The Customer

By John Page

The bookstore was having a completely normal day. There wasn’t a lot of people actually buying books but every seat in the cafe was filled. Such is the lot of a bookseller.

Thus no one was ready when a mysterious thing came into the store. It had to duck to get underneath the door. It was something out of a nightmare.

The first thing everyone noticed was its sheer bulk. It is impossible that it got through that door yet there it was.

The thing resembled a skeleton of something between a t-rex and a dragon. It was covered in mystic symbols that glowed with an unholy light. It was dressed in heavy robes that seemed to change color constantly. The air around it felt heavy.

Within the eyes of its skull was a burning red light. Black smoke left its mouth every few seconds.

It moved into the store with a thunderous trend. No one said anything as fear gripped their hearts. They watched it move throughout the store.

As it walked shadows of monstrous beings filtered around it. The thing kept twisting its massive head. It seemed to be searching for something.

After a few minutes the thing turned around and made its way to the front of the store. It raised it’s hand and motioned to a store clerk. The clerk looked and said with tears in her eyes:

“What do you want?”

The thing said in a voice that echoed as of from an impossibly distant void:

“I am looking for a cookbook but I can’t recall its name. I was hoping you could help me.”

The clerk was confused but since the request was something she was used to she replied automatically:

“Can you give me some more information?”

The thing looked at the women and replied:

“I am pretty sure that it had a human woman on it. She has blonde hair and is known for making cakes with designs on it. She is from the western region of this land and was recently on a morning news show. I wanted to make a cake for one of my friends. I believe the cookbook is focused on deserts…I meant desserts. I am sorry my knowledge of human languages is weak.”

The woman thought for a moment and mumbled, “It sounds like you are thinking of Cakes by Blake.”

“Exactly!” the thing said with a shout that shook the building.

The woman then said, “We don’t have that book in this store but I can order it for you. It would be here in a week.”

“That is acceptable to me.” The thing told her, “Should I pay for it now?”

The clerk put in the order and then told it, “Your total is $13 exactly. Can I have a name to put it under?”

The thing raised its hand and a $13 dollars appeared in its claws. It handed that to her and told her to put it under a Mr. Green. The clerk wrote that down and handed it the receipt.

The thing left the store. The air returned to normal.

The first thing that was said is when someone shouted:

“What the hell just happened?!”