Chamber of Spectres

When I was in college, I met a wealthy woman online who was exceptionally nice to me. She would give me money to spend and called me her good little brother.

She said that, like me, she came from a rural background and really liked me. She promised that after I graduated, she would help me become successful.

I initially thought she was joking, but after I graduated, she really drove a Porsche Cayenne to my hometown.

I called her Khloe. To support me, she set up a convenience store in the village and let me work there, saying she would pay me 5,000 dollars a month.

Although the salary was high, it was still just a convenience store.

At first, I was a bit disappointed, but she said it was just to get me familiar with things. She planned to set up a few large wholesale food stores in the city for me to manage in the future, and I immediately agreed.

This convenience store was different from others. It had a nostalgic feel to it.

They sold basic necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, but everything was sold by weight and packed in large burlap sacks. It was much like an old-fashioned grain and oil store.

They also sold cigarettes and alcohol, but only one brand of cigarettes: Nat Sherman.

I suggested bringing in some cheaper cigarettes, as there weren't many wealthy people in our town, but she refused, saying she only sold Nat Sherman.

She was the boss, so I had nothing to say.

Khloe also told me she wouldn't pay me a direct salary. If I needed money, I should just spend the money from the customers and keep track of it myself. She had to be busy with business outside but she trusted me.

She also advised me to make sure not to let other employees see me taking money, to avoid jealousy.

With someone treating me so well, I naturally didn't want to let her down. I vowed to do a good job.

On the first night the convenience store was open, I went straight there. The employee who helped during the day was an old lady. Talking to her was quite a challenge as she had poor hearing.

She couldn't even open the door properly. It was an old wooden door with two panels. I tried to open the door fully, but she kept mumbling in a dialect I didn't understand, almost making me lose my temper.

I called Khloe, who told me not to open the door completely.

Since it was Khloe's request, I left the door as it was.

My shift started at 8 p.m.

After turning on the lights, I found that the store used old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, high up on the ceiling, casting a dim yellow light over the store.

I didn't think much of it, and soon enough, the first customer came in.

It was a young man who asked for a pack of Nat Sherman. When I handed him the cigarette, I felt uncomfortable because his hands were very dirty, with black mud under his nails.

I complained to myself about his lack of cleanliness, but then more customers came in, all with similarly dirty nails.

Some bought cigarettes, others rice, all with dirty nails, even the women.

I wondered if there was a factory nearby that caused such dirtiness.

In the middle of the night, an acquaintance came in.

It was my high school classmate, Joslyn Barton. I was surprised to see her buying things here, and her nails were also dirty, which puzzled me as I remembered her as a very clean girl.

Seeing a familiar face, I couldn't help but ask, "Joslyn, which factory are you working at nearby?"

At first, she didn't recognize me, but after taking a closer look, she finally recognized me and smiled. "Is that you, Cayson Clayton?

I work at a clothing factory.

Is this store yours?"

I was even more confused. There were indeed a few clothing factories nearby, but I had never heard of a clothing factory that made nails so dirty.

I told her, "It's run by a friend. I'm just working here."

She suddenly said, "Then you should quit working here. Working at a convenience store is a dead-end job. You're really in a bad place. You're at the bottom of society."

Joslyn's words made me uncomfortable. I remembered her as someone who didn't speak so harshly. I responded politely, "I'll manage. You've started smoking now, even though we haven't seen each other for years."

"Thank you. Have a cigarette. It's been a few years since we last met."

Joslyn opened a pack and gave me one, then said she had to go.

I leaned back in my chair and lit the cigarette, but after just one puff, I was choked by its taste.

Was this even a cigarette? It tasted so strange, almost moldy. The cigarette felt unusually soft and damp, as if it was expired.

I coughed several times and extinguished the cigarette, worried that Khloe might be selling counterfeit cigarettes.

What if customers came to complain? Especially since Joslyn was an old classmate, it would be really awkward.

I was concerned Joslyn might come back, but she didn't show up for the rest of the night.

The next morning, the old lady came to hand over the shift.

I took the money from the counter to record it, had some breakfast, and then went to the bathhouse to sleep.

The bathhouse didn't charge for staying overnight and provided free lunch and dinner, which was perfect for me right now.

When I returned to work in the evening, Joslyn came back again.

Seeing her, I felt a bit embarrassed. "Joslyn, sorry about the cigarette from yesterday."

