"How long do we have to wait for her?"
I tapped on the counter furiously. It has been about 30 minutes since I waited in the shop. She kept telling me that we had to be punctual or something along those lines. But she's the one who ended up being late.
"You already knew her by now. She's the type to lose herself in her imagination and she's not the get to her destination without taking a detour."
I sighed while I turned to stare at the broken ceiling above me. Umbaria was always like this. She never arrived on time, had a habit of changing the game without any warning, and kept insisting on going along with her ideas despite going against them in the first place. I'm not against her or anything, but she seriously needs to get her head in the game! No pun intended.
"Now where's the fun in that? I like it better if she makes it a surprise by coming here late. You have to think positively if you want to have fun."
Keep telling yourself that. I've been trying to be positive and despite all of that, my family and bullies kept putting me down like trash. What's the point of me being positive?
"And that's the problem with you. You keep making excuses, giving up after a few words of discouragement meant to shut yourself away from us. But what's the point of them pushing you to despair just to make themselves happy?"
Because I'm only an eyesore to them. Maybe it would be better if I'm dead. They kept telling me that even after I tried to make them happy by doing everything they wanted.
"But at the same time, it's a waste of their lives. No benefit will come for them if all they're doing is putting you down. If you let those negativity get to you, they would have won by now. However, you never show any signs of negativity when it comes to me and Umbaria. Instead, you joined in the fun despite your misgivings and you kept smiling a lot lately."
I...did?
"I would be lying if you didn't. You lost hope all because of the wrong people you've turned to. You're not trash. You're special. That's what Umbaria would have told us."
I'm...special... That's something I didn't think he would have said to me other than Umbaria. I'm shocked, yet relieved to hear that.
I guess you're not the Hyde I imagined.
"Ha! You have no idea what it means to be "Hyde". To me, I never think of duality as "good and evil". I only think of it as "order and chaos" and "risk and safety". If we stay in the bubble for too long, we're no different to the evil people perceived to. Consider yourself lucky I'm here to save you from your despair."
Yeah, I am lucky.
You are not only my Hyde. I'm lucky to have you as my protector and real family.
Vander...
----------------------------------------
I groaned as I opened my eyes. I noticed a familiar dark oak ceiling above me and it only took me a while to notice the hammock I was lying on and a headache driving me mad. I don't know how long was I out. But I know how many times I felt this hangover and how I got it in the first place. Nausea aside, I never felt this kind of catharsis since I was a child. I stopped thinking negative thoughts without the mistress's power and I can't help but go outside while doing her grocery shopping. Maybe there's something about those pills that made me think of living again. That I have a chance to be something who I am without the burdens of my trauma.
Then again, I'm thinking too optimistic. She might have given me some kind of medicine from my poor old self, but I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I already took it for 5 nights and I don't know the side effects if I keep taking it. Maybe I should call it cold turkey just in case...
"Aster, are you awake? I might need your help with the boxes!"
And that's my cue. "Alright. Be there in a second!"
Just as I started leaving the backroom, I stopped. Why do I have a nagging feeling? As if I'm forgetting something... Or rather... Someone.
----------------------------------------
"Come again!"
I waved goodbye to the latest customer. Once they left, I slumped down from the counter and sighed in exhaustion. Again, I'm not complaining about the number of customers today. But I feel like the mistress is driving me to the bone. I would give any day for a break and an extra hand. I wonder if she approves of putting up a help-wanted sign outside.
CLANG! CLA-CLANG!
Huh? That sounds like it's coming from the backroom. But the mistress is still out for a job of sorts. I have a feeling someone snuck behind my back and I recall there was no backdoor there. There are no customers left for today, so I should check it out.
As I entered the backdoor, I noticed it was a bit darker than usual. I thought I left the lights on before the mistress left me with work. Still, it's bright enough for me to see through without lights. I want to get a jump on against whoever snuck into the backroom. Besides, we only sell special items made specifically for some characters. To everyone else, we only sell strange knick-knacks and weird items. So I doubt there's nothing for them to sell unless they make a lie out of it.
I slowly tiptoed behind the racks, trying not to make too much noise enough to attract the intruder. I could tell that it was coming from the fragile artifacts, so I had to be careful around them. Plus, I can't use the stock around me for obvious reasons and it's too dark for me to throw something to get their attention or knock them out. The only option left was to see if I could sneak behind them for an ambush with a headlock.
