The Collector's Tale
Copyright© 2024 by sinfantasy
Chapter 1: The Collector
The tinkle of the bell above Vendredi’s Antiques heralded the arrival of an elderly gentleman, beating a rhythm on the worn wooden floorboards with his cane. A tweed suit boasted elbow patches, and over silver hair sat a deerstalker cap jauntily on his head. Half-moon glasses precariously perched on his nose as he surveyed the cluttered store.
Ryan and Micki looked up from behind the counter, where they were both busy inventorying the stock in the store. The old man was a classic kind of antique collector. He seemed experienced, selective, and certainly very particular about what he would and wouldn’t buy.
“Hello,” beamed Ryan, cracking a warm smile that set alight on his face. “Looking for something?”
He walked with uncertain strides, his eyes scanning over racks of rubbish from other eras. He retrieved the antique pocket watch, examined it closely, and then put it back on the shelf, his face scrunched up as if in distaste.
“Something special,” he said roughly, his aristocracy showing in every word. “Something really striking.”
Micki slipped around the counter and stood beside him while he scrolled through the list. “Well, we have everything kinda weird stuff in here. What are you looking for?”
The old man shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. I’ll know it when I see it.” He hunched over peering into a glass case full of all manner of jewelry and trinkets.
A few minutes passed, during which time the man silently perused a display that, to Ryan, was completely uninspired and untouched by any of them, until finally, Ryan summoned up enough courage.
“What about this?” he proposed, drawing out a rusty silver dagger whose handle and scabbard were overlaid with latticework engraving. It was old and ugly, even just lying there on a sheet of glass.
To read the complete story you need to be logged in:
Log In or
Register for a Free account
(Why register?)
* Allows you 3 stories to read in 24 hours.