The shop had been in the family since it opened. It had no proper name, but that didn't bother anyone. It was a convenient location, though no one could seem to agree precisely -where- it was actually located.
The building was two stories, an apartment on the upper floor, the lower floor split between a curtained off breakroom and kitchen, and a wholesomely cluttered combination of convenience store, and occult shop. Indeed, when the previous owner had been here, he had had a way of getting nearly anything one could possibly find at either of the two types of establishments.
But...he was gone now, wasn't he?
Melanie looked about the dusty shop. It had been closed for a few weeks, but the strong scent of hot dogs and incense still filled it. She'd been taking care of her uncle's final requests, and this...was the last. He wanted the shop to be taken care of.
The place held a lot of memories for her. Being a child and helping straighten the place. Growing up, spending so much of her time in its walls. Late night study sessions, spent taking care of strange customers. It had always been comfortable to her. It had always been there for her. It was reliable, even when nothing else in her life had been.
She trailed her hands over the various objects lining the shelves, walking over the thick, plush carpet that padded the floor.
"Wot'm I s'posed to do?" She asked no one in particular.
The walls creaked, but she passed it off as the building settling.
She brushed a white-bleached strand of hair from her eyes, climbing the stairs to her...new old flat. Her uncle had lived here before her. And before that, her grandfather. And generations before that. And now it was hers.
Her things had been moved in a few days before, while she had been out of town taking care of business. Everything was settled for her. Tomorrow morning, she would open the shop, and settle into her new routine. She had a plan. It was just a matter of following through with it.
She would run the place on her own, until she was confident enough to manage employees. She would take care of the shop. She wouldn't let it die. It was...the only family she had left.
A few minutes were spent in silence before she began stripping off her clothing, letting the weight of the last few days drop from her shoulders to puddle on the floor with the black and white material. She was pale, only barely more colour in her skin than in her bleached hair.
The air was slightly chilled, but the humidity made it tolerable. She could feel it clinging to her skin, as it rose in goosebumps. Her nipples hardened as she cast aside her bra, crawling into bed in only her panties, and collapsing onto the down comforter, enjoying the gentle prickle of feathers through the cloth.
She cuddled the blanket to her chest, rolling onto her side and holding it tightly, closing her eyes. It would be so nice to just...stop thinking, for just a little while. Spend a few days...settling.
--------------
