With a reluctant sigh Samaira waved the couple goodbye. After just completing another sale she settled herself down in her chair and looked around to make sure no one was watching before she pulled out a thick and worn hard bound book. She made herself comfortable and turned to the page she had folded with care at the top right corner and continued reading from where she had left off. A few minutes went by and it was just her and the book until the bell atop the door rang, signaling someone had entered her shop. Samaira was quick to hide the book in a cubby that was part of her desk before looking up to see a familiar man standing just behind the register.
"Oh! Garin, it's only you." Pulling the book back out of its hiding place she relaxed herself against her chair once more and turned to the page where she had left off.
"Only me?" Garin said, sounding hurt put in a teasing way. "There should be a red carpet rolled out everytime I enter!"
Samaira looked up, brows furrowed and her face shrunk in disgust, "What's that smell?" She asked with a hint of regret. Garin pulled his hand up to reveal to her three dead animals she couldn't really identify with all the dried blood and mutilated faces. There were fuzzy and dead for sure. She jumped back on sight, her book hitting the ground with a loud thud as she let out a gasp. Garin just laughed before lowering his hand.
"Surprise?"
"Get those out of my shop!"
"Technically it's your father's shop but alright. I'm out. See you later, Sammy."
Garin left, the animals swaying in his grip. Samaira shuddered and picked up her book and brushed the cover with her hand and checked for any damages. She slid the book back into the cubby and shut and locked the door, putting the key into her coat pocket. She looked around her shop. It was small because they didn't really need much. Books became obsolete and all people had to do now-a-days was to just pick a book from the monitor, scan their ID and the amount of univs requested would come out of their account. Then, the book would be wirelessly delivered to wherever they lived and uploaded to their android who would read it to them in a bland, monotone voice. That didn't sound like much fun to Samaira. She prefered an actual book but had to read them in secret since they were illegal now.
The only ones who knew about her secret was her father and her best friend since childhood, Garin. He grew up to be quite the charmer but was too full of himself. He was tall, muscular with ocean blue eyes and a smile that could kill you. All the girls in her country swooned over him. Except for Samaria, she only saw him as a friend, a brother and that's the way she wanted it to stay but over time Garin kept pushing himself on to her and she only ignored him, showed no interest and kept her nose in a book.
That's the way she liked it.
The bell rang once more and Samaria got to her feet to greet the new customer but it was only a Guroid. And android guard. Sent from the palace located in her country. She lived in New York which after the Fourth World War was destroyed. What was left of the civilization tried their best to clean it up and populate it once more but everything went wrong and now New York was just a jungle with some building here and there. Some decent homes and shelters. A school and that was about it.
Samaria glared sharply at the Guroid
"How can I help you?" She asked through gritted teeth.
"I request to speak with the owner." Its computerized voice shrieked.
"He's not here and won't be for another couple of hours. Night I ask what this is about?"
"The King is expecting payment. Your payment is late." Then the Guroid just up and left without another word or without giving Samaria a chance to get a final word in.
Her father was once again late on the rent. Samaria sat herself back down in the chair and took out the key, unlocked the cubby and took out her book. She couldn't deal with her father's mistakes anymore and instead, journeyed to another world, if only for a little while.