Devil's Oasis

Chapter 3

A harsh wind whistles through the streets and I wince, my cheeks burn bright red; the cold air prickles at my cheeks with needles. My teeth clatter together, a shiver runs down my spine. I made sure to bundle up this morning. Looks like I missed the mark. The jacket does little to shield me, the thick jumper underneath offers no protection against the wind. My jeans fall short of wind resistant, if the thin, torn fabric is anything to go by. This weekend I need to go shopping. I sigh as I trudge up the street, splashing in the small puddles that remain from last night's heavy storm.

A soft grumble leaves my lips as I shiver, the dark sky still casts shadows over the street, the soft light battles the darkness to begin the next day. The street lights flicker off, making me shake my head. The last leg of the journey is made with the wind whistling past me, burning my cheeks to a bright cherry color. I don't like cold weather. I shiver in the wind and unlock the store, its wood front looks delightful, the interior is welcoming even in its darkness. Warmth, that's all I really want. My hands shake painfully as I struggle to find the right key to unlock the antique store.

With my teeth clattering violently and my hands shaking it takes me a few moments to finally push open the door to the facade of warmth. And yet I'm still met with the cold! I grumble and shake my head as I lock the door to the shop, walking in I carefully find the light switch. I've walked into the bookshelves too many times, it's not a mess I want to clean. I head for the back, to start the fireplace and wait by it to warm up. As I sit by the fire I shake and rub at my eyes; I can say with all honesty that I don't much care for the early hours.

But I love the store, all it's worth and then some. This place has become my pride and joy. The only thing I have of importance. To most I'm sure this place would be nothing more than a fire starter. It's not like I'm normal, so that's not a problem for me. A slight chuckle falls from my lips and I pull my gloves off, my hat following shortly after. Now that the place isn't a complete ice box I can attempt to get everything set up for the day.

Moments pass and I don't move, with a soft groan I stand, rubbing my face and regretting it. What an uncomfortable way to shock yourself awake? The thought makes me snort as I pull off the old jacket, staring at the fraying sleeves. Fits everything else I own. I muse softly, shaking my head as I go around and plug everything in, I start a pot of coffee before heading for the back. Hanging up my jacket, hat and gloves I turn on the heat before I work through opening up the store. What a lovely process.

A snort slips past my lips, unamused with my sarcasm. It's not hard to get the store ready to open for the day. To be honest, it's almost relaxing, the warmth of the fire slowly encases the store in a loving embrace. I smile as I glance around the store, merlot carpet pairs wonderfully with the walnut shelves. The new soft gray pearlescent wallpaper with deep charcoal accents combine things to make it not so ancient here.

The ceiling needed to be something light, otherwise I might as well have just painted everything black. Thank the lord for the large bay windows. Ornate light fixtures hang down elegantly as I hum, wiping the nonexistent dirt from the counter. Some days I wonder if I'm just cleaning the beautiful patina off of the counter top. I chuckle as I stare down at the glass, inspecting the delicate nicknacks that had been in the Walter's family for decades. And now they are mine...

All of them look so stunning, brightly colored and delicate, the small statues would look stunning on any book case, to brighten up the depth of the wooden shelves. I know they look stunning behind me. The glass covered shelves behind me are decorated and cleaned every week. Old leather bound books are organized neatly, the small glass statues break up the monotonous look and feel of the shelves. Now I'm just losing it.