The Occult: DOOMSDAY

[ chapter five ]

Melanie felt bad.

While like all the other Hargreeves children, she had a strong streak of self preservation built into her, she also had more empathy than she could handle, which made waking up, opening the store and pretending she was happy to be there all the more harder when her mind could do nothing but wander back to the academy.

After what happened the night before, she was worried. Why would they want Five? Would they come after everyone again? And who were they in the first place?

The questions circled through Melanie's mind on loop as she smiled to customers, the grin never quite making it to her eyes as she charged the occasional customer who came in for a reading or a handful of crystals.

She was well aware the "readings" her boss gave people were generic cold readings to give people false hope, but Melanie had bills to pay, and a store discount on things she could use for legitimate purposes.

"Darling, I'll be off for the day. I'm afraid my last reading just took too much from my poor soul today." Her boss sighed, draping themselves across the counter dramatically in front of her.

"Do you mind running the shop for a couple hours til closing?" They ask, battering their long lashes as they speak.

"Of course. You know I've got your back." Melanie smiled, playing along with the act for her own benefit.

"Thank you so much, I'll see you in the morning!" They say as they basically run out of the door, leaving a trail of silk scarves and essential oils in their path.

The smile instantly dropped from Melanie's face as they left, a sigh slipping from her as she sat down on the small stool behind the register, reaching for her heavy tote bag and the contents inside.

While she was worried about everyone because of last night's events, she was also still shaken herself, and not ready to throw herself back on the rocking boat just yet. Instead, she pulled out her grimoire, and the dogeared book that hadn't left her side since she left last night.

Leaving her grimoire on the counter, Melanie wandered to the back wall of bookshelves, picking out a couple hardcover copies as she drifted along in front of the shelf.

It had been years since she had made a hollow book, but she believed her skills still remained after around fifteen years of disuse.

Holding the book up to various hard copies, she finally decided on one that she thought would work, a deep blue leather bound book on native flowers of South America, and turned around to walk back to the counter.

But upon seeing someone standing there, Melanie's defenses instantly went up, cautious as they stood so close to the closed grimoire sitting beside the register.

"Hello there, how can I help you?" Melanie says kindly, placing the books in her hands on the display cases behind the counter.

The man returns a friendly smile, hands resting in his pockets as he glanced around the store.

"I heard this place had really pretty cards, none of that hallmark kinda thing, and I was looking for something to give to my girlfriend as congratulations." He explains, calming Melanie slightly as she realises he's just a regular customer.

"Oh, we sure do. A lot of them are blank, but it gives you a lot more room to write something personal while still having something nice to look at. They should all be on the shelf by the reading room door down there." She instructs politely, the man thanking her with a nod before walking away down the back of the store.