The bells above the door jingled as heavy footsteps entered the room.
The small deserted shop seemed cold, but warm enough compared to the icy
weather outside. As the man in the black leather jacket approached the
counter a few feet away, he paused as he looked towards the back shelf
where packs of cigars were messily piled.
"Hey Bub, why don't you pass me one of those packs near the end." The man said, his voice gruff as he pointed to the cigars. The man sitting at the desk looked up with a lazy yawn at the man before him. As he quickly observed him, he slowly moved his head back and pulled the pack from the shelf.
"That'll be $4.25 mister. Pretty cold out there isn't it?" he asked, looking out the window to the snow. The man ignored him and instead threw the money down.
"Keep the change." He said, as he picked up the pack and walked away. On his way out, he took out a cigar and a lighter. Before he lit it, he remembered something. He turned back, putting his cigar and lighter away and taking out a small yellow wrinkled piece of paper. As he walked in once again, he approached the man.
"Hey," he said, looking down at the paper as he opened it. The man looked up at him again. "I was wonderin' if you could help me find this place" he said, placing the paper on the counter. The man took out his reading glasses and carefully read the note, his eyebrows raised in surprise. There was a long pause before the man standing grew impatient.
"Well?" he said, ready to snatch the paper back.
The clerk looked up at him, then down at the note. He cleared his throat, then sat up. "This place your looking for is about 50 miles north from here," he replied. The man raised an eyebrow, half doubting this was true.
"Ok, thanks" he said, taking the note back and walking away.
"Don't be surprised if you don't find much there," the clerk called out at him before he reached exit. The man paused and slowly turned back. "That place caught fire about 3 years ago. I'm not sure if its still there."
The man looked down in disappointment. He knew something would go wrong. It always did.
"Hey Bub, why don't you pass me one of those packs near the end." The man said, his voice gruff as he pointed to the cigars. The man sitting at the desk looked up with a lazy yawn at the man before him. As he quickly observed him, he slowly moved his head back and pulled the pack from the shelf.
"That'll be $4.25 mister. Pretty cold out there isn't it?" he asked, looking out the window to the snow. The man ignored him and instead threw the money down.
"Keep the change." He said, as he picked up the pack and walked away. On his way out, he took out a cigar and a lighter. Before he lit it, he remembered something. He turned back, putting his cigar and lighter away and taking out a small yellow wrinkled piece of paper. As he walked in once again, he approached the man.
"Hey," he said, looking down at the paper as he opened it. The man looked up at him again. "I was wonderin' if you could help me find this place" he said, placing the paper on the counter. The man took out his reading glasses and carefully read the note, his eyebrows raised in surprise. There was a long pause before the man standing grew impatient.
"Well?" he said, ready to snatch the paper back.
The clerk looked up at him, then down at the note. He cleared his throat, then sat up. "This place your looking for is about 50 miles north from here," he replied. The man raised an eyebrow, half doubting this was true.
"Ok, thanks" he said, taking the note back and walking away.
"Don't be surprised if you don't find much there," the clerk called out at him before he reached exit. The man paused and slowly turned back. "That place caught fire about 3 years ago. I'm not sure if its still there."
The man looked down in disappointment. He knew something would go wrong. It always did.