The other day, I went around antique shops and recycling shops with my girlfriend who likes antiques. I also like retro games and old clothes, so I usually collect video game software and secondhand lucky find clothes. Even though we bought something different, the shops where such a thing was sold were the same place, so we enjoyed going around the stores.
We were able to buy a few valuable stuff, and thanks to that, we were driving with excitement. The time of day when the sun sets, we saw a run-down shop.
"It's sick!! The Son Goku gold version action figure must be sleeping in such a lonely shop unexpectedly!" I was looking around the store with her who looked at me with cold eyes.
It was as large as a convenience store. There were a lot of used books mainly, and not many kinds of stuff like furniture and secondhand clothes. As for video game software, only "Kirby Air Ride" was placed on the shelf covered with dust like hate campaign.
When I was about to say "Let's leave", "Ah!!!" she exclaimed in amazement.
When I ran up, she was standing in front of the basket case packed with stuffed animals and figurines. "Did you find any bargains?" "This is amazing," she said. She pushed away stuffed toys and other figurines that were pushed into the bottom of the basket case and finally picked up an icosahedral thing. Looking back, why did she see something that was at the bottom of the basket case and not visible from the outside? The strange occurrence may have already started then.
"What's this? very rare stuff?" I asked. "No, I've never seen it before. I think I'll buy this" she said. Well, this figurine with a subdued hue that certainly indescribable might not be bad as an object. I said, "If it's cheap, you should buy it."
She took the icosahedron to the cash register. The elder clerk was sitting there reading an old book. "Excuse me, sir, how much is this?" At that time, I didn't miss it. The expression he looks up from the book and looks at the icosahedron. He put a surprised look on his face for an instant but quickly turned into an ordinary elder's expression.
"Ah, uh ... this is ... um, how much was it? Can, can you wait a minute?" He went into the back room. It seemed fragmentary that he was arguing with an old woman who appears to be his wife.
The clerk brought a piece of yellowed paper. "It's one of the so-called toys, called Rinfone. There's more information in these instructions." He said, spreading a yellowish dirty paper. It looked quite old. On that paper, a picture of an icosahedron is written and also the name "RINFONE" was written under the picture. Furthermore, there was the process of transforming from "bear" to "hawk" to "fish" was depicted in other pages.
There was also an incomprehensible language. The clerk says it is written in Latin and English. "In this way, this figurine can be transformed into a variety of animals. First, wrap Rinfone with both hands, and stroke it like a making rice ball." She wrapped Rinfone with both hands and stroked as she was told. Then, a clicking sound was heard and a part of the face of the icosahedron was raised.
"Wow, amazing!" "Turn the protruding object and pull it up further." She did as she was told, another side subsided. "Awesome! It's like a puzzle! Try Hiroshi (my name)!!" It's very difficult to describe this mechanism in words, but do you know the "Transformers" toy? Cassette tapes are transformed into robots, and handguns and trucks are into robots in it. Imagine that Rinfone transforms into a variety of animals, such as bear, hawk, and fish when it is pushed or turned anywhere on the icosahedron like them. She was interested in Rinfone. Even I thought it was a great toy.
"Uh ... how much is that?" She asked. "Well, it's pretty old ... but we had forgotten it's here too ...well, what about 10,000 yen? If you sell it on the internet, I think people who like it will buy it for several hundred thousand yen."
She's good at bargaining the price down. Eventually, she bought it for 6500 yen and left the shop with a happy face. The next day was Monday, so after we had dinner at the restaurant together, we immediately came home.
Monday. When I got home after work, she called me. "Hiroshi-kun, that's amazing, Rinfone. It's really like a puzzle, it's shaped like an animal now. I just thought about it during my work and I couldn't settle down to work. Seriously more fun than video games." She was talking unilaterally with excitement. After hanging up, the email came with a picture. I saw her hands holding Rinfone and a bear's head and two legs sticking out of Rinfone. I was impressed that she was doing well and sent such impressions to her by e-mail, and then I slept that day.
The next day, she sent me an email as I was driving on my way home from work. "Seriously interesting. I played Rinfone all night yesterday, I finally got a bear. Come and see." It was like that. I smiled wryly but directed the path of the car to her house.
"Well, you said you stayed up all night, but did you go to work?" When I arrive, I asked. "I went there, but I am so sick because I drank too much coffee." She answered. On the table, there was a four-legged bear-shaped Rinfone. "Oh, how serious is it? How did the mechanism work?" I said. "Isn't it amazing? This is so addictive. The next thing is to be a hawk from this bear." She is excited. "Hey, don't stay up all night today. Just do it tomorrow." "Well.....that's right." We ate simple home cooking for dinner and had sex once and then I returned home that day. By the way, I forgot to say that Rinfone is about the size of a softball.
