The Merchant

    Two figures were walking between alleys at the cover of the night. Pressing themselves flat against walls in darker areas when guards were passing by. Clad in black cloaks and torn pieces of cloth covering their faces and revealing only the eyes. Slight taller one peeking out, they both began to move again as the pair of guards walked a reasonable distance past. 

    "We really doing this?" Shorter of the two spoke up a hint of nerves in his voice as he did. "You know what everyone has said about him."

    "Yes, we are." Came the reply, tone in his voice filled with more confidence and determination. "Now, quit asking."

    "But no one has ev..." He stopped speaking as they both heard a grunt from the window to the home beside them. The two went into a crouch and hugged the wall. "Has ever stolen from him." The nervous man finished with a whisper. 

    "We are going through with this." Came the whispered reply. Talking in quieter voices before they brought attention to themselves. "I'm tired of begging and starving. I am tired of being harassed by guards. For what? a copper or two." 

    "But no one has ever managed to steal from him. The ones who have tried never came back either!"

    "Look! We go in to take the nicest things around that are close. Then we turn and leave."

    "But what of the warnings? You heard the stories too."

    "People always make stories grander then they are. He does not even keep anything locked."

    "Because he knows he doesn't need them. People aren't stupid enough to try, and the ones that do.." 

    "Look, like I said. We reach in, take, then were out. Now shut up. I think we are there." Coming to a stop, they both stared across the muddy street. A rather plain-looking building that blended in with the others around. Shutters closed and a sign hanging above the door. Sign having simple images of different items, from armor to food, to clothing and even a rabbit. 

    Two words are written on the sign, above and below the clustered images. Top word reading Curio, bottom Curiosity. Neither of the two would-be thieves unable to read them. A few seconds to look around for movement, the two finally ran into the alley next to the shop. Moving to a closed window, the two came to a stop from inspecting the window. 

    A small scream came from inside. Scream sounding much like a little child in pain. A scream froze both in shock as they stood for a while as they waited to see if they heard anything else. 

    "We should go. Some things are best left alone." Final plea came from the timed man. The other was uninterested in replying and began to pry the shutter open. 

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    A much older man, around his forties, was rummaging around in shelves. Moving filled jars aside in search of some food. Jars filled with herbs and spices rattled as they were pushed against other more questionable filled ones. A couple of near drops and seconds later, a jar of red jam was pulled out. 

    "Aha! Knew it was here someplace." Merchant began to examine the jar to make sure he had what he needed. Would not do good to get it mixed with the other red jar filled with mild poison. "Should start labeling these thing's." Merchant spoke to himself as he smelled a bit of the content of the jar and making a mental note. 

    A figure stepped through a door on his left as he began to turn. The waist-high shape stopped and stared at Merchant. It's small right hand rubbing away some tears as a few sobs escaped. Some would "aw" at the sight if not for its appearance. What stood at the archway was a small three feet tall girl. Wearing a white and sky blue doll's dress. Its skin pale enough to be nearly white and without a single blemish. 

    An adorable face that was off just enough to be mistaken as a doll. "Ah, look what I found for you." Merchant bent down to meet her at eye level, a smile on his face. "It's some jam, strawberry I believe." He began to brush her hair with his hand as he handed her the jar with the other. She smelled the jar before giving a small disapproving grunt and shaking her head side to side. 

    "Now, that's all we have. Tomorrow morning I will get you what you want." Another grunt followed as she backed up, small cracks appearing on the jar in her hands. "Come now, this is no way to behave." With a low growl, she threw the jar crashing into the frame of the front door and spreading on the ground. "Now, that was uncalled for." With a sigh, he stood and grabbed her arm. Merchant began to lead her back through the door as she began to attempt to pull herself free. 

    "Maybe some time alone and without food will help stop this behavior." She soon began to increase her attempts to get free, as the nails on her hands stretched to points. The front teeth started to get shaped into fangs as she continued to gain a deadly doll look. Any further attempts to get free became fruitless, as her bites and scratches did no more than rip Merchants sleeve. 

    "Listen here, little lady. These tantrums will not get you anything. You just need to under..stand.." He stuttered the last word as she released a scream. "Perhaps when you have settled down, you will be more open to talk and listen. Tomorrow we shall see.." For a second time, Merchant was interrupted and startled as he heard a soft bang, similar to a shutter flying open. At her new chance, she pulled one last time, setting herself free as Merchant loosened his grip at the sound. "Oh, dear! Of all times." 

    Without hesitation, she turned around and began to run. Upon entering the connected room, she grabbed and began to climb the door frame, her leg disappearing from the upper left corner of the attached room's door. "Always with the bad times. You'll think they would have learned by now." Focus back on the problem at hand, Merchant began to give chase. "Young lady! Get back here!" Crossing the door and disappearing after her, he continued to call after her. "Return at once young lady."

