“I do hope you don’t mind me asking” the little man continued “but you don’t look like an elf I must say but an elf is the closest-, oh where are my manners my name is Hitchklop and I am a peddler and was wondering if you would be so kind as to shelter me for the night as it gets dreadfully cold out here”
My continued confused staring was seemingly interpreted as disapproval as he quickly followed with
“I can of course pay for any logging, as I am not without coin my good sir”.
That seemed to give me enough time to snap out of it and properly respond.
“I uh… no this… this is a shop”.
“oh uh a thousand apologies then, I hope you don’t mind me asking what wares you provide as the opportunity of finding new wares to peddle always is exciting”
“uh, foodstuffs and other stuff” I replied unsure of what I was even saying.
“ah so a general store of sorts, may I peruse your wares perhaps?”
“Oh uh n-no I-I am still setting things up and haven’t gotten my first shipment yet” I had failed to mention it until now but the man stunk to high heaven like piss and I didn’t want him anywhere near my store, it´s got enough issues as is. After those stuttered words left my mouth, an awkward silence permeated the conversation until the shot little man clapped his hands saying.
“Well, I see you are busy I shan’t keep you any longer then if you are finally set up to open your shop do please find me in the town, farewell shopkeeper” hefted his backpack (with a bunch of things I did not recognize) onto his back and trudged down the road all the while all I could do was stare.
Slowly closing the door I began to contemplate what had just happened, obviously, my front door still led to another place, I previously believed that it may have just been a different country on earth at least. After that exchange, I am, however, that small hope that there may be at least a semblance of mundanity to these doors has been well and truly squashed. Though the man did speak English perfectly if a bit old-fashioned there was something telling me in my gut that this man was not human. Before my head could explode with what ifs and what dos I decided that was a problem for future Mark as I suddenly found myself incredibly exhausted from not only the long flight but also now this. So I picked up my remaining things made my way to my little apartment and collapsed onto my bed, hoping that this entire day may have just been an incredibly vivid dream.
Once I woke up the next morning to find myself in the same room that I had gone to sleep in I groaned dreading the future to come. The thought that sitting in bed wouldn’t change anything and my growling stomach certainly convinced me to get up and at least face the day with something in my belly. Cleaning myself and getting dressed in a new pair of clothes I waltzed into my kitchen opened my fridge and cursed once I realized, oh yea all I have is that ancient bottle of milk. But not all was lost for me as today is the day I get my first shipment of stuff to sell… right I have to sell it somehow. At that very moment, a hair-brained idea flew into my mind.
“Maybe I could sell my things to the people from where my portal doors lead”. When I say this idea was hair-brained I mean that it was barely formed, potentially risky and begging to become my only viable plan. So sitting at my only table of mine and tapping away on the computer I had spent the morning setting up to distract me from a breakfastless morning and began to put some more thought into my worryingly only plan.
The short renaissance fair peddler mentioned a town close by, but I didn’t see any type of civilization when I poked my head out. Oh god, this means I have to mount an expedition to the other side and somehow sell things to the locals there… do I really not have anything else, ANYTHING? But no I did not have anything else to go on as no one wanted to come here for their shopping and even if they did I couldn’t even let them in the front doors because of that magical bullshit, so fantasy first contact it was. I needed to stop getting distracted already and come up with a plan and-
*ring ring*
Destroying my train of thought, my phone began to ring with a number I did not recognize. Answering the phone revealed that it was time to get the first shipment allotted to me by my father.
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“hey” came a gruff voice from the phone’s speakers “you mark?”
“yea”
“Well, where are you we’ve been waiting for you and bagging on the front door for about 10 minutes”
“Sorry I’ll be down in a minute” I hung up and began to make my way down, out the back and in front of the store to receive my very first shipment.
I explained that the front door was busted, and he had to go round the back so we can fully unload everything, he looked at me with weary unamused eyes walked back into his truck and drove it to the back of the store. This man seems not to enjoy his work or maybe he just doesn’t like me as I kept seeing him look at me with a stare that you would give some belligerent drunk. But that didn’t matter to me as I had more important things to do, such as take inventory of my new stock, riveting I know. After everything was unloaded and stored in my storage room, I began taking note of what I had which included something I would desperately need out here at the ass end of nowhere and decided would get delivered later on as it would have cost extra to fly with it.
This being namely my old uncle´s hunting shotgun, now this isn’t the sort of gun you would find in a fps or something no sir, it’s compliant with state hunting laws. So yea not as great as a good ol automatic shotgun or the like meaning only holds 3 shells and is made for 12 gauge, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some bells and whistles applied to this with it having a wonderful scope and leather strap. Added to that was a box of slugs and a cleaning kit for my little darling.
But that’s enough of me gushing about my little baby, I have inventory to take and it seems my father is at least giving me a chance with this store as many of the goods are what someone would need if they were to take a trip into the desert. I had the usual convenience store line-up of snacks both salty and sweet as well as an assortment of drinks from mini alcoholic bottles you would see by the cashiers. But the most important things that were found among drinks and food was the survival gear think dry fuel, hunting matches, hunting clothing, tents and so on, essentially anything you would need for a camping trip would be found here. After stocking the shelves around the store (mostly just the middle shelves) I began to set aside some things for my advertising mission to the other side.
I gathered up the things that would make up my adventuring pack and laid them all out on the floor of my living room.
I decided to bring with me:
-My hunting rifle (with sling and scope) with 3 rounds loaded
-a camping backpack
-5 more rounds 2 buckshot and 3 slugs
-canteen
-some food like jerky and granola bars
-a tent kit
-stove with dry fuel and matches
-flashlight
-a hunting knife
-a pair of hiking boots
-a hunting jacket in desert camo
As much as it pains me to use these things without even having a stable way to sell the rest of my items, I pack everything up and make my way down to the front door. Eating some beef jerky and prepping myself I stare at the doors noticing that one of the bolts wasn’t engaged properly.
“so, when the doors are completely secured they default to earth and when not they get connected to the other side?” I pondered aloud; I mean I don’t really have an instruction booklet about how these doors work. Pushing my idle thoughts aside once again I disengage the remaining bolts, opened the door and stepped outside and was met with the same view I saw last time though this time being outside I could see a bit more. The dirt road that was maybe 5 steps away from my door seemed to be firm and dry meaning I would be walking without too much difficulty. Turning around and looking back at the doors I had come from found them to be attached to a simple log cabin also without any windows or gaps in its walls. Behind it was another forest with thick foliage and looking down the path where the peddler from yesterday disappeared revealed that the path went through a small bit of yet more forest ending in a rather sizable, little town.
“Welp nothing ventured nothing gained” and with that, I headed towards the town slowly becoming self-conscious that my desert camouflage is doing the exact opposite it was supposed to do.