This is a story I had written a long time ago. I am pretty proud of this one. Let me know what you think.
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" Good evening Sir. How may I help you?", asked the store owner.
"Oh it's alright. I think I can help myself", replied the shabby looking customer.
The customer walked along the aisle, shifting his gaze from one shelf to the other.... The store owner walked up to the counter and checks on his newly hired clerk.
"What do you think he wants?", asked the clerk, looking unsettled.
"I don't know", he replied. "I'll go keep an eye on him just in case"
It was a weekday and like many of the weekdays, the store was relatively empty. Although the store owner kept the store open till 9 in the night, the customers stopped coming in at around 8.30 pm. Once in a blue moon, some traveler or someone who needed something urgently would come in even when the store was about to close.
It was 8.40 pm and by now the only people in the store were the store owner, the clerk and the customer. As the store owner walked towards the strange customer he couldn't help but notice that something about him didn't seem right.
"You see anything you like Sir?", asked the store owner.
"Well", replied the customer moving his arms about, as if he were spinning a web, "I just got my first pay cheque today. I thought I might treat myself to something nice"
The words 'pay cheque' put the store owner at ease.
"Oh I see", he replied, "Then what you are looking for is on the other side of the store"
He took the customer to the finer section of the store ( which was far away from the counter and also out of the clerk's sight). To the man, the luxurious goods shone like the forbidden fruit. He was tempted, but he stepped back, away from the luxuries.
"What's the matter Sir?", asked the store owner.
"This is only my first pay cheque", he explained, "and I don't want to blow it all away in one night"
"Alright Sir... What did you have in mind then?"
The customer reached into his coat and partially pulled out a gun. The store owner’s eyes grew wide as fear gripped his entire form.
The customer looked back over his shoulder for about a second and turned his gaze back to the store owner and in a whisper he said, "Tell your clerk that she has worked enough for the day and she can go home"
The store owner still stiff with fear wasn't able to respond. The customer scowled and repeated himself. That seemed to bring the store owner out of his trance and he gathered his voice and, in a loud voice he called out.
"LEANNE!!"
"Yes Sir?", replied the clerk.
"You have done enough for the day, you can go home"
"Are you sure Sir??”, asked the clerk, confused. Her shift wasn't over yet and moreover, her boss wasn't the considerate type.
"Yes I'm sure. I think I'll close the store early today. Our new customer here has really deep pockets"
"Okay, but I was supposed to get paid today Sir"
The customer tilted his head a few degrees to the left, smiled and said, "Well... pay the girl"
The store owner looked nervously at his captor's hand; then he looked at the man and gave a nervous smile.
"You know the combination don't you Leanne? Open the register and take your wage"
"If you say so", said the clerk as she raised her eyebrows and sighed. She opened the register, took her money and left.
As the clerk left the store, the sweet sound of the bell at the door could be heard. It was a suggestion to the store owner that now, only he and the customer remained. The store owner gulped as he went over the possible ways in which he was going to die. He preferred a bullet straight to the head. He hated pain and the thought of being tortured scared him a lot. He thought about his wife, his children, his girlfriend..... Maybe this was his punishment for being unfaithful...
"Well, now that we're alone, what do you plan to do?"
"Now", said the customer with command in his voice, "move slowly towards the counter and don't try to be smart"
The store owner did as he was told and walked towards the counter. He thought of making a run for it, but what if the man with the gun was faster than him? and worse still... what if he decided to use his gun?
The customer followed close behind and picked up some items from the shelves alongside the aisle. He put the items into his "deep pockets" and smirked as he thought how easy this robbery seemed to be.
When they reached the counter, the customer made the store owner open the register and give him all the money that was there.
"Well it was a pleasure doing business with you", said the customer.
"I can't say the same though", replied the owner, still wondering what was going to happen to him.
"Turn around"
"Wait! Wait!... Let's be reasonable here"
"I said turn around!!", yelled the customer, pointing his gun at the store owner.
Helpless, the store owner turned around. As soon as he did, he felt a hard 'thud' on the back of his head. As he fell to the floor, he saw the customer run out the door as a car appeared to take him away from the scene of the crime. With his blurry vision, he saw in the driver’s seat a young girl who looked much like his clerk..... Could it be?