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    One of the shutters crashed against the outside wall as it was pried open. "Let's go. Someone is bound to have heard that. Even the guards." The timed man took two steps back as he spoke up. Head is moving side to side as he checked for anyone else, as the other began to climb the now open window. "Get in here. We can't let a child get harmed, can we?" The determined man stretched his hand to help the other inside as a low grin appeared on him. "No one will know if we pocket a thing or two while we were helping." 

    "I. I don't know. The thing they say about him, it most likely wasn't even human. Look Mor.." With a "sshh" the timid man shut up as the other spoke up. "I said no names. Now get in here or fuck off, but enough with your constant complaints." 

    Unsure of choice, the timid man stretched his hands out to take the hand. He stopped short before pulling back as memories of stories and warnings ran through his mind. Accounts of what happened to others, or at least what might have happened. Hand finally dropped to his side as he remembered a piece of advice he once got. "Someone once told me to listen to my gut, to my instincts." With newfound resolve, the timid man looked at his partner in the eyes. "Mine is saying to leave. Hope yours are too." 

    Now vexed, the man disappeared inside the darkroom and out of sight. Left alone, the once timid man turned and walked off and went around the corner of the alley. 

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    A few seconds of calm went by as the now lone thief searched through the room. All widespread items around with very little in items of high value. A couple of loaves of bread stacked in a basket near the front window, oddly still warm and fresh as if just baked. Two mannequins with armor on display on the other window. Door in the middle of the two windows with broken glass and red material on the ground and door. 

    Shelves on one side with medicine and other medical items. Stand-alone shelves in the center stocked with varied clothes, male and female. Moving to the front counter and finding it nearly bare with only a few odd and end items on display but not a box or otherwise, that would contain the shop merchants coin. Focus shifting to one coin on display that looked rather valuable. It was a silver coin with a skull facing down, giving it a smiling look. 

    Gold surrounding the silver coin with art engraved and two words. The word above the skull on the gold reading memento. Besides both sides of the skull having a floral engraving on the gold. Second-word reading vivere and upside down. Turning the coin over showed much the same with changes. Skull faced up, giving it a frowning look and words now reading memento mori. 

    Before deciding if he would pocket the coin, a skittering sound came from behind. Turning to see, a figure showed itself latched onto the wall and staring out the window from the top. With a slow turn of its head, it looked at the thief. The man became startled at the sight. A doll figure stared at the man for a few more seconds. Dropping down and hid behind the shelves in the middle of the room. 

    It took a few moments before he began to move as he waited for the doll to reappear. Dagger in hand, he began to sidestep around the shelves to find the doll figure. She stood behind the second shelf, hands gripping the bottom of her dress and hiding the needle-like fingers. "What are you?" He questioned, voice giving no hint of fear but confusion. 

    No reply came as her painted eyes disappeared for a split second as if blinking. Both stared on without a sound between them before Merchant appeared at the door. "Little lady?" Merchant spotted her and began to move closer, stopping in front of the window as he spotted the nights would-be thief. "AH! Of course. Now is not the time for visitors." Merchant held out his hand palm up, pointed towards the front door. "Would you kindly leave."

    The dagger came up and pointed towards Merchant as the man began to walk towards the door slowly. Only two steps later, he let out a scream as the doll caught sight of the dagger and lept towards the man, leaving four cuts on his forearm. "No little lady. Let him go." Merchant tried to calm her to no avail as she readied to jump at the man again. She jumped once more only to be swatted away.

    The hit leaving a crack on her face as she collided with a shelf and landing on the front door on her back. The man not waiting to see what would happen next ran to the door Merchant came from. The doll began to stand and ready to give chase as blood began to appear on her face, looking to be painted blood rather than real and fresh. 

    The next few moments were a maze of confusion for the man. He ran across corridor after corridor without end in sight. Each having a few rooms in it, some locked and others not before he fled from those too. One room contained a cloaked figure holding the clock portion of a grandfather clock. The figure filled him with dread as the clock showed five till midnight and ticking away. 

     The coin still clutched in his hand, began to give a low hum and heat up. Little attention is given to it as he began to hear scraping sounds getting louder. Without a second thought, he started to run once more. Without a second thought, he turned a corner and went inside the closest door, shutting the door quietly. Ears pressed to the door, and he heard the loud sound of the doll running across it and fading away.

 He allowed himself a few seconds to relax before turning around and locking eyes with the one in the room with him. In the center of the relatively large room sat a woman bare without any clothes insight. As strange as he would find this, it was odder to him to see her chained to the center of the room by the neck and with no sign of distress. 

 What he found even more out of place was the fact that she was playing with herself as she kept her eyes locked onto him with an alluring smile. The sight kept him entranced. Every part of her appeared to his vision of the perfect woman. From weight and breast size to hair color and nail length, not one detail was off. It did not take long for her to start crawling to him, coin still in his hands humming louder and heating more as she got closer. 