"What's wrong with the cigarette?"

she asked.

"Don't you find it strange?"

"No, it smells nice."

Smells nice?

Not nice to smoke?"

I realized she probably didn't actually smoke, just bit the cigarette.

Some people who couldn't smoke like that. No wonder she didn't taste anything odd.

She asked for another pack of cigarettes, and I handed it to her, saying, "If you don't smoke, don't bother. It's not

worth learning."

She thanked me, took another cigarette, and then looked at me. "Aren't you going to quit?"

"What?"

"You're too unambitious working at a place like this. Didn't I tell you to quit yesterday?"

I replied helplessly, "The salary is decent. Could you stop saying hurtful things? You're being quite mean."

She seemed hesitant but finally said, "I used to think you'd be successful because of your good grades. But working at a convenience store is the lowest level of society, the poorest. If you're like this, just quit."

Why was she getting ruder?

I was about to argue with her when she said she was busy and left hurriedly.

After she left, I smoked another cigarette, but the taste was still terrible. I extinguished it.

After Joslyn left, I went back to doing business. It went on until almost morning when a pretty woman came in.

Unlike the other customers, she was impeccably clean, wearing a floral dress and with long hair cascading over her shoulders. She looked different from ordinary people and was very attractive.

She seemed familiar, but I couldn't place her.

Maybe I'd seen her somewhere before. Such beauty was hard to forget.

She asked for a pack of cigarettes, and I was surprised that such a pure-looking woman smoked. It was interesting.

She paid and left, thanking me.

As soon as the beautiful woman left, my phone rang.

It was Khloe calling.

She asked how work was going, and I said it was fine.

She then asked, "How much did you spend yesterday?"

"80 dollars."

"How much money is left in the counter?"

I checked and replied, "900 dollars and 3 cents."

Khloe said the store was short on alcohol and asked me to use the counter money to buy 1,000 dollars' worth of alcohol and cover the extra from my own money.

I agreed.

Just after hanging up, Joslyn came back.

I thought she might be apologizing, but she walked in and said, "Cayson, can you treat me?

Give me back the money I gave you earlier."

I was stunned. After speaking so harshly, now she wanted me to treat her?

She bought Nat Sherman, and I reluctantly returned 65 dollars, but she added, "From now on, when I come, you'll treat me. Okay?"

Seeing an opportunity, I retorted, "Joslyn, didn't you say I'm at the bottom of society?

You work in a factory and want me, the lowest level of society, to treat you? Doesn't seem right,

does it?"

Joslyn paused and then shamelessly said, "Stop complaining and give me the money. How can you charge a female classmate?

So stingy."

What a nuisance!

I was furious but didn't want to argue, so I just handed her the money, saying, "Don't come here to shop anymore."

She replied, "I'll come here to shop, and you'll treat me. After all, you're a man."

Then she left, making me extremely angry.

How shameless.

I waited until dawn in the store and then went to buy goods. Because of Joslyn, I ended up having to cover dollars instead of 65 dollars.

But it was okay. I could take it from the counter tomorrow.

Khloe gave me the address for buying wholesale goods. It was in a remote alley in the town where wholesale food was sold, and there were hardly any customers.

She told me this place was run by a friend of hers, and it was cheaper to get supplies here.

I entered the wholesale store and saw a young man inside. I told him I was there on Khloe's behalf to pick up some goods. He smiled and chatted with me for a bit, telling me to just call him Hank.

I picked up the supplies from Hank and headed back. After all that, I felt both hungry and sleepy, so I figured I'd go to the bathhouse for a soak since they had a buffet there. I ended up taking a bath and sleeping until evening.

When the buffet opened in the evening, I went to get food. Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and was surprised to see my high school classmate, Lanny Fowler.

I exclaimed, "What a coincidence!

A chance encounter."

Lanny laughed and said, "This town is so small. It's not really a chance encounter when everyone sees each other around, is it?"

Thinking about it, I agreed. We sat down to eat together, and Lanny, with a mischievous grin, asked if I had come to the bathhouse for a massage. I told him I was just there to sleep.

He sighed. "Time flies, doesn't it? So many years since we graduated, and we haven't even had a class reunion."

As I continued eating, I started to feel uncomfortable.

My stomach ached.

I wasn't sure if I had caught a chill.

I rubbed my stomach, which felt bloated and painful, and muttered, "I don't really want to attend reunions anyway. Some classmates just annoy me."

