Chapter Text
Summer always feels like a distant memory in the days following. Something of years gone by, joining these of my younger years. I was lucky enough to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Oiwa until Autumn ends. Though it is this second time staying here over the summer, so much has changed, while some things are not as much. I mean the Marsh House still looks breathtaking, the silo on the other hand is still eerie. I have heard many stories from many of the kids around town. Sayaka just came around recently and brought some of the stuff she found. She had this look of passion, excitement, and glee when I opened the door. In her arms was this box of what she claimed to be more of Marnie's stuff. We both ran up to my room and began looking through the box. Of what we looked through, the majority of the box, we confirmed that it all belonged to Marnie. We looked through photo albums, a sketchbook, and another diary that was filled with stories. These stories seemed to be a mix of fiction and non-fiction. There were more diary entries than the stories she wrote. But there was one that stood out to me. I couldn't tell which parts of it were real and which parts were fake. It just seemed to be both, but the bit about the Marsh House magic made it more like a story than a diary entry filled with that day's activities.
The sound of chimes filled the empty cafe. I can never escape the coldness of the morning breeze. From the cafe's kitchen, I watch as a hooded figure walk up to the counter. They seem nice, and mysterious but seem like a kind person. Then again it is a cold and windy morning, so I don't blame them for wearing something warm. Then again, storm clouds have been hovering over the town for a while now.
"Good Morning. How may I help you today?" The supervisor greets them, more nervous than she usually is. Don't quite understand why, though it might be the upcoming storm.
"Yeah, can I get a cinnamon bun and a large hot chocolate?" The stranger replied, taking off the hood. The stranger was a dark-eyed woman. Can't tell what the exact color is from this distance. Her brown curly hair suits her.
"is that all?" Alice, the supervisor, asked, looking out the window towards the storm clouds.
"Yes." The woman responded, holding onto her umbrella, and also looking out the window.
"To stay or to go?" Alice brought up. I stop eavesdropping and prepared the cinnamon bun. All I know is the woman what it to go.
"Here you are," I said as I handed the container with the cinnamon bun to the women.
"Thank you," She smiled. "I hope we meet again soon."
The sounds of chimes once again filled the cafe. All eyes were looking out the window when the rain started to pour, wondering where the woman went once she stepped out the door. It was in agreement that the storm wasn't safe and no one in town was heading out of their houses or stores for a while. I presume the festivals will be pushed to a new date if it's possible. Though there might be a connection between the magic Marnie wrote about and that woman. I mean you can't just disappear once you step outside a building and in plain sight as well.
And like clockwork, the rain started to pour relentlessly. Never showing a sign of stopping as thunder could be heard from a distance. I watch in awe looking towards the lighting dancing on the marsh like it's dancing to a symphony. There was no way of getting home through the wild weather. We all wanted to go home when closed the shop was at 5. But it was just our luck when it started 30 minutes till then.
"Hey Anna," Alice called from the storage room at the back of the building.
"Yeah?" I respond, a bit worried.
"You should call Mrs. and Mr. Oiwa to inform them you might stay the night at the cafe, okay?" She told me, coming back from the storage, holding a few blankets and some pillows. For some reason, we have those.
"Sure thing," I remarked. The sounds of footsteps were off to greet the two other employees on shift. One unexpected sleepover in a cafe.
A couple of phone calls later, all make-shift beds are made and ready. The Oiwas' are quite worried when I told them the situation but told me they will pick me up from work if the weather is okay. There should be a lot of cooking tomorrow since we ate most of the food. That would be dealt with over the weekend if we get the power working again. I still am highly considering going to bed now since the winds will most likely pick up later. I noticed that all the beds were near the back of the store. Which is fair seeing how bad the winds are. It all took us a while, basically 3 and half hours to make most phone calls. Trust me they were pretty long.
"Don't worry Anna," I hear someone from beside me.
"What?" I turn around confused to see another one of my co-workers, Elizabeth, standing in front of me.
"You're nervous aren't you? I saw you shaking," she told me. "Then again you could be cold."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." I assure her. Was it that noticeable? "Plus it was probably nothing."
"If that's the case, I should be heading to bed now," she responded, turning towards her bed set up. "Good night everyone."
"Goodnight," the three of us spoke up in unison.
The morning was silent, there was no sound of the wind storming on the storefront. Everything outside was a wreck. Thank goodness some of the cars I saw weren't damaged as badly as the ones where the storm was even worse. The thing that got my attention announced something.
'The festivals will go on as usual, but there will be precautions if the weather ends up disastrous. You may continue your normal daytime activities. Good day to you all.' the news reporter announced, waking up the other two. Elizabeth woke up early and was busy studying for an upcoming exam. I look back to see what things have changed and I hear some yawning from the others. There was the woman from yesterday, standing at the end of the dock, staring at the Marsh House.