The sound of radio blasting a house music through the entire street. The smell of water touching the earth. And the quiet rhythm of drizzling rain in the early-evening.
A young man with his decrepit bicycle crosses the railroads. His unkempt hair and thin stature would inevitably envoked pity from others. While others his age just go home after school. Here he is with his broken bicycle looking for a job to support his family.
His old-man just died the day before due to an accident on his job in the factory. His mother is just an ordinary housewife, while his little sister is still in elementary school this year. So it's up to him and his mother to keep the family afloat.
Truth to be told, the mother never asked for his support. It's just doesn't feel right for him as a man to let his mother carrying the burden alone. So he took an initiative to look for a job by himself.
Alas, due to his age and appearance, these past two days hadn't been fruitful. Today is the same, so he decided to take his old bicycle back home.
Unfortunately though, due to its age. The chain suddenly snapped in the middle of the road, so he was forced to walk the rest of the way home.
Fortunately for him, he quite enjoys the evening scenery in this suburb. He walked in unhurried pace, as he watches the shops began to light up one after another.
The street light starts flickering. Soon with a sound of electrical discharge, the lamp stabilizes covering the darkening streets under its light.
A cat suddenly ran past the street from inside the trash can put below the street lamp. Though unclear because of the dim lighting, it seems that it has a black fur and a pair of red eyes.
"Weird," Ethan said as his eyes follows the movement of the cat.
Slowly he pushes his bicycle forward. Gazing at the empty street, his mind couldn't help but wander. He imagines himself as a great hero flying upon people houses. Pattroling the skies to ensure that no evil will thrive in this urban city-side. Ethan giggles as he realizes just how foolish it was.
How could he–the one with no friends–help others when he couldn't help himself to communicate. He was embarrassed, not by his dream, but himself as a man.
"I wonder when will I be able to be like dad.."
Soon a long time pass. Ethan who had been daydreaming the entire time finally notices something strange.
"How long have I been walking?"
That was then that he realizes a street lamp above him.
"Wait.. have I been moving in place?"
Cold sweat secreted from his forehead as chill swept across him. This phenomenon, it's somehow familiar for him.
His dad used to tell him a story,
"Ethan.. do you believe in another dimension?"
"Di men cyan? What is that dad?"
"You know, a place that was different from where we live yet exist at the same time. It's said that ghost live in it."
"G, ghost! Noo!"
...
"Damn.. kid, you finally notices huh," said a black cat that has been monitoring Ethan for the entire time. It licks its paw then walks closer to Ethan.
Seeing such scene, Ethan's face turned blue with fright.
The cat sneered at him, it said, "So is this so called Heavenly Talent? Quite pathetic I must say."
"H, Heavenly Talent?"
"Wait, no, how could this be. Is it an error? Weird.. the fluctuation just now was coming from here. But now..." The cat mumbles.
Ethan who's confused gradually forgets his fear. Somehow, a hint of curiosity emerges from his eyes. The cat however seems disinterested.
"Well that's it kiddo, seems like I've got the wrong person. Don't worry, you'll forget everything."
The cat waved its paw and Ethan suddenly felt a sense of lightness akin of going to sleep from deep inside his being. His eyelids feel so heavy. Unknowingly he has fallen asleep.
...
Early morning,
A sound of alarm clock wakes him up. Ethan soon gets up from the bed and stretched his body. Somehow, he feels tired all over.
"Yawn~ what time is it?"
05:00pm
"Oh it's still early in the morning.."
He rubbed his eyelids.
"Huh wait.."
05:00pm
"What!"
He rushes downstairs.
"Mom! Why didn't you wake me up for school!"
Ethan entered the kitchen doubled as dining room to find his mother. Unexpectedly, he found his little sister chopping vegetables instead. She looked at him as if he was somekind of a fool.
"What are you screaming so much for just after you wake up!"
"Huh?"
The sister pointed at the boiling bot on the side.
"If not because you were sleeping like a dead. Mom wouldn't have to do everything herself. C'mon help me cook these vegies."
Ethan who's still confused followed his instinct as he started helping the house. Soon, the dinner is ready.
The siblings sat face to face. In front of them was a table filled with various form of vegetables dishes. The sister started to eat as soon as she got on the table.
"Uh sis, shouldn't we wait for mom?"
The sister looked at him briefly, "Don't worry, she won't be coming back until tomorrow morning. One of our relatives passed away this morning. Mom, who received the message in the afternoon went to their place to help with the rituals."
"But wasn't our dad just died two days ago?"
The sister suddenly went silent. She put down her spoon as she grabs her brother's head. She looked at him intently trying to catch any hint of injuries on his head. After a while with nothing going on, she let him go.
"That was a week ago you fool!"
Ethan eyes widened, he tries to remember it once again. Somehow, he felt that everything makes sense, and he has live through another week yet got no progress on his search for job.
"Here eat this!"
His sister put a precious piece of meat on his plate.
"Seems like you've been out of it lately. You must be tired, quickly go to rest after this."
"Thanks."
...
Ethan was lying on his bed. His face blank as he tries to ponder about what just happened. Everything feels strange yet somehow, when he tried to recall about it, everything make sense.
"Maybe I'm just tired..." Ethan decides to close his eyes.
Morning came, as the sound of robin cries echoes through the neighborhood.
Ethan who wakes up without his alarm stretches his body. He looked at the calendar put on his bedroom wall and got a fright.
"Sis! What date's today?" He asked loudly, waking up his little sister next door.
"Damn it Ethan, why so loud this early!"
"What date's today?" Ethan asked once again.
"Huh, of course it's the twentieth of fourth. Why did you ask?"
Ethan fell silent. In front of him, the calendar which haven't been peeled yet clearly shown: Friday, 12-04-20XX.
...
Saturday morning, the street was empty yet one could hear a bustling crowds inside people's houses. It was clear that almost everyone choose this day to rest.
Ethan walked across the neighborhood without his trusty bicycle. Somehow it went missing. And no one in the family knew when it was.
His hands on the pocket, this time Ethan was going to the downtown to look for a job. His hair was still messy as always eventhough he had tried to fix it this morning with the help of his sister's kit. Wearing a hoodie and a pair of trousers, he didn't look as thin as he usually was.
Soon he finally arrived at the city streets after passing the police station.
Music blasted across the street. The smell of various kind of foods entered his nose. A prosperity beyond an old man's mind was fully presented before him.
[Paulownia St. Frawell City]
Ethan wandered around, trying to find a recruitment notices posted around the streets. Alas, most of them required him to contact them via telephone.
"Sigh.. it seems that I really need to learn how to use telephone after all. Let's see, should I asks a random person or should I see how they operate it first.. Well duh, Ethan with your social phobia, it would be good if you could even greet someone," Ethan shakes his head, "it seems that there's only a choice left."