More Short Stories!- Kai Ships Only

Beomkai- Family Heirloom

"Out of this world knick knacks! Rare collectables! Rotating stock!" That's what the sign over Beomgyu's shop read. He sighed as he placed a giant "going out of business sale" over it.

Back in the day, people went crazy over his little shop. He really did have exotic collectables that were difficult to get. All were high quality and personally inspected by him too. Business was booming. He found it difficult to even keep the shelves stocked at it's peak.

Then the economy changed. First was hyperinflation. Not a problem for his clients but a major problem for his vendors. All of his collectables came from family owned business. Some had to sell their business entirely and others were driven out by larger corporations.

His second problem came with the technology boom. The consumer market redefined what luxury was. Robots were replacing employees. Cheap battery powered gadgets became best sellers. Only "old money" seemed to appreciate handmade, well crafted, products. Everyone else gravitated towards what trended instead of what lasted.

The sale saved him from going bankrupt. Starting over from zero was better than starting over in the negative.

On Beomgyu's last business day, he closed the shop with tears in his eyes. He looked around to see the shelves almost completely empty. All that's left were a handful of ugly trinkets he knew no one would want.

One by one they went into a box. First was a small wind chime with albino peacock feathers. Second was a baby rattle with rubies encrusted into the handle. The rubies were very real despite a few customers accusing him of selling fakes. The third item was a favorite. He was almost glad it didn't sell. It was a tan trench coat made of icelandic eiderdown and adorned with six polished buttons made of bone.

The last item was an ugly rusted lamp that he didn't care about. It looked like a dirty gravy boat you'd find in your grandparent's attic. The material was rusted bronze. Faint paintings of Icelandic poppy flowers decorated the sides. His father gave it to him when he was 16. He was 24 now and the thing remained unpurchased.

Beomgyu held it in his hands. He wondered why his father had held onto it for so long. If it were up to him, it would've been in the trash when he turned 18. His father made him promise to keep it. Being the smartass he is, "keep it" meant putting it on his shelves and hoping it would sell.

His hands were stained gray from how much dust accumulated on it. Now that his shop was closed, he decided to give it back to his father. First it had to be cleaned. Beomgyu deeply inhaled then blew as much dust off as he could. He started coughing when some floated back into his mouth. "Ugh. Gross."

After the dust settled, he started to wipe it off with a disinfectant. His eyes popped open when the thing began to glow in his hands. Beomgyu yelled then threw it across the room. Rusty metal turned to polished bronze. Those flowers glowed like stain glass in the sunlight. The lamp then started to shake on the floor. It vibrated and bounced as if it were alive.

Beomgyu hid behind his check out counter. A small voice called out "open up you stupid thing!" Then a clang was heard against the wall. He peaked over to see a man sitting by the lamp. The guy was wearing nothing but a white long sleeve and tan track pants. He brushed himself off then cracked his joints. Beomgyu didn't know what to do. He quickly ducked when the guy looked over. Footsteps were coming towards his direction. He crawled up into a ball and shook with fear.

The man stood up then curiously peaked over the counter to see who released him. He was so happy to finally be free. When he saw him, he began to excitedly wave. "Hi! Thank you for freeing me! You have no idea how long I've been trapped in there!"

"Don't hurt me! Just take the money in the register and go!"

"Hurt you? I'm here to help you!"

"Help me?" Beomgyu looked up. The guy was adorably smiling at him. He then looked over to the lamp. The flowers were no longer glowing but it still looked pristine. That ugly piece of shit now looked like an art piece. Beomgyu turned his attention back towards the strange man. "You... were in there?"