Horrors of the Bookstore
By Damaged Demonic Angel
~*-*~
Devi's day went bad from the very beginning. She arrived at work ten minutes late and was yelled at by her boss, and had even skipped breakfast so she could attempt to arrive on time. Knowing that the day could only get worse (and probably would), she took her place behind the cash register.
"I got some books for ya to ring up, lady."
Devi looked up at the woman who had approached the counter. She was short, fat, and had a small child strapped to her back. She was loading books onto the counter. The baby on her back was chewing incessantly on another book.
"Um, have you paid for that book?" she asked.
"What other book? These are all the—hey! Where's the hot-book Jimmy wanted?" She was practically screaming and began to search through the pile of books. "I know I put it here somewhere! If Jimmy don't get his book—"
"Uh…" Devi tried in vain to get the woman to calm down. "Your kid' chewing on the little porn magazine you want…" She arched an eyebrow. Pretty soon she would have to ask the woman to leave.
The woman at this point, was struggling with the straps holding the baby to her back. "Charlie gots Jimmy's porn magazine? Aw, man! Jimmy won't like his book wet…well, actually he might."
Devi by now, had become fed up. Literally every other customer in the store was staring at this one lady obsessing over her husband's porn magazine. 'I've got to get her out of here,' Devi thought.
"Okay, it's fine," she said, holding a hand out to stop the woman. "Here's what we can do—you just pay for these books here, and you can just take that magazine because it's damaged."
"Oh," the woman said, stopping. "Okay. That's convenient." While Devi put the books into a bag, the woman counted the exact amount of money and put it on the counter. Devi deposited it as the woman walked away, sighing loudly.
This day was going just how she had expected.
"If I see Johnny today I'm going to steal a nuclear bomb from the government and bomb the world," Devi muttered.
"GOD! THAT WEIRDO CUT OFF MY LEGS! MY LEGS!!! FUUUUCK!!!"
"I am not gonna look…" Devi told herself. "I am not gonna look…" Suddenly, her head snapped up and looked out the window. She was just in time to see a legless man writhing on the street screaming, and a black blur go by. She looked away, completely terrified. "I looked…oh God…I looked…"
"DEVI!"
It was her boss.
"What?!"
"Your freaky friend Tenna's on the phone for you!"
Devi moaned loudly. After placing a "Please go to Next Register" sign at her post, she took the phone her boss was waving in the air.
"Don't take too long," he warned.
"I won't," she said, rolling her eyes. She spoke into the phone. "Tenna, what's up? What's so bad you had to call me at work?"
"Devi, do you know where I'm calling you from?"
"No…where?"
"I'm at the police station."
Devi almost dropped the receiver. "WHAT?! Wha-what am I supposed to do?!"
"Well," Tenna began sweetly, "I need you to pay my bail. The sign said 'Private Property—Do Not Step on Grass'. I stepped on the grass, Devi! I STEPPED ON THE GRASS!!" After about five minutes of heavy breathing, Tenna regained herself. "Until then, you can come visit me. BYE!"
"T-Tenna, wait, WAIT!"
Click.
"Oooh, shit…"
Devi went back to her register, wondering how she was going to pay bail for Tenna. This day was going worse than she had expected. When she got back, there was already someone waiting for her. Devi groaned and got ready to help him with whatever he needed. He seemed older, with white hair and glasses.
"Hello…is there something you need?"
He stared at her blankly. "I'm looking for a book."
Devi arched her eyebrow. "Listen, everyone who comes in here—"
"I think it was blue…"
Devi stared at the man. He stared back, smiling, with his tongue hanging out. At that moment, Devi finally came to a conclusion for the end of the day.
"That's it…I quit!"