CHAPTER TWO-PROLOGUE
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" I shouted--I spun around, eyes disoriented, balance rather lost. I stumbled back first. Gasping as I landed on the floor, my face flushed red when I saw that the one who touched me was none other than the Chinese saleslady.
Rushing to help me up, she asked, "Are you alright ma'am?" she sounded rather worried and shocked. "Is something wrong?"
"You startled me..." I responded, trying to calm myself.
"Oh I am very sorry! I did not mean to startle you nor embarrass you!" she dusted off my long Bohemian skirt with her hand when I stood up. "My apologies!"
"No it's alright--it's alright." I smiled. "How much do I owe you?"
"Oh! Just two hundred for a dozen packs of incense and an old camera." I handed her the shopping basket and a green two hundred-peso bill and she walked away with a bow. I fixed my blouse, smoothing out its three-quarters sleeves. I'm sure I saw someone… Something… Someone, something was beside me… But…
I walked slowly to the cashier counter. Behind it was a Japanese-looking lady wearing a blue kimono. She sat there, her lips in a bright red smile, breaking the plainness of her white mask of powder. She wrapped the incense in a brown paper bag, folded its top and sealed it with a strip of tape. Where's the camera? I wondered. Placing my hand on the counter, I smiled too when I suddenly noticed a young girl standing beside her. Her solid black eyes stared straight into mine. I broke off her gaze by looking at her features—she had East Asian traits—smooth and straight black hair, white skin and eyes similar to that of the woman at the counter. Could she be her daughter? She was wearing a white robe with long sleeves having lengthy flaps extending downwards and a red skirt with straight, wide pleats that reached down the floor. She had a somber look—a somber atmosphere. She stared continuously at me, first gazing into my eyes, descending down my neck, continuing to my shoulders, tracing the length of my arm, and finally staring at my hand. I opened my lips to ask her what her name was when I heard screams from behind me.
"Fire! Fire!" shouted the woman from the entrance. "Quick! The extinguisher!" she told a young man in a Chinese suit. He ran quickly to the back. Several salespersons rushed to the crates near the fire and moved them away immediately. What should I do? Wait, it's that woman from the counter! Her kimono was making it difficult for her to pull—she definitely needed help. I thought of helping her so I got ready to run but before I could bolt away, a strong tug kept my hand on the counter. What is that? I spun around and was terrified with what I saw. My hand was being held by that Japanese girl! And there is another girl wearing exactly the same thing who is positioning a huge wooden nail on my hand! I began to panic and tug off but her grip is too firm! I kept on pulling and I soon began shouting the moment I saw the other girl hoist a wooden mallet into the air! She was going to nail my hand onto the counter! Let me go! Let me go! The hammer was an arm's length above the girl's head, she came to a halt, my eyes opened wide—she was bringing the mallet down! The mallet traced a terrifying arc coming nearer, nearer, nearer… "LET ME GO!"