Two Masked Life

Chapter 1: The old antique shop

Chapter 1: The old antique shop

Momoko's POV:

I heard a punch on the wall then everything went silent.

After a while Miyako spoke up.

"Then....what must we do now?"

I lifted my head from my hands.

A sudden weight of frightening responsibility too over me. 'Mother and father left us just like that.....'

Suddenly the phone rang.

I immediately pick it up, hoping it was mom or dad.

"Hello? This is the Akatsutsmi," I said.

"Hello, is it Mr. Akatsutsumi?"

"N-no, he's not here right now," I replied the stranger.

"Then who is it speaking?"

"I'm their eldest daughter."

"Well I think you must have received our form right?"

"About the debt? Yes we got it....."

"Just tell your parents they must pay us back or else you're all in trouble."

"Wait how did they owe you so much?" I asked quickly.

"They keep borrowing and never pay us back so that's why."

"Only my parents owed you right?"

"What do you mean?"

"We have nothing to do with this right? Me and my sisters."

"Well....your parents signed a contract that your whole family will help pay back so if anything happens to your parents you must pay back the debt."

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe what I just heard, WE must help pay back even though we didn't owe the money?!

"Wait! But we have nothing to do with this!" I protested.

"I don't have time for your complains!" the person snapped, "The contract is signed so you have no choice! So pay back or you'll see what will happen to you!"

"Wait but–"

Click

The person hung up.

My hand was shaking as I set down the phone.

I turned to my sisters.

I opened my mouth to speak but Snowbell just shook her head.

"We get it now, you don't have to tell us," Snowbell said softly.

They sat down on the couch, except Kaoru who paced back and forward.

"Where the hell are they? They didn't tell us anything about this!" Kaoru growled.

I stared at my sisters one at a time, finally my gaze rested on Kaoru. She has stopped pacing and is now standing behind the couch Kenero was sitting on.

She stared back at me with anger and some sadness in her eyes.

"Kaoru....I don't think they're going to come back.....they dumped all the dirty work on us," I said slowly.

Kaoru shut her eyes and turned away.

'She knows that already.....she just doesn't want to face the fact that our parents left us just like this....with all this debt.....' I thought as my throat tightened.

Then I noticed Violet was crying, Miyako's eyes are also watery too.

"We'll have to work from now on..." Snowbell said.

"I can't believe this!" Kenero hissed and grabbed her head in her hands.

"But even if we work....we won't be able to pay back that much money," Miyako said as a few tears ran down her cheek.

"Unless we find jobs that gives a lot of salary.....but then we'll have to stop school....." Violet whispered.

Once again we fell silence, Kaoru started to pace again.

"I got an idea...." I said after some thoughts.

They all looked at me.

I sighed. "I don't like this idea but I think this is our only choice....."

"What is it?" Kaoru asked.

I looked at them seriously. "....Is to steal."

...

I walked down the street, looking for a shop that needs workers.

But looks like I don't have any luck today.

We've decided that we will go along with my plan, though that will change us into a different person. A crime. But what other choice do we have?

I sighed.

When I looked up, I realized that I've wondered off the main street into an old alley.

I've never being to this alley before.....

Then out of the corner of my eye I saw an old antique shop.

I didn't know what I was doing but I was in front of the old shop before I knew it.

I looked through the window and saw it was dark and looks creepy inside.

My hand reached out on its own and opened the door.

Tingling....

The small bell on the door tingled as I pushed opened the door, it creaked loudly.

"Hello?" I called as I stepped into the shop, my voice echoed back.

The door suddenly slammed shut behind me.

I jumped and trying to pull it open again but it wouldn't budge.

Then I heard something fell of a nearby shelf.

I pressed my back against the door and stared into the darkness.

'It's so dark in here...'

Light footsteps trotted towards me, it was so faint I could barely hear it.

'No! Not even a baby's footstep can be so soft!'

Just then a small head of a girl peered at me around an old box.

I held my breath.

The pair of shining blue eyes stared back at me.

Then I realized it was not a girl, it was a wooden dummy!

Its stiff mouth moved, as if telling me something.

Then it trotted out towards me. Its blue eyes didn't even blink once. Ok that's obvious, it's a dummy after all; but it creeps me out.

It stopped in front of me.

I was actually a little bit scared.

"What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" I was shocked. Did it talk by itself? But I didn't see its mouth move.

The dummy girl tilted her head to one side. "You're troubled. Do you need my help?"