Mirnah was surrounded by a blighted wasteland that stretched far beyond what her myopic eyes could see. The air was hot and a little stifling; silence engulfed the barren land, intermittently broken by the mournful howl of wind that stirred up fine dust and dirt.
MIRNAH!
Mouth hanging agape, she turned in a circle, searching, wondering where the call was coming from. The voice was strange, echoing like the rush of streaming waters, but there was no body of water close by.
The sky was grey and cloudy, rubbing some of its dullness on the landscape. There were a few tall buildings ahead, desolate and dilapidated, broken glass windows and their doors destroyed. The ground was dry and lined with deep cracks. A few plants, withered and lifeless, were scattered around.
Her chest heaved as she tried to breathe in more polluted air. The pervading melancholy was threatening to choke her alive as she faced her reality. There seemed to be no soul in sight.
MIRNAH!
The eerie call again. She was not alone.
"Who are you?" She asked and was met with silence as a response.
She began trudging around the wasteland, as if her strength was waning, her footsteps resounding and creating multiple echoes. How did she get here? Her memories were scrambled. She was dressed in a soft, faded, lemon-green cotton shirt and matching trousers that looked like one of her pyjamas sets.
She paused and remembered. It was the pyjamas she wore to bed the previous night. Mirnah screeched, falling to her knees on the hard ground, her fingertips pressed against her temples as a terrible headache assaulted her. Vivid memories of her visit to a pawn shop flooded her mind in a flash.
"Hello, ladies. Welcome. How may I help you?" The short and stocky man at the checkout counter of the pawn shop smiled at her. Mirnah smiled back and was going to say something when someone touched her arm.
"I've got this," said Noami, her petite, brown-skinned and blond friend. She loved to dye her hair blonde which in contrast to her skin made her stand out. It made her stand out—that was her excuse.
Noami pulled out a small figurine from her handbag and showed it to the man. She wanted to sell it. Mirnah let her friend haggle over the price of the figurine with the checkout clerk while she walked around the shelves, admiring the things on display.
The shop looked small from the outside but it was spacious on the inside. So many shelves filled with old items including valuable antiques extended towards the back of the shop.
At the far end of a shelf, almost hidden in a dark corner, were bronze statues of a family. The man, tall and dressed in mediaeval soldier uniform, a shotgun on his shoulder. A curvy woman with bobbed hair holding a boy whose hand was stretched out as though to hold something or someone. Beside him, another boy stood holding a small girl's hand.
Mirnah drew close and bent to get a good look at them. The hairs on her neck stood erect immediately as she stretched her hand to touch.
"You like them?" A deep voice asked from behind her.
Mirnah glanced up at a man. He was tall and well-built, middle-aged with his temples spotting salt and pepper hairs. His enigmatic, deep-set eyes were curious and piercing. "Well?" He asked again.
Mirnah nodded. "They look like a fine piece. I've never seen such a collection before. Are you the owner of this shop?"
The man's face lit up with a broad smile at the compliment. "They are a unique, old piece. Everyone who sees them together says the same thing—"
"But why are they hidden in this corner? Don't you want to sell them?"
The smile vanished. His eyes suddenly darkened and gleamed as he stared into Mirnah's eyes. A tremor ran through her and she shivered involuntarily, realising the fast change in his demeanour.
"They are not for sale. You can admire them but," he paused, raising a finger and pointing to a sign written in copperplate uppercase letters above the shelf: DO NOT TOUCH.
"Oh….Uh, sorry. I didn't see that."
The man looked her up and down. "Come. There's a collection of rare antique porcelain tea sets with fine patterns and designs here that I'm sure you will like," he said, leading her to another shelf displaying the tea sets. He walked away, his hands clasped behind his back. Mirnah admired the tea sets for a while until she noticed the man was nowhere in sight.
She checked the hallway leading to the back of the shop and saw no one. Without meaning to, her legs took her back to the shelf with the bronze statues. Her palms started to itch, the tiniest needles pricking as she stretched her hands towards the statues to touch them.
That was the last thing she remembered.
TO BE CONTINUED…..
Check out the next part here...
Image created using meta.ai
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
Ah! Mirnah's hands got itchy haha. This is a very intriguing story that promises wild story at the end. I guess Mirnah did listen to the Man when he said DON'T TOUCH. Oh Mirnah, what world have you been sucked into?! I hope she will be alright. Lovely, i enjoyed reading your story.
!discovery 44
Indeed there's a wild end to this story so stay tuned. Mirnah's curiousity (or 'something' in the statues?) got the better of her and eventually landed her in a wasteland far from the people she loves. Will she be able to find her way back? Lets hope so. Thanks so much for your visit and support. !PIMP !LADY 💕
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