"Who annoys you?" he asked.

"That Joslyn. I've always felt like she's shameless."

"Joslyn?"

Lanny shook his head and said, "That's a bit harsh. After all, you should speak well of the dead."

"What do you mean, 'speak well of the dead'?"

I asked in surprise.

Lanny said, "Joslyn passed away long ago, didn't she?"

"That's nonsense!"

I snapped, "When did she die? How come I don't know about it?"

"It was during sophomore year of college, probably because you were studying out of town.

Joslyn dropped out of high school to work in a garment factory, but the factory caught fire, and she died in it."

He said it so convincingly that if I hadn't seen Joslyn myself a couple of days ago, I might have believed him.

I scoffed. "That's all nonsense. I just saw her a few days ago."

Lanny was stunned. "She's not dead?

Damn!

I knew rumors couldn't be trusted. When I talked about her with some classmates, I really thought she was gone."

Although it was nice running into an old classmate, I didn't feel like talking anymore.

My stomach was in agony. I was painful and nauseating.

I stood up, saying I needed to use the restroom. As soon as I got in there, I couldn't help but vomit.

But when I finished, I was shocked.

The toilet bowl was filled with bright red.

Was that

blood?

How could I be vomiting blood for no reason?

Terrified, I hurriedly wiped my mouth, not even bothering to say goodbye to Lanny, and went straight to the hospital.

At the hospital, after some tests, the doctor told me I had a gastric hemorrhage and advised me to avoid drinking and to watch my diet.

I was puzzled because I didn't even drink. Maybe it was all the late nights before graduation, staying up to chat and play games with Khloe.

The doctor prescribed some medication for me to take for a week.

I went back to the convenience store to work. Not long after, Joslyn showed up again, and this time she brought some friends. They were customers I had seen before.

"Cayson, get each of us a pack of Nat Sherman.

Your treat,"

Joslyn demanded, immediately asking me to cover the bill. I was fuming.

I had treated her yesterday, and now she had the audacity to show up again, with friends no less.

Already feeling sick, I couldn't hold back my anger any longer. I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the back of the store.

I snapped, "Do you have any shame?

There are six of you. Do you know how much it would cost me to treat all of you?"

"Of course, 390 dollars," she replied.

"Why the hell should I pay 390 dollars for you?"

"Because you're a man, and I'm your female classmate," she said.

What kind of twisted logic was that?

Furious, I retorted, "You're my classmate, but you're not my girlfriend. Why should I pay for you?"

Joslyn looked at me and asked, "So you'd pay if I were your girlfriend?"

"What do you mean?

Don't joke around with me."

"I can be your girlfriend for now. Just don't kiss me," she said.

Was Joslyn out of her mind?

I was about to curse her out when she suddenly grabbed my hand and placed it on her chest.

For a moment, I was completely frozen.

Maybe it was because of the cool night, but her body felt cold. She looked at me and said, "I let you touch me. Now I'm your girlfriend. So, you can

treat us."

I was

speechless.

Even though I didn't do it willingly, I couldn't bring myself to scold her anymore. Instead, I felt an overwhelming sense of awkwardness.

I went back to the store, feeling shy and embarrassed, and gave them the six packs of Nat Sherman.

I was not the type to spend money just to touch a woman.

But I felt that since I had touched her, even though it wasn't my choice, rejecting her now would hurt her pride.

So I figured I'd wait until the next time Joslyn came alone, and then I'd explain things to her and tell her never to pull this stunt again.

After they left, my heart ached.

It was expensive.

It was almost 400 dollars just for touching a chest.

I angrily sat down, sulking. The only time my mood improved was when the beautiful lady came by.

It was not that I was lustful, but her presence was truly pleasant. She had a beauty that was simply soothing to the eyes.

Noticing my sour mood, the beautiful lady asked, "What's wrong?"

Of course, I didn't mention anything about Joslyn. Instead, I rubbed my stomach and forced a smile. "I have a gastric hemorrhage. Not feeling well."

"Oh, is it really bad?"

"Yeah, I even vomited blood. For a moment, I thought I was going to die."

"Are you afraid of death?"

"Of course! Who isn't?"

She stood there for a while, seemingly deep in thought. Then, she handed the cigarette back to me and said, "I won't buy it then."

I was baffled.

What did my gastric hemorrhage have to do with her buying cigarettes?