Neither Dead or Alive

Part 3: Growing

"You okay?" Puffy asked in the corner of the room she looked at him worriedly, Tommy stared at his breakfast breaking away his hard glare at his food.
 
 
"O-Oh yeah? Sorry about that" he scratch his head, eating the remaining food of his plate, she playfully hum grabbing the dishes on the table "What are you thinking at?"
 
 
He went quiet forgetting the question she asked. Silence filled the room when Puffy waved her hand at his face, he blinked confused "You sure are thinking something... I'll leave you to it" she shrug, leaving Tommy at the kitchen.
 
 
Then it all went quiet again except some audible sound could be heard. The runny tap of water leaked at the sink, the creaking noise of wood swinging slightly open, and the swish of steam cooling up from the heat.
 
 
He quickly cleaned the kitchen with nothing better to do, Puffy in this time might be doing paper works or sending letters from a friend and what other bloody thing she would be doing in her office.
 
 
Finishing the last chunk of dust at the corner, he drag himself to his room and change. While the sun was still up and warm he yelled at the hallway "Puffy I'll be going out for a bit!!" Before Puffy could even answer, the door was suddenly closed leaving her to chuckle at her office "This boy..."
 
 
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He roamed around the bourg everything was still looking the same, he rummage to his mind trying to be entertained around the village, unusually it appear to be a little busy with few stuff that need to be moving.
 
 
Nothing much he could do to ponder, his eyebrow touched forming a frowning face "There aren't even anyone around my age..." he act like an upset child who had lost a bet with his best friend.
 
 
Tommy groaned in annoyance stomping away towards the antique shop, they muster in their breath when the man greeted him with curious looks "Someone seems to have a bad day today, what's the problem Tom's?"
 
 
Sam sounded like a worried father his words caught by the boy, he eyed the lad patiently waiting for their answer "It's boring... Nothing much I could do" he was all fed up, complaining the whole day without a doubt.
 
 
The man reassuringly smile "Well... There is something to clear that boredom away" he moves his hand to the pile of books and grabbed the leathered cover he was looking for "This should be handy for the future, if you want to learn something new in your age"
 
 
Tommy hesitantly accept, his pupil going back and forth to Sam he examine the book until he reached the first page of a handwriting "Why would you give me a journal? You know I don't read shitty stuff, especially this big man almost read history books"
 
 
Sam chuckled "I know your into wars and history but this one is different I know you'll love it in the end"
  
 
"Alright fine, but that doesn't mean you forced my way out of it" he sighed, when a book is at his hands Sam would definitely not make him refund nor repay it was his ways of treating Tommy and he felt annoyed by his care. Ugh...
 
  
He lay his head to his shoulder flipping through the pages taking a quick glance it was all handwritten in cursive, it could still be recognize if you read it carefully though there were a lot of smudge of ink unable to read some pages.
 
 
He took glance to the older man moved in his place humming a sound and continue to wander in the storage room again, Tommy could only sigh in frustration.
 
 
If he could ask why something was bothering him, there's no doubt that he could be fine and feeling anxious of being watched.
 
 
Deep inside he felt so afraid of dreaming that nightmare again it brothered him for those nights that he barely keep his eyes open, it almost felt like he was being eaten alive consuming his whole life without care.
 
  
Could he still believe the nightmare that happened that night? Ofcourse, it was terrifying to even think he could slightly keep awake a whole night to wait until the sunrise. Did he brother to tell anyone about his weird and horrifying experience of close death? Yeah he could guess so, when he hardly talked about those moments to Puffy and Sam he almost made so many reassuring conversation, that he would tell his terrified mindless explanation from them. That's crazy coming out from him he would laugh at himself by now.
  
 
Thoughts spiralled and twist, he didn't even realize he was still at the first page of the introduction, he almost forgot what he was doing when he didn't bother to focus on his surrounding.
 
 
Niki stared smiling infront, almost screaming at his face "Heyya Tommy!" He made a slight pause yelped in his chair falling away to his seat touching the floor then a loud 'Thud!'
 
 
"Ugh..." He groaned at the impact she nearly cringe regretting to popped out of nowhere. He brush off some dust raising his head to look at Niki looking very, very upset.
 
 
She scratch the back of her head awkwardly laughing "Hehehe... Sorry'bout that- please forgive me" he scrunch his face disbelief of her action, part of it was his fault for not noticing the door open with a bell clearly to hear the old creaking sound.
 
 
Niki help Tommy stand up brushing off some remaining dust that was hugging at the back of his leather jacket. Sam maybe didn't realize how dirty it was when he cleaned this morning, he could noticed it earlier though rather than being a clean freak he should've want to clean it later, Classic Sam.
 
 
Always blinded through work.
 
 
"What was that?" Sam suddenly burst through the doors holding two boxes, one named 'lost' and the other 'found' he raised a brow looking at Tommy.
 
 
The teen boy patted both of his hand together "I didn't said anything" Sam nodded he whispered almost audible 'Oh right, sorry' he began to unpack and unload when both of the male started to not notice her.
 
 
Niki felt her existence had disappeared "I feel so noticable right now" Sam shot his head up tense to her sudden appearance at his shop.
 
 
Tommy right beside to Niki covered his mouth hiding his laugh, then it's her turn to be upset glaring Tommy to shut up but loosen after Sam apologize "Pardon me Niki I didn't realize you were there I thought I only heard Tommy before"
 
 
She break away from Tommy to Sam "It's ok I guess I'm pretty much ghosted around here in your shop" Niki smirked, Tommy burst out of laughing couldn't held his laughter in.
 
 
It was true since Sam had a hard time looking through dark colors, his shop was mostly themed the color pink but not entirely covered considering pink is the most rare color to find and mix with cooler substance it still blend in the theme.
 
 
The three had a nice laugh they spend the afternoon talking and later on Puffy soon to visit and came by to pick Tommy. After the long hours he have been doing therefore not coming back home, he was sure he made her worried all day.
 
 
They both walked out and buy some groceries on their way home, Puffy suddenly start to take off the kitchen cooking for dinner and Tommy just went in his bedroom putting the journal beside his stuffed animal "Hello Clementine, can you hold this for me? Gotta help for dinner" Clementine made their head slightly fell forward wich Tommy took it as a yes and left his bedroom.
 
 
The night was oddly calm they ate their dinner rather late but it could still fill in their starvation through the night. Flames of the candles died out and relaxed at his bed looking outside the window where the light from the moon shined brightly to his bedroom visible to look at the trees outside, and there he spotted something uncommon he blinked a few times making sure his eyes are playing him.
 
 
But it didn't.
 
The crows are looking at him with their dark gaze, it somehow made him remembered the dream he once had. Feeling of being stared at not with concern but the eyes of disgust, he couldn't break away or look somewhere in his view without them getting angered.
 
 
He closed the windows and curtains, pacing back in his bed he was feeling paranoid "Maybe I'll just sleep it off and forget this happened tonight..." And so he did he kept tossing and turning then found a uncomfortable way to sleep.
 
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