FINDING US (BEFORE THE BEGINING)

CHAPTER 11

LAYLA

A bell rings through the air as Candice and I walk into a locally owned pet shop.

"I called earlier to make sure they had what we're looking for," Candice says to me as I take in the sight around me.

The walls were coded a vibrant shade of brick red and aisles of pet supplies laid on each side of the store with a pathway in the middle leading up to a checkout and help counter.

"Hello! Welcome to Benny's Pet Supply how may I help you." a young woman greets us from behind the counter as we make our way closer and closer. I peek to my side to see animals in colorful tanks hidden behind the rows of merchandise and I feel the excitement start to bubble within me.

I look over to the woman dressed in all black with a fish design on her apron. She had her faded deep red-dyed hair pulled back into a messy bun and her eyes shined a crystal blue and she presented a bright smile.

"Um yes I talked to a man on the phone earlier to see if you had turtles available for purchase and I just wanted to see if they were still up for grabs," Candice says to the red-headed woman with a professional tone.

"Oh, ye-"

"Kenly! Do we still have some of that special digestive dog food or no!" a male voice yells from somewhere in the back. I look at who seems to be kenly while she wears a light blush. She looks away as someone pushes a hidden door. A man who I assume is the owner of the voice looks at us with wide eyes, but not long after a smile comes to his face.

"Oh hey guys, how can I help you?" I scan his appearance and I can't help but be amused. He currently wears a large white and gray hoodie, deep khaki cargo pants paired with brown Birkenstocks, and gray ankle-length socks decorated with sloths.

"Dad they're the people that called earlier asking about the turtles," kenly said with an embarrassed blush still spread across her face.

The man steps forward and places some type of labeling machine on the granite counter and comes face to face with us.

"Are you guys looking to buy a turtle today?" he says in a cheery tone.

"Yes, we are," I said to the man.

"Perfect follow me" he takes us to a door in a far corner in the back and opens it to a dimly lit room with tank bulbs being the only light source. he lifts his hand to turn on the main light and walks over to a set of tanks on the right side of the crapped room.

"These are our turtles" he points to three giant tanks laid side by side. "We have two box turtles, one painted turtle, and four musk turtles. What type are you looking for"

I look over to Candice and she gestures for me to speak. "Um, I was looking for a musk turtle" I walk forward to a tank with four tiny tan-colored baby turtles swimming in shallow water. I see a turtle smaller than the rest, joy takes over, and I turn to the man. "I want the one furthest to the right if he's a male."

"Ok, sure can do," he says as he moves to open the tank and then he pauses. "Do you already have your tank set up at home or do you have to buy the supplies right now?" he says as he turns to me.

"Um, I have to buy the supplies now," I tell him getting more comfortable speaking up. he lets go of the lid and turns around.

"Before we get the little guy out I can go head and help you get your supplies and load it into your car then we can get the turtle out so we don't cause him too much stress"

"That sounds perfect," Candice speaks up.

The man walks out of the room and we follow him out into the main area. He walks over to an area with various-sized tanks. He walks to a self with medium-sized tanks and reaches his hand out and rests it on a particular one "I recommend a twenty-gallon tank because mud turtles don't get that big when they reach adulthood in a few years you might have to get a forty-gallon but with his size, I don't think you'll have to plug this one has a lot of length to it so he'll have a lot of room to move around" I nod taking in the information. "This particular tank is two hundred but if you spent more than three hundred dollars which is likely I can give you a twenty percent discount"