"I didn't expect you to be the sneaky type."
I gasped. I know they were around the corner and the voice somehow came from behind. They sound like a young man, eerily similar to me. Only their voice was poisoned as he spoke. I tried turning around...
"Uh-uh... I wouldn't do that if I were you."
...Huh? I can't move my body. My arms aren't responding and I feel like my feet got caught in a fly trap. What the hell is this?! This isn't like one of my mistress's commands. I felt a strong presence on my back. As if a dagger waiting to stab at my spine. Is he trying to turn me into a hostage?!
But then, the voice starts to chuckle. "Relax. It's not like I want to kill you your mistress, or anything. I simply want to have a chat with you, Aster."
What?! How does he know my name?! No one is supposed to know who I am except my shitty family and co-workers. More importantly, he also knew the mistress. It's dangerous to confront him like this.
"Who are you?" I demanded. "How did you find this place?"
"That information is confidential. That said, maybe lower your hostility a bit. It might be difficult to chat, you know."
This guy... There's no way he will let me go if I attack him so soon. I should follow his orders for now and see what he wants with me and the mistress.
"Alright. Then why are you here? What do you want with me? If you're after the mistress..."
"Hmph... At ease. I'm not here for her. I'm here for you. You must be brimming with questions behind your presence in your current lifetime."
"Lifetime," I repeated. "Try to speak clearly. I have no time for your nonsense. Besides, I already dealt with irritating customers who wouldn't be satisfied with our services through extreme means. I have a right to kick you out, you know."
"Oh, I am speaking clearly. It's just that you never wonder why your life became shit in the first place."
I grit my teeth. Is he mocking my hardships?! This guy has no shame in mocking me. He just like...
"...all the others who made your life a mess? Hardly. I can't believe you're starting to judge others based on words alone. Tell me, did you keep asking yourself how did you get yourself into this mess?"
Is he asking for a beatdown? Then again, there's no telling what would happen if I let my temper win this battle of patience. I should answer what he needs to know about me.
"Isn't it obvious? I was born in a wrong family. My parents treated me as an afterthought, my older siblings used me as a punching bag, my bullies won't leave me alone..." I sighed. "I could go on and on and on... But you can tell my life is nothing more than a tragedy. There's no such thing as a happy ending for me and if I have one, it may be April Fool's joke for me."
There. I told everything about myself. Maybe now, he should leave me alone.
"Wow. You must be the life of the party." I would have glared at the intruder. But my life is on the line here. I can't afford to make a mistake from my temper. "But seriously, isn't that too much for a terrible life? Do you even think about the bright side of everything? There is no such thing as no good memory. Either you're exaggerating or you only want some sympathy points."
Okay, I take it back. This guy is trying to piss me off.
"Do you think living with my no-good family and selfish colleagues are nothing more than lies?! How about when two of my co-workers kicked me down in the break room and nobody tried to help me? Or shedding my hard-earned project back at college?! No matter what I do or how I try to escape my family and that company, I always come back right to them!"
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What the hell does he know about me?! I remember it clearly! I was getting coffee that day and I got harassed after I saw a woman standin-
SNAP!
Huh? Standing? No, that's not right. I was trying to help her. Wait, why did I approach her in the first place? I didn't recall her being harassed by them. They just come at me and pour coffee on my suit without a reason. No... There's a reason. She left after they knocked me out!
And that project... That was supposed to be a group project that the others took credit for and treated me like trash! But the subject was supposed to be a thesis on social media marketing trends, not an artist's style thesis!
"Huh. It seems like the truth has finally caught up to you."
Truth? What the hell is going on? These aren't the memories I know! I-It feels like...they belong to someone else!
"W-What did you do?!" I demanded. "Did you tamper my memories?!"
"Tamper? Now why do I alter memories when they are already tampered with in the first place?"
...What?!
Is he saying...my memories are already fake in the first place?
No, they aren't! I remember them just fine! I recalled the time when Danvers gave me a wedgie back in middle school! Or was it Peony? And that time with Poole... No, Whitney...
GRAGGGHHH!!! Why can't I remember those exact details?! I know I remember them! I know they are my real memories!
