CHAPTER ONE-THE CAMERA
For the last day of examinations, it was a rather depressing day. I fear that I am going to fail Mathematics 53. I have never failed a single subject--as a matter of fact, I got astounding grades in high school but now in college... God please sail me through this storm in wonder and glory... I raised my hand to get the attention of a jeep that's headed for Katipunan, the avenue which leads to my home. The jeep hadn't come to a halt yet when I climbed into it. As I sat down, a warm smile spread across my face--there's no use in feeling so miserable--don't spoil your days, I told myself, learn from the past but don't let yesterday use up too much of today... As I turned my head towards the window-vents, the wind flipped my long black hair, blowing away with it the depression, anxiety, and worry in my heart. Now, it's such a beautiful day. . .
The jeep rolled on the road smoothly--the summer vacation had already set in. Very few students took their cars out or rode other vehicles, making traffic rather light.
The ride which passes by the subdivision where I live is still at the intersection beyond McDonald's which was a few blocks after National Bookstore. However, even before the jeep ran past the bookstore, a huge sign in white and red caught my eye: "CHEAP RARE FINDS." Excellent! Just what I needed to take my mind off these miseries! Thank God! I asked the driver to pull over and I walked briskly out of the jeep towards the store. A small crowd was there--nasty competition--this could put my shopping skills to the test! Attack!
As I entered the shop, the strong smell of incense gave me a weird feeling; I find incense very fragrant but there was something weird about the atmosphere that it created. It's weird... I felt rather uneasy but before I could entertain the feeling, a young woman, with fair skin, black chinky eyes, and similarly black hair done in a bun with ornate chopsticks talked to me.
"Good afternoon ma'am! Please have a look at our selections--antique stuff and second hand items both with brand-new quality! Prices are negotiable for those marked with red so don't hesitate to haggle with us!" she had a sweet smile; a pretty Chinese countenance.
"Thank you very much for letting me know that--don't worry I'll take my time." I said with a smile. With her smile still on her face, she bowed and headed for the door to welcome another customer. I walked between the square steel crates which measured two meters on each side. They were arranged in five orderly rows, each row having four crates spaced one and a half meters apart. One crate was full of calipers and magnifying glasses while the one beside it had small hand-held electric fans. They didn't interest me so I moved on to check the other crates. I was delighted to see that they had "scented" incense cones in one crate. Taking a shopping basket, I took around a dozen packs (hey, a pack costs only ten pesos and a pack contains twelve cones; besides, these usually cost twenty each so I just can't say no to the bargain). As I proceeded, I was amazed to find paper talismans stacked neatly in a crate. Japanese characters in black were written on the flat, rectangular, white cards. I picked up a bundle and looked at it carefully. Can these be genuine paper talismans? Can these really repel negativity? When I turned the bundle over, I saw a small label stuck onto it, it read, "protection." Not knowing how to use it or what "protection" exactly meant, I placed it back and walked to the next crates. Garments and fabrics, hats and necklaces of exotic appearances--every interestingly weird thing you could think of was probably there. So far, the incense is the only thing I've thought of as worth of purchase so my hopes were rather down as I approached the last few crates. I rummaged through one filled with dolls, trying to find a nice one for my sister when something seemed to have been entangled with my hand. Doll hair? But it seemed to be sturdy and rather taut and broad. Buried under a mound of dolls, I couldn't see my hand which I was now shaking violently--whatever IT was won't LET GO... Let go? Is there some creature in there? It's pulling me in? It's pulling me in! I was gasping, panicking, beginning to catch attention, when I yanked out my hand sending a couple of dolls flying off--baring a camera with its strap wound around my hand. How did that wrap around my hand? I don't remember twisting my hand in the crate! The lady who welcomed me approached me.
"Is there any problem ma'am?" she asked sweetly, putting back the dolls.
Composing myself, I replied, "N-no, I'm alright."
"I see that you have found that camera. It's rather old--an antique I believe."
"Does it work?" I asked, amazed that its straps began to loosen.
"I doubt--but it'll make a good display! You can have it for just a hundred bucks."
Trying not to sound too surprised, I said, "A hundred? can I have it for just fifty?"
"Eighty?"
"Fifty?"
"Eighty?"
"Fifty?"
"Eighty?"
"Eighty."
With a smile, she took the incense and the camera to the cashier, I followed her there after stopping before a full-body mirror. As a child, I did not like my reflection very much (thanks to society)--I had been too fleshy but now, I accustomed my body to rope-skipping everyday. Thank God--they have definitely paid off. My long black hair hung on my back, giving me a hot feeling. I pulled it up, doing it in a ponytail. With this, my ears, bearing brown dangling earrings came to view. The latter had small cylindrical and leaf-shaped crystals attached to a bronze ring. Each time I moved, they jingled sweetly as if they were chimes. I stared at my brown eyes--brown eyes that radiated cheer and hope for others but often passed pessimism to its owner. I sighed, smiled, and whispered a short prayer with my eyes closed. As my prayer came to a close, I opened my eyes slowly and at the corner of my right eye, I saw the silhouette of a human head moving forward from the side of my own head. I immediately turned to my right, my heartbeat racing, my eyes wide open--but nothing was there. What was that? Then a hand touched my left shoulder.