𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ５

> ᴏɴᴇ ᴜᴍʙʀᴇʟʟᴀ

"𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺."

Today was nothing much of note. The same old shift, the same old faces that flashed by. Scripted events. Predictable outcomes. You'd be sure to have your whole week memorised and predicted just before it happens. But that was okay, you were okay with that. There was no point in changing what you couldn't control. That's what life graced you with, as many times you reminded yourself you sensed that you were slowly slipping in and out of consciousness. Watching the world behind your eyes as your body obeyed each demand society demanded from you.

So why were you suddenly given an anonymous note when you clocked out?

Mr. Ahmad handed it to you once you clocked out for the day. He looked almost as confused as you were as he held up the neatly closed envelope to you in a pastel pink colour. At first, you were apprehensive, this was the moment your best friend's father was firing you with a pink slip. You could only think of the overwhelming problems that would cause you in the near future. No job meant no money. No money meant no home. No home meant you had to move back to your hometown.

With your mother waiting at her doorstep.

You shudder at the thought, imagining you pulling up with your large bags of failed dreams. A disappointed look on her face as she crossed her arms. Mocking you for leaving her, with a dreadful "I told you so." waiting to be shoved in your face like no tomorrow.

However, it was the opposite. A strange letter from a mysterious stranger. No signature in sight but the name it was addressed to. Your name in fact, in neat printed ink. You asked your manager if he saw anyone drop it off but he only shook his head. In fact, he was more worried about you having a potential stalker on the loose. Or better yet the crazed knife-wielding maniac was back and was sending letters to you like the zodiac killer! Pinning you as their next potential victim!

Again, retire that joke (Y/N). You're the only one laughing.

The letter was left in front of the store, taped to the store windows just before opening time. You didn't have the opening shift but your boss tried to track down the culprit. Security cameras, witnesses. Any silver lining of a clue slipped through his grasp.

You held the note in your hand once more. You carefully opened the delicate thing. Whoever sent it must have hand-crafted it with so much care and love that you're terrified to suddenly ruin their efforts. Let alone send it to you! Your eyes scanned the note on the sheet of dotted paper. In black ink, the inscription was neatly written. No errors in each word displayed. No traces or marks of residue are left on the page. Only five lines, stared at you as you read the passage again and again with disbelief.

ʀᴀɪɴ
"ᴀ ᴄʟᴀᴘ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴜɴᴅᴇʀ
ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴋʏ's sᴏғᴛ ᴄʀʏ
ʜᴀɴᴅs ᴀʀᴇ sʜɪᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ
ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴀɪɴ ᴡɪʟʟ ғᴀʟʟ ᴅᴏᴡɴ
ɪғ sᴏ, ᴡɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ sᴛᴀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ?"

Was this some sort of love letter?

A confession?

How can someone possibly fall in love with you in such a short amount of time? There was no way you ordered hot steamy romance with anyone with a side of awkwardness! But for some reason, your heart fluttered at the short poem. Every time you observed each stroke of the pen, the small but even lettering, just everything was something that made you melt. Your legs turn into jelly. Your cheeks flushing in a deep shade.