on, "She's my-her mother." I quickly corrected my mistake and gestured over to Mr Lambert trapped in my body.

"Ah yes," Mr Robinson nodded slowly, shifting his gaze from me to Mr Lambert, "I've seen someone who looks like your mother a while back, both of you do look alike."

He has a point though, many people had always commented about my resemblance to my mother ever since I was in middle school.

"She bought a sterling silver necklace with an onyx pendant when she came here, am I right?" I enquired. Please say yes, please say yes...

"Why, yes she did," Mr Robinson let out a small but hearty laugh, "you do know quite a bit about the necklace yourself, are you two related in some way? Are you, by any chance, her boyfriend?"