goforitifudare
02-01-2007, 09:17 PM
So here is my first submission to the site. Keen to get feedback about this quick story i wrote in 45 minutes for a competition a short while ago.
Simon
========
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
As Randall Church walked down the city, scanning the storefronts, he noticed something was not quite right. On the corner of Macquarie St and Davey St, nestled neatly between the two high rise department stores that had been there for years, stood a small, strange looking building.
“That’s funny 13 years and I have never noticed that store before?” Randall muttered to himself, aware that nobody was near enough to hear him.
As he stood a moment and stared at the building, it almost seemed to shimmer, like the ripples of a cool pond on a hot day, trying to entice him to enter and engulf himself in its surroundings.
As he got closer, Randall noticed that there was no writing on the building anywhere. No flashing neon sign, no vinyl lettering on the windows, no hand painted signage. Not a thing to suggest what might be inside. Yet the small sign hanging from the door handle clearly indicated that the store was open for business. This building seemed as though it came from a different world.
The small bell attached to the top of the door jingled loudly as he closed it behind him. Inside, the store was dark and dusty, with a damp smell that reminded Randall of the cellar at his home.
“Good morning sir”.
The Voice came from the rear of the store, where a tall, thin, gaunt faced man stood behind the counter, smiling. “What pleasures do you seek today?” The accent was certainly not American, but Randall couldn’t quite place it. European perhaps?
Randall slowly approached the counter, still scanning the shelves. There were racks of magazines, though none of the covers were visible. Shelves were covered by black plastic, so that none of the wares could be seen. In fact, it looked as though there was nothing for sale in this store. Everything was covered in black plastic, tables with lumps bulging through the plastic like small mountains; Even the counter was covered in plastic.
“Nothing in particular” replied Randall, suddenly feeling as though he needed to get out of this strange place. “I just noticed your store and wanted to take a look. I won’t stay any longer”. He turned to leave, and began to head for the door quickly, trying to escape without having to talk to the odd shop assistant, who he realized, was now coming around the counter to follow Randall to the door.
“Wait! Please! Surely there must be something that you would like. I’m sure if you ask, we will have it. We have something for everyone.”
“No really, there is nothing.” Randall reached for the door placing his hand over the knob just as the assistant reached him. A hand shot out past Randall’s shoulder and turned the key. He was locked in.
“You must be looking for something or else you would not have entered my humble store. So please, name your thing? Magazines, Antiques, Gadgets and Gizmos, we have them all. We have something for everyone”
As Randall turned to object, the assistant removed the key and slipped it into his pocket.
“Well, perhaps a magazine then” He knew he was trapped. If he had to buy something in here before he could leave, then it would have to be cheap. He only had two dollars in his pocket after all.
“A magazine. Why of course sir.” The assistant moved towards one of the shelves containing the black covered magazines. “And what exactly were you after?”
“Umm. I don’t know.” Randall was trying to think quickly of something, anything, to get out of this store. “Perhaps a comic book.”
“A comic book. Wonderful. I have just the thing for you sir. Please, come and take a look”
The assistant picked up a magazine and held it out for Randall, the dust forming a small cloud as it fell from the black cover.
Randall hesitantly edged his way closer, and looked at the cover. The black plastic appeared to be slowly fading away, revealing a brightly colored comic book underneath. He almost held his breath as he watched, mesmerized by the display in front of him. The cover was now almost fully transparent, and Randall could clearly see a building on the cover. It looked the same as the store. Indeed, the building he was standing in was slowly taking shape on the magazine cover in front of him.
“But….how??” he stammered, too shocked to form a proper sentence
“As I said sir, we have something for everyone”
Randall reached out and took the comic from the assistant, still unable to take his eyes from the cover. More detail was being revealed, and he noticed with alarm, that just inside the door on this comic book store, he could see a man that looked like him, standing staring at something.
“My God!” he exclaimed “That’s me!”
“Well of course sir. You asked for a comic book, and this is your comic book. It was made just for you.”
The scene on the cover was still unfolding, like a movie. Another figure was appearing on the page, and Randall held it closer so he could see. It was the shop assistant, standing beside him, smiling that ever present smile. But there was something else. The assistant was holding something, hiding it behind his back. What was it? Randall held the comic even closer, so his nose was almost touching it. It was silver, and appeared to shine in the darkness, and then it dawned on him. Horrified, he dropped the comic to the floor, and looked up just in time to see the blade coming down, the assistant smiling the whole time as it ripped through his neck in one sharp move, cleanly removing his head.
It was about 2:30pm when Caroline realized something didn’t fit. The little store she was looking at was old, and a little run down. It looked like it had been dropped from a great height, and had landed awkwardly between the car park and the school. And one other thing. It wasn’t there yesterday. She was sure of it……..