"It seems like you finally notice it. How ironic that you spent most of your life wary of everyone and everything around you that you never doubted who you really were and what your life was like."
No...
"Yet the only question is where do those memories come from? They seemed like they weren't tampered with other than your face plastered on every victim here."
You're lying...
"And how did you get your hands on them? I doubt you stole them without knowing about it. Rather, someone put all of those mish-mash memories into your head."
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" I screamed as I covered my ears. "My memories aren't fake! They are mine and mine alone! Don't you dare assume they aren't my memories without any proof!"
"Not even your memories of your first meeting?"
I froze at that question. My...first meeting?
"A pretend play of a shop, an escape from your despair, and that strange young girl... You that's all you can recall from that memory alone. But do you remember someone else with you? The third-party who joined you from the start."
"Third?!" I growled. I already tempered my patience in an attempt to protect the products, but I'm already sick of his purple fluff nonsense. "Please, leave this shop right this instant. I told you, there's no "third party" and I'm sick of your damn riddles!"
Suddenly, I heard a chuckle. "Are you saying you're going to deny this fact? Just like those "borrowed" memories you called your own? That voice of denial in your head still won't let you go, huh?"
Bastard... I don't care about his threats anymore. I turned around and barked at him, "I TOLD YOU TO LE- Huh?"
Instead of finding the person threatening me from behind, I noticed the backroom and the shop itself were gone. The lightbulbs were broken beyond repair, a lot of broken furniture, trash, and remnants of pottery scattered around the floor, and judging by specks of dust covering the counter and shelves, it looked like no one had been here for a long time. But how did I get here? I don't remember getting here and I know I didn't take any pills.
"Mister?"
Huh? Is that a young girl's voice? When I turned around, I was surprised to see a familiar girl in a black dress. Just like Umbaria as a child. But why is she here? Forget why. I need to get her out of her-
"Why did you forget him?"
Wait... What is she saying?
"Why did you forget him?! He's the one who broke your despair!" The girl shouted with tears in her eyes "You were happy with him when we played together. But you forgot all about him thanks to your evil family! You shouldn't succumb that day! If you didn't, then he would have been here right now!"
Him? I-I don't know who was she talking about! What is this?! What the hell is this place?! She's not her! She's only copying her!
Yes, it's fake. All of this is a nightmare.
Yeah. It's only a hallucination. Everything isn't real! This is only a side effect of her pill.
Then why don't you throw the rest away? All it's doing is letting you deny reality.
That's right. That "mistress" trapped me in her stupid shop in the first place. I don't need these damn pills! I had enough of her manipulations!
Then toss it in the trash. It's time to go back to your "true reality".
I understand. I grabbed all of the pills in my pocket. I need to escape. It's time to leave this nightmare! I'm gonna crush them if that is the last thing I d-
Haven't I told you to die already, you so-called conscious?
Huh? Was that...my voice?
Before I could notice this, I suddenly noticed something inside my mouth. It tasted a familiar sweetness...
No, what the hell are you doing?!
But I thought I threw them...
You are not his conscience. You never were. And if you continue to be stubborn about that fact, then you leave me no choice.
BA-DUMP!
My chest...! No! I can't! I need to spit it o-
What's the point of denying me anyway? Wake up already! Cowardice can only lead to stagnation and ending everything would mean letting those bastards win. And you don't want that, do you?
...No. What the hell am I thinking?! Why am I thinking of throwing these pills in the first place?! It's because of them that they helped me regain everything I lost.
You're wrong! They'r-
So why don't you use the next one to deal with some nuisance coming to us? They seemed familiar to you. And the mistress won't be happy with a broken product or two.
My...mistress...
DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!
Why should I listen to you? You only said lies that avert the truth behind everything!
I can feel it. My mind is cleared up. You care nothing but my downfall. And I don't like anyone who tried to put me down too many times.
And I will show you what happens if you piss me off for the last time...
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"HEY!!! Are you listening to me?!"
Huh? Was I asleep just now? I recalled that I dozed off because of the lack of customers...
"Geez, what the hell is wrong with you?! I can't believe you quit the company over this dumpster!"
Company? I see... Looking closely at the three men in suits, those are the same guys who worked with me back in that shitty company.
