Shimmerings: Ch 1
Let's see, where do I start? Ah, yes, the little shop! It was called the dragon's lair. Tiny and a huge mess. But a little kindness goes a long way, as I later learned.
I'm John! A tall, skinny, happy-go-lucky guy. With a reddish beard that I might have let go for a bit too long. Blue eyes and an artistic soul.
"John, what are you doing?" And that is my friend Marie, a brunette with her hair in a loose ponytail, kind of short, maybe 160 cm tall, who, due to a lack of exercise, had put on a bit more weight. She has become one of my best friends--well, my only friend, to be honest. College is a dangerous place for a nerd like me. She stuck by me, though.
"Nothing much. Have you ever noticed that shop?" I said, pointing toward the Dragon's Lair.
"Tsk, you are such a nerd!" Marie giggled, "Well, smell you later!"
"That isn't your thing," I laughed.
"What isn't?"
"Smell you later," we both laughed. After that, we went our separate ways. I headed toward the shop. A bell announced my arrival, followed by a crashing sound from behind this mess.
Piles were everywhere, some reaching the ceiling with all kinds of stuff. I didn't take much of a look around but tried to navigate my way towards the back. Where I saw two feet and an arm sticking out from under a pile.
" Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.
"Not really, I might need some help." an old feminine voice came from under a pile.
I started clearing the pile carefully.
" Don't worry about being careful, just get me out of here" the voice ushered.
I did just that, and after a little while, I helped this tiny old lady out of the pile just before it came crashing down where she had been.
"That was close. Are you okay, ma'am?" I asked this lady, who must be close to 80 and wearing a Boudreaux business suit. She was maybe 150 cm tall, not more. Her hair, completely white.
"Can I offer you something to drink, young man?" she said sweetly, "it's the least I can do, really; you saved me after all," she added.
"Sure, some tea would be nice. What happened here?" I asked.
"Well, believe it or not, I was cleaning up," the old lady sighed. "But you saw how that ended." making herself chuckle.
"I can help you out for a bit if you want," I said, surprising both myself and the old lady. I didn't have internet access, so I might as well help her out, right? And who knows, I might find something I want to buy, I thought.
"I don't think I can ask you to do that," she protested.
"I'm afraid I must insist; besides, I have the time to kill anyway," I said. "So we will be helping each other; the tea can wait until after, so I have really earned it!" We both got a laugh out of that.
"Well, okay. How about you start with the pile of books?" she gave in.
"Sounds good. Any particular order you want them in?"
"Nah, just put them on that bookshelf," the shopkeeper pointed out.
And just like that, they set out to work. The books didn't have any text on the cover, only some weird symbols, not like any language I knew. So instead, I ordered the old books, sorting them by color.