Simon
========
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
As Randall Church walked down the city, scanning the storefronts, he noticed something was not quite right. On the corner of Macquarie St and Davey St, nestled neatly between the two high rise department stores that had been there for years, stood a small, strange looking building.
“That’s funny 13 years and I have never noticed that store before?” Randall muttered to himself, aware that nobody was near enough to hear him.
As he stood a moment and stared at the building, it almost seemed to shimmer, like the ripples of a cool pond on a hot day, trying to entice him to enter and engulf himself in its surroundings.
As he got closer, Randall noticed that there was no writing on the building anywhere. No flashing neon sign, no vinyl lettering on the windows, no hand painted signage. Not a thing to suggest what might be inside. Yet the small sign hanging from the door handle clearly indicated that the store was open for business. This building seemed as though it came from a different world.
The small bell attached to the top of the door jingled loudly as he closed it behind him. Inside, the store was dark and dusty, with a damp smell that reminded Randall of the cellar at his home.
“Good morning sir”.
The Voice came from the rear of the store, where a tall, thin, gaunt faced man stood behind the counter, smiling. “What pleasures do you seek today?” The accent was certainly not American, but Randall couldn’t quite place it. European perhaps?
Randall slowly approached the counter, still scanning the shelves. There were racks of magazines, though none of the covers were visible. Shelves were covered by black plastic, so that none of the wares could be seen. In fact, it looked as though there was nothing for sale in this store. Everything was covered in black plastic, tables with lumps bulging through the plastic like small mountains; Even the counter was covered in plastic.
“Nothing in particular” replied Randall, suddenly feeling as though he needed to get out of this strange place. “I just noticed your store and wanted to take a look. I won’t stay any longer”. He turned to leave, and began to head for the door quickly, trying to escape without having to talk to the odd shop assistant, who he realized, was now coming around the counter to follow Randall to the door.
“Wait! Please! Surely there must be something that you would like. I’m sure if you ask, we will have it. We have something for everyone.”
“No really, there is nothing.” Randall reached for the door placing his hand over the knob just as the assistant reached him. A hand shot out past Randall’s shoulder and turned the key. He was locked in.
“You must be looking for something or else you would not have entered my humble store. So please, name your thing? Magazines, Antiques, Gadgets and Gizmos, we have them all. We have something for everyone”
As Randall turned to object, the assistant removed the key and slipped it into his pocket.
“Well, perhaps a magazine then” He knew he was trapped. If he had to buy something in here before he could leave, then it would have to be cheap. He only had two dollars in his pocket after all.
“A magazine. Why of course sir.” The assistant moved towards one of the shelves containing the black covered magazines. “And what exactly were you after?”
“Umm. I don’t know.” Randall was trying to think quickly of something, anything, to get out of this store. “Perhaps a comic book.”
“A comic book. Wonderful. I have just the thing for you sir. Please, come and take a look”
The assistant picked up a magazine and held it out for Randall, the dust forming a small cloud as it fell from the black cover.
Randall hesitantly edged his way closer, and looked at the cover. The black plastic appeared to be slowly fading away, revealing a brightly colored comic book underneath. He almost held his breath as he watched, mesmerized by the display in front of him. The cover was now almost fully transparent, and Randall could clearly see a building on the cover. It looked the same as the store. Indeed, the building he was standing in was slowly taking shape on the magazine cover in front of him.
“But….how??” he stammered, too shocked to form a proper sentence
“As I said sir, we have something for everyone”
Randall reached out and took the comic from the assistant, still unable to take his eyes from the cover. More detail was being revealed, and he noticed with alarm, that just inside the door on this comic book store, he could see a man that looked like him, standing staring at something.
“My God!” he exclaimed “That’s me!”
“Well of course sir. You asked for a comic book, and this is your comic book. It was made just for you.”
The scene on the cover was still unfolding, like a movie. Another figure was appearing on the page, and Randall held it closer so he could see. It was the shop assistant, standing beside him, smiling that ever present smile. But there was something else. The assistant was holding something, hiding it behind his back. What was it? Randall held the comic even closer, so his nose was almost touching it. It was silver, and appeared to shine in the darkness, and then it dawned on him. Horrified, he dropped the comic to the floor, and looked up just in time to see the blade coming down, the assistant smiling the whole time as it ripped through his neck in one sharp move, cleanly removing his head.
It was about 2:30pm when Caroline realized something didn’t fit. The little store she was looking at was old, and a little run down. It looked like it had been dropped from a great height, and had landed awkwardly between the car park and the school. And one other thing. It wasn’t there yesterday. She was sure of it……..