...Did I even work there? And what kind of company was it anyway?
"Damn... Maybe we shouldn't be in this trashy shop in the first place. Who permitted you to run this crap? An old lady?"
What did that guy in a blue suit just say?! My mistress won't like it when someone insults her shop. Hell, I don't like them for insulting her in the first place. I walk around the counter and smack it loud enough to get their attention.
"What the f- What the hell is that?!" The man in a red suit yelled.
"I'm just giving you a warning. Get your asses out of our shop or I'm going to make you," I warned with the sternest tone I could make. But all that's done to them is laughing at me.
"Or what? Call the police on us?" The man in a yellow suit taunted. "What's the point of telling on us? Face it, you're nothing more than a drone who would do nothing to fol- ARGH!"
I warned them. I used his blabbing as an opening to punch the man in yellow's gut. I'm surprised he collapsed with his blood in his mouth with just one punch. How humiliating for him...
"What the f- Are you trying to get fired?! Because I'm one call away from my phone and you will regret hurting me!"
I groaned. "Why should I care?"
"H-Huh?!"
The man in red growled. "Because the boss will make sure your life will be a living hell! If you mess with his family, you are done!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
That's all I can do. Is that their idea of a "threat"? Why would someone be too scared to stand up to those assholes?
"W-What are you laughing that?! W-We're serious!" The man in blue yelled.
I stopped laughing and took a deep breath to continue. "Do you expect me to go back if you rely mostly on your Daddy and take away everything I have? I've admitted it, you got guts. But you missed something about me." I removed my glasses and smirked. "I don't give a damn about you, your shitty boss, or that shitty company."
Everyone backed away with their eyes widened while they almost hit the shelves behind them.
"The reason why I kept listening to you assholes is I have no other reason to live. You took advantage of your positions, looked down on the people who had genuine dreams for the company like school bullies, and did atrocious acts to enact your deprave desires. I don't give a damn to my former job if it means stooping low on your level. But even if my life will disappear doesn't mean I have to deal with your crimes right here and now."
"Crimes?" It looks like one of them is about to talk shit back at me. But I'm sick of listening to their nonsense. "You bastard... You're nothing more than a poor businessman who will never reach the top! How can y-"
SNAP!
"That's one strike."
I watched the man in blue trying to finish whatever he was trying to say. But it doesn't matter since I already sealed his voice.
"Bastard! What the hell did you do?!" The man in the yellow demanded.
"I simply gave him a timeout. But you can also see it as a warning," I explained. "Do anything stupid in this shop and you might face the same consequence as him."
"Why wouldn't we listen to you?! Don't you know who my father is?! With a snap of my fingers, I can..."
SNAP!
"And that's two."
I sighed as I watched the man in yellow squirming to scream. Honestly, these people are useless... I gave them three chances and they ruined two of them. All that's left is a man in red and it didn't take him long to attempt a getaway.
"I can do the same with your legs, you know." He stopped crawling out as soon as I uttered those words. "I don't care what you will do to me, my mistress, or our shop. Just so you know that whatever you will do to us will only lead you to destruction."
The man in red slowly turned to me. He looked like he was about to piss his pants off as tears start to fall from his eyes. "Y-You're not human. Just who the hell are you?! A sane human wouldn't snap their fingers to make anyone lose their voice!"
"Sane? Look who's talking." I crouched down to his level without losing my grin. "But you're half-correct. I'm human and not human at the same time. As for you, you're nothing more than a construct from a mess I had to clean up. To tell you the truth, I doubt I can do anything to you all since you're non-existent. But that doesn't mean I have to let you go so easily."
"N-Non-existent?! W-What the hell are you going to do with us?! I-If you want money, then we'll just give it to you!" He begged. "We can convince his father to give you a raise! Hell, he might give you a promotion! Just please, spare me!"
I grinned once I heard those last sentences. "Coward until the end, huh? No wonder why the person who owned these memories almost ended his life back there."
"H-Huh?"
I stood up and summoned shadows from below to engulf the three men on my feet.
"It might not be much, but I should give them a bit of catharsis before I destroy this false part of me. As for me..."
Ignoring the man's incoming screams, I raise my arm and let the shadows do the rest.
"I'm nothing more than an owner of this little shop."