creepshow (wattys2018)

All Your Hearts Desires (part 1)

"Christmas shopping in November is probably the dumbest thing i've ever heard of." Amanda  mumbled as she walked beside her best friend. A particularly large gust of wind burst against the girls' frames, causing them both to gasp and pull their matching beanie caps further over their ears. 

The country air was always somewhat chilly, but more so during the months of October through December. They walked down the sidewalk of the town they grew up in,  population three hundred and ninety-four, their shoes crunching over the fallen auburn leaves. 

"Hey." Lela paused mid step to bend over and grab a small, rectangular piece of paper. She ran her fingers over the card and gazed down at the cover. Pink, intertwining lines acted as a border around the sides of the white business card and the words 'All Your Hearts Desires' that were typed in the center along with an address and the name Adelaide Messager. "Look at this."

Amanda took the card from her friend and flipped it over in her hand. "Whats this written on the back? 'Pour liberer I'un,  qui peut faire vos reves, dire les mots trois fois: je fais, je fais, je fais.'  What do you think that means?"

Lela shrugged one plaid covered shoulder and shook her head, a few of her loose red curls hitting her cheeks lightly as she did so. "I don't know, but I think we should go to this address. Looks like a new shop may have opened."

"I don't know." Amanda frowned. "This all seems a bit weird. Besides, we have all these bags we would have to carry there and it just seems like a lot." She raised one hand up showing off the four bags that were dangling off of it. 

"Well, its not too far from your house, we'd have to pass it anyway to get there. I can just walk with you and then if you don't want to stop you can keep going and i'll go home from there. What can it hurt?" Lela smiled slightly at the sight of her friend caving in, linking their arms together and continuing forward on their journey. 

They walked for five more minutes in comfortable silence, enjoying each others company and the cool weather, before coming to what use to be a fair sized abandoned building. There was a fresh coat of white paint on the once peeling exterior and the same phrase, 'All Your Hearts Desires', was neatly painted in big pink letters on the large window in the middle of the wall. Pink roses sprouted from three healthy bushes planted equal lengths apart underneath the window, and a friendly looking open sign swung lightly from the doorknob.

"How did she get roses to grow this time of year?" Amanda asked, leaning back and looking up and down the empty road. "And when did this shop open? This road is completely deserted. I walk past this building everyday and have never noticed it before."

Lela shrugged and hurried to the door with a new found excitement gleaming in her bright green eyes.Without hesitation she twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. The girls were immediately greeted with a burst of warm air causing them to shutter at the sudden temperature change. They quickly pushed the door closed behind them and pulled their hats off as they took in their surroundings. The inside was painted the same color as the outside, but was hardly visible due to the rows and rows of seemingly endless shelves filled to their maximum capacities with a variety of odd and unique things. 

"Well now the name makes perfect sense." Amanda exclaimed, walking forward a bit to get a better look at a few over sized mason jars continuing some type of liquid. "Well the outside sure is misleading. This place is seriously creepy."

"There must one of everything in here." Lela gaped as she looked around. 

"Something like that, yes." A new voice called from directly behind them. Both girls spun around and grabbed onto each others arms in freight as a tall, middle aged woman smirked at them, sashaying by them to take her position behind the counter. She lazily rested her forearms on the glass counter top and leaned forward slowly, lifting her unnaturally blue eyes to girls slowly. "What can I do for you two?" Her thick Italian accent made it difficult for the girls to clearly understand her.

"Um- We found your business card and thought we'd pop in." Lela offered a response shakily as she untangled herself from Amanda and straightened her jacket. The woman hummed, nodding to herself as she picked at her ruby red nails. "Are- are you Adelaide?"

She stood quickly, bowing low and moving her right arm in front of her in a sweeping motion with her left arm tucked behind her back as she replied, "At your service." 

"Uh-huh." Amanda laughed breathlessly. "Okay, well, it was nice to meet you, but we really should get going." She glared at Lela as she spoke the last part firmly.

"Nonsense." Adelaide exclaimed, hurrying around the counter, her crimson red gown flowing behind her as she did so, and wrapped her arm around Lelas' shoulder. "You simply must see the newest item i've procured."

Lela began to shake her head and object, but quickly snapped her mouth shut as the woman opened her palm and a black amulet with a sparkling red ruby tumbled out. 

"What a pretty necklace. Can we go?" Amanda rolled her eyes as she pulled her hat back on and inched closer to the door.

"Are you kidding? It's gorgeous!" Lela called back to Amanda. 

"It is everything you heart desires." Adelaides' breath seemed to wash over Lela as she spoke, intoxicating and mesmerizing her. 

"How much do you want for her?" Lela asked, frantically reaching into her shoulder bag and fishing her hand around for money. 

Adelaide smiled and grasped her wrist to stop the jerky movements. "Its on the house."

Lela broke out into a grin that spread from ear to ear as she let the words sink in. "Are you sure? I can't imagine something like this being cheap." 

"Of course." Adelaide replied. "Take it and enjoy."

"Thank you!" Lela cried, stumbling over and pulling Amanda out of the shop. 

To be continued...