 Unable to contain himself longer, he took a step closer. Not a moment too soon as the step was taken that a clawed hand swung across his face. Sharp claws a hair's breadth away as the chain connecting to the new figure by the neck, pulled it back to the center. Startled with fright, he jumped backward, slamming against the door. Black leather skin, red eyes, and fanged teeth creature slowly got dragged back with a chain through an unknown force. 

 Finally, at the center, its skin began to turn to a vibrant peach tone. Its fangs were turning back into human teeth and spreading into a smile. Just as quickly as the new creature appeared, the unknown women sat in the center once more. Its alluring effect now gone, he turned and went out the door. 

  Knowing what to expect, he turned and ran, hearing the skittering sounds of the doll again. The chase seemed to last for a long time as he kept looking for an exit. The way he came appearing new and different from when he first came through. All doors leading to other rooms with new things inside than before. Some with other creatures and others with single objects. He finally stopped at what seemed to be the end as he opened a door into a room full of cages and somewhat cleaned room.

 He was leaning on a cage to catch his breath with no other entrances or exits insight. Skittering sound growing louder outside the door. A thought came to him as he rested, that of needing to leave the way he came.

    Just as he made his mind to fight his way past the doll, a hand came to rest on his shoulders from behind the cage. Startled, he pushed himself free as the hand gave no sign to hold him. Turning around, he saw a man in the cage with a tailored outfit and hat with glasses resting on it. What he found strange is that the man was bending in several places. Giving the man in the cage to look somewhat crooked. The crooked man began to walk towards the front of the cage as a crooked umbrella appeared out of thin air and used as a walking cane.

    Upon reaching the front, it grasped the bars as they started to become crooked as well. The crooked man's hat began to slide down and cover his eyes as a smile began to show, going from ear to ear and showing two rows of fangs. As he smiled, the doll crashed through the door and focused onto the thief. Mind focused back onto his plan and away from the crooked man, he ducked to avoid the girl as he ran for the door. 

    The way back was quicker for him as he retraced his steps. Way back being more painful as the doll kept up with him and landing a few cuts. He pushed his way again through Merchant once more along the way, fresh clothing on him. The doll finally managed to catch him and cling to his back as he made the last turn, front door insight. What followed was a mad struggle as he fought his way to the door, only to have her weight force him to walk backward, inches away from the door handle. 

    The following fight was short as he attempted to pull her off. In his final moment, a hand appeared through his chest, as a grandfather clock went off in the distance. Burning hot coin clutched in his hands falling to the floor, mori side facing up. The last few steps leaving him at the front counter, slumped over it as he fell to the other side, face down on the floor. Merchant appeared again, walking through the back door.

    "Oh, dear. Do hope one will live and escape one day." Merchant began to walk to the counter as he talked. "Maybe then they will get the message to come during the time I'm open." Merchant stopped behind the doll as she munched on the body. Reaching down, he grabbed one of her wrists. "Come now. Don't think I've forgotten what you did." Merchant began to pull her away. She now looked fully human, more so and less pale than when she was offered jam. 

    Tears came out as she was lead away without any resistance. "Food." A hushed voice came from her for the first time. "I told you I would get you some in the morning. You disobeyed." Merchant leads her through the back door and down a corridor. "Sorry." Her calm reply came. "We will talk in the morning. First, a shower, a new dress, and right to bed."

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    An hour later and Merchant appeared at the front once more. "Open up!" A loud voice and loud knock came from the front door a few moments later as Merchant looked around at the mess. Putting the thought of tidying up aside, he went up to the front and picked up the jar of jam before opening the door. "Ah, the town's guards. What may I do for you, gentleman?" 

    Looking around, he spotted two guards and a man held by the elbow by the older guard. "We heard the tale of a child in distress. A child was screaming, coming from your shop." The younger looking guard followed up. Merchant held and looked at the broken jar in his hand. "Everything fine here. Young lady having a tantrum over her options of food at this late hour." A smile followed by Merchant. 

    Both guards and the held man looked through the door. The jam was slowly sliding down the door frame. Shelves knocked over with many items scattered around. Red liquid pooled and trails of it in some spots, clearly not jam. "Mind if we tak.." The younger guard began just as the older one pulled him back slightly and taking over. "Sorry to disturb you Merchant. Have yourself a lovely night." The more senior guard then began leading both men along. 

    Block away, and the younger guard spoke up once more. "What are you doing? You saw the same thing." Came his question in confusion. "Some things are best left alone. You will understand this one day. Even more so with him." Came the reply, the third man giving a backward glance at the shop for a second before looking back and face down. 

    Merchant closed the door to the shop and looked around. "Tsk tsk, such a mess." Walking back behind the counter, he turned the would-be thief over. Two coins stuck to both his eyes, silver with gold trim, and both reading Memento Mori. "Poor soul. Kept the coin for so long, could have lived if he listened to it. Then again, not that he knew about it." With a heave, Merchant began to drag the body through the door, long lists of messes for the night to clean up ahead of him.