Miseries Of Magick

"Ding!"

The sound of the old wooden door hitting the worn bell echoes through the densely packed, yet meticulously arranged shelves, filling the quaint store. The sound snaps Aniyah out of her trance-like state of reading.

"Welcome to Eshe's Antiquities and Magicks Store. Let me know if you need anything!" Aniyah announces with a cheer as she puts her book down.

The potential customer nods and scans the shelves. He picks up a children's magic kit and chuckles arrogantly to himself. "So this is what she's calling herself now.", he mumbles to himself.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Aniyah demurely requests.

"I'm just thinking out loud. Sorry.", he says with a smile.

"That kit is perfect for children. I think your child will love it."

"I don't have a child, unfortunately." He puts the kit back into its place.

Aniyah walks from behind the glass counter and approaches him. "Is there anything else I can help you with? We sell all kinds of curiosities for adults as well." Aniyah reaches for a diminutive, wooden statue on the shelf. "This is said to be a good luck totem from the Maasai tribe. People always comment on how cute it is."

"No, thank you. I'm looking for an old friend. Is the Eshe that's on the storefront here?"

"May I ask who's asking?" Aniyah sense something may be off about this request.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" He stretches out his hand. "I'm an old friend. My name is Amon. I've been looking for her for quite some time. I have some information regarding her late husband. I thought it best to deliver it in person."

Aniyah shakes his hand. "I'm Aniyah. She's out on a pick. She should be on the way back now. Feel free to look around." Aniyah walks back to the counter. Her suspicions about this customer has her uneasy. She picks up her book and pretends to read. Amon walks to the counter and looks down, browsing the contents.

"Were you in the military?" he asks as he glances at her with a smile.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

Amon straightens his posture and points towards his neck. Aniyah is confused at first. She runs her fingertips along her neck and collarbone. Once her fingertips feels the warm metal balls of her dog tag necklace, she realizes that they must be visible through her shirt, even though she's wearing a jacket. "Yeah, I was." She lets out a wry chuckle.

"I'm former Army, myself. Infantry. 42nd division."

"Yeah, I was a Green Beret." she replies curtly.

"I didn't know they allowed women."

"They didn't. I was one of the first. One of my proudest moments, actually. Even better than graduating Tuskegee."

"You look too young to retire. Did you get hurt?"

"I don't like to talk about it."

"That's fair. I don't talk about some of my time, either." Amon glances at her book. " 'Magick and Other Cosmic Mysteries'. Kinda really old book for you to be reading. You seemed to be pretty into it."

"Not too many people can read ancient Sumerian."

"Well...uh, Eshe and I learned together." Amon quickly changes the subject. He points to a modified revolver in a case behind the counter. A Colt Single Army revolver, covered in Sumerian runes, with "Jail or Hell" engraved into the wooden grip. "That's a really fancy gun. I'm surprised that she still has it."