Wednesday. On my way home from work, I emailed her this time. "Did you sleep well last night?" "I did yesterday. I'm looking forward to coming back now." she replied. And it was around 11 p.m. When I was obsessed with PS2, a photo mail came. "I did it! made hawk! This is super real. Isn't this a genius who made this figurine?" When I opened the e-mail, I saw hawk shaped Rinfone with its wings spread. It was an elaborate structure even for the untrained eye. There was a hawk that seemed to flutter. Of course, it's a toy and it's a little bumpy, but still, it was good. "Amazing, only fish left. But don't be too crazy about it." I replied to her and slept.
Thursday night. When I got out of the bath, she called me. "Hiroshi-kun, did you call a while ago?" "No. What happened?" "I've been receiving calls for about 30 seconds from about 5 minutes ago. And when I press a call, I hear something like a busy street, a lot of people talking, and it cuts off immediately. When you confirm incoming call history, you are supposed to see phone number, non-notification or public, right? But when I see it, the incoming name "over there" comes out. I haven't registered like this. I feel sick." She had an anxious tone. "I see ... should I go to your place?" "No, I'm going to sleep today with the phone power off." "Well, I guess it is some kind of mixed line, so don't worry. Ah, by the way, what happened to Rinfone? Fish?" "Oh, I can make it soon, I will lend it to you after that." "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
Friday. I was worried about a strange phone call, so I called her and went to her home. Rinfone was almost fish-shaped, and after adding the dorsal and tail fin, it looked like it was going to be completed soon. "Is there another strange phone call at noon?" I asked. "Yeah. I was eating bread during the lunch break I was called and this time it was normal non-notification appeared and I picked up. When I pressed the call, I heard a lot of men and women saying, “Get out” and I hang up the phone." ”Well, it must be a mixed line or mischief. Will you go to a mobile shop with me tomorrow?" "Yes, let's go there." After that, we were tinkering with Rinfone to complete the fish, but we couldn't easily figure out how to make the dorsal and tail fin. We were struggling while talking about how it was difficult. An hour later, I got sleepy. The next day was Saturday, and I had brought my clothes, so decided to stay at her house.
I had a bad dream. Many naked men and women were crawling from the dark valley floor. I desperately climb the cliff and run away. Just a little more I will reach the top. I was almost saved...When I put my hand on the top, a woman caught my feet. "Take me!!"
I woke up sweating. It was just after 5 am. I wasn't able to sleep again, and I lay down on the bed until she got up.
Saturday. We went to the mobile shop, but we didn't know the cause. Then, we decided to have fortune-telling for a change of mood. There is old woman fortune-telling called "Grandmother Cat" in this city. She has many cats at home and her fortune-telling is done in her house. It was so popular that I needed to make a reservation, but when I called, I was lucky to make an appointment this Sunday. On that day, we did some shopping and stayed at her house.
Sunday. We arrived at the cat's house afternoon. I pressed the chime. "Yes." I heard a hoarse voice. "I'm Hiroshi who made a reservation." "I'm open, please come in." When I opened the entrance door, there was a cat in the hallway. When the cat looked at us, she growled and ran away. After we walked down the hallway, we saw an old woman in the western space. She was surrounded by cats. At the moment we entered, the cats all growled and fled away.
My feeling is really bad. When I looked at her with a troubled face, "I'm sorry, but please go home" The old woman said. I was a little frustrated and asked what it meant. "The reason why I have a lot of cats is that they are very sensitive to such things. Cats choose between good to tell fortune and bad. This is the first time cats reacted like that." I had something pop into my head and told the old woman a strange phone call and a nightmare I had seen. She answered, "I can see something like an animal object behind her. Please throw it away immediately." My girlfriend's face is getting pale. I asked what is happening. But she said, "Please leave, please. I don't want to say anything or see anything anymore." However, I relentlessly asked, "What is that? Is it cursed that is common in antiques?" I kept asking again and again until she answered. Then the old woman stands up, "That's a condensed tiny hell!! It's the gate of hell, throw it away! Go home!" "Um, how much is.." "Get out!!!"
The old woman's screaming face at this time was scarier than anything.
We went back to her house that day, Immediately, wrapped Rinfone and the yellowed instructions in newspaper and rolled up with gum tape and discarded.
A few weeks later, when I went to her house, she, who also likes anagrams, held a paper and pen and began to say "Um, Rinfone is the spelling of R・I・N・F・O・N・E. If you rearrange this, you can read I・N・F・E・R・N・O..."
"... hahaha, it's just a coincidence ..."
"What would happen if the fish were completed?"
"Hahaha ..."
I could only empty laugh. I prayed unconsciously that it was being disposed of at a landfill and that there was no second.