Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm Keiko Oda, a GAFFN writer from the earlier generation of the community! I won't keep this long so as we can cut to the chase, but if you have any questions or you just want to talk, then don't hesitate to PM me! I'll be glad to hear from all of you! Glad to be back!

Disclaimer: I own everything except the characters that belong to Higuchi Tachibana.

The Dream Catcher

By Keiko Oda (II)

When Sakura-sama's store closed down, Natsume was there to see it. The whole town had come, not really for the sour-faced, much too explosive storekeeper, Jii-chan (that was what everybody called him) but because Sakura's Little Shop of Curiosities had always been the pride and joy of the little town of Haruka, the tiniest, most miniscule prefecture of Hokkaido – and not to mention the farthest off from the nearest city, Abashiri.

Haruka was so small and so invisible, that one might believe that it was one of those mysterious, haunted villages that one would find himself wandering through the gates late at night and never coming out again. Truth be told, many have found themselves in the town, quite puzzled to have not read up such a town on any Japanese map, but that did not mean the townspeople were out of the ordinary, extra terrestrial, bloodsucking beasts. In fact, everybody in Haruka was boring – the people, the animals, and even the flowerbeds were dry and dreary. Everybody rose from their beds at 6:45, ate the same whole grain Honeynut cereal for breakfast, went to school or work at 7:30, shopped at the same supermarket, played at the same arcade, shampooed their dull little heads with Swansilk 2-in-1 shampoo and went to bed thinking "Oh, someday, I will be living the great, city life in the great city called the great Tokyo." Which was precisely why when the eldest resident of the town opened a shop of curiosities, the entire town, composed of only 535 inhabitants (including dogs, cats and wild bullfrogs) threw the smallest, but the loudest and merriest festival in the whole world.

Sakura's Little Shop of Curiosities was the quaintest and by far, the strangest little boutique one might've ever laid his eyes on. Its facade looked anything but queer, especially since it was sandwiched between Nogi's Wash & Wear and Shouda's 24/7 Mini-Mart. But when one went through the door and saw the wind-up white elephants and golden geese, the run-away bed, the upside-down wishing well and the flying pigs – to name a few, of course – there would honestly be no other words to describe what preposterous joy they would be feeling at the deepest crevices of their hearts. Sakura's Little Shop of Curiosities was wonderland, and everybody in the planet found out.

Those were the golden years of Haruka. And there were twenty-two of them. But even as the tourists and the celebrities piled up as quickly as rabbits multiplied, Jii-chan never spoke a word of his shop. He never accepted the extravagant offers of the investors that walked into his office with big, fat wads of yen. He never told anybody where he got all the magical creatures ("The Wardrobe to Narnia was from a dear friend, and that is all you will ever know!") and neither did he go on talk shows, radio programs and even advertisements. He simply sat nonchalantly by his lion-pawed desk, watching his customers play with the rainbow fishes and drink from the chocolate waterfall, telling them that they may play with the flying teacups and the green goblins, but they may never, ever take them home. And this went on for twenty-two years until the mayor of Haruka, Jiino, discovered that people were growing dissatisfied and leaving the town.

"Why can't you sell just one invisible panda, Sakura? Why can't you just sell one?"

"They are precious, Jiino-sama. Selling them would lower their dignity."

"You are going to get me bankrupt, Sakura!"

And in his anger, in the people's anger, Jii-chan was forced to close down the store. And Natsume Hyuuga was there to see it.

"Poor flying pigs," he murmured imperturbably. "I've always wanted one."

His best friend, Ruka, who was right beside him, burst into laughter. "You're kidding me, right?"

Natsume looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bucket that he was holding and threw it at him. "Of course I am, dimwit. What kind of person would want to buy a dumb animal?"

"The whole world, my good man," replied Ruka, "Which is why the old man had to close down. He pissed everybody off!"

"Not surprised. He was foolin' everyone anyway."

The two boys climbed down from the rooftop that overlooked the town square and landed smoothly on the dumpsters. They skidded against the smooth metal canister and jumped onto their skateboards. "He's going to be interviewed by the press now. Do you want to watch?" asked Ruka.

"Sob over his fire-breathing dragons?" smirked Natsume. "I've watched him a time too many."

"It's past curfew," said Kaede Hyuuga, as she walked past Natsume's bedroom that night, bringing a hamper full of laundry into the washing room.

"I've been here since seven," replied Natsume, whose nose was buried under the pages of a manga. "Just like you said."

"I know when my son is home and when he isn't," came the muffled reply from the other room, "Even if you locked your door." At that moment, she appeared by his door, looking tired and angry.

Natsume sighed and put down his book. "Mom, it's 11 effing 30. The other kids at school get home by 4am. Seriously, if you just chilled out –

"Chilling out," interrupted his mother, "Is what I did before you came home last Friday drunk and smelling like...weed!" She half-whispered the latter, out of anger and frustration. "And don't say effing to me! Acting like you're above me and all!"

Natsume clenched his fists and held his tongue. Finally, he replied. "I don't want to talk."

"You never do, Natsume!" cried Kaede. "You need to help me to help you!"

Natsume scowled at her and turned away. "I don't need any help."

He did not look at his mother. He didn't want to see her cry. She had cried before him too many times, the first time was when his father left him, and she was kneeling down before the bastard, asking him to stay, not for love of his wife, but of their child. Her pleads were futile, and she cried even harder when she took a beating for it. Natsume watched all of this happen. And he did not want to relive the wretched memory again.

At that moment, he received a text message from Ruka.

The guys and I are coming over to Sakura's to raid what's left of the store.

You game?

Natsume didn't bother replying. He knew where they were going to meet up. This town was so bloody small anyway, he thought. Things were always predictable. He threw on his hoodie, locked the door and climbed out of his window before he reached the corner of the street, climbed over the wire fence of the abandoned bungalow they christened Manor with some plywood and a whiteboard marker, entered the basement door and found Ruka and the rest of the boys from school waiting for him.

"Stop asking such useless questions," he said, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it before his lips. He lifted one of the many crates and picked up his gun. He slid it into his back pocket and puffed out the smoke from his mouth.

"You goddamn know well I am."

To be continued.

Author's Note: Thoughts? Suggestions? Reviews are greatly appreciated! Hope you'll want more of The Dream Catcher! Expect an update or two within the week!