Little Shop That Wasn't There Yesterday

“Where are you going, Christie?” Veronica asks me as I shrug my jacket on.
“I need to get some textbooks for school,” I reply, picking up my pocket book. “This will only take a minute.”
“Where are you getting them from?” Freddie asks, sitting on the couch.
“A new shop. It opened up today,” I reply. “It sells all kinds of books.”
“All kinds of books, you say?” Veronica asks, intrigued. She stands up. “Do you think they have Love Triangle 2?”
I don’t know how to answer that. I raise an eyebrow. 
“What do you think?” I ask.
“I’m in!” Veronica declares. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, did you say it just opened up today?” Freddie asks warily. She scowls at me. “Is it a little shop?”
“Yeah,” I tell her. “Why?”
“Oh my goodness! Remember my old man-eating plant?” Freddie asks, standing up. “I got it from a shop just like that! I’d better go with you guys. This could be a lot of trouble.”
“Well, I need those textbooks for tomorrow,” I reply. “So even if it’s trouble, I have to go get them.”
“What are we standing around for?” Veronica demands. “Let’s go! Love Triangle 2 is waiting for us!”
…
We all head down to the little shop that wasn’t there yesterday. It looks like a big circus tent surrounding an old brick and mortar store.
“If this guy tries to scam us, I’ll put an ax through his head,” Freddie growls bitterly as we go through the doors.
“Welcome!” the seller says, standing behind the counter. I can’t tell what ethnicity he is. He’s dressed like he’s foreign, but his facial features don’t match any race I’ve ever heard of. Call me racist, but I don’t know if he’s of this world. 
“What brings you three girls here today?” the seller continues.
“I need textbooks,” I reply laconically.
“Love Triangle 2,” Veronica says eagerly.
“No funny business,” Freddie threatens.
The strange salesman waves us forward. “Please, come right this way,” he says. He goes through a curtain. 
“This better not be a trick,” Freddie says as we follow him through.
“Well, even if it is, at least it’ll get me out of economics class tomorrow,” I say.
“That's my girl,” Veronica replies.
…
“When you say ‘textbooks’, what exactly do you mean?” the seller asks. We’re standing in a big warehouse full of books. Which is odd, because the shop seemed pretty tiny from the outside. But I need the books so I don’t care.
“Does he not know what a ‘textbook’ is?” Veronica whispers to me, concerned. I ignore her.
“You know what I mean,” I reply. “I need an economics textbook, a public speaking textbook…”
“You’ve come to the right place!” the seller replies, interrupting me. “I have the perfect book for you right here. Just spend five minutes with it, and you’ll never need a textbook again!”
Freddie takes note of an ax leaning against a shelf nearby.
The seller picks up a book. “This book will solve all your problems.”
Snarling and growling, the book grows larger, transforming into a nightmarish abomination. It has six long, hairy spider legs. Its many jaws are full of sharp teeth. There are tentacle-like tongues sticking out of its mouth, almost like vines in appearance. It hisses as it slowly inches towards us. The seller is mad with laughter. “Foolish humans! You should have known better than to enter the little shop that wasn’t there yesterday!”
Veronica is beside herself with terror. I perk up. Hey! If I get eaten, that means I don’t have to go to economics class tomorrow!
“AUGH!” Freddie screams, picking up the ax and rushing at the seller. The seller’s hat falls off with shock. Freddie buries her ax in his head up to the hilt. The seller collapses. Freddie pulls out the ax and buries it in him again. And again. And again.
“Try feeding us to a book now, you stupid bastard!” Freddie snarls. She keeps hitting him with the ax until he’s a mass of chunky salsa on the ground. “YOU! STUPID! BASTARD! AUGH!”
The seller is deader than dead. With its master gone, the evil book retreats, disappearing deeper into the warehouse. 
“We’re alive!” Veronica cheers.
But now I have to go to economics class tomorrow!
Freddie sighs and wipes some of the seller’s blood off her forehead. Veronica sees something on a shelf and grins from ear to ear. She picks it up and shows it to me.
“Look, Christie! I found Love Triangle 2!” she says.
I huff with exasperation and turn to leave the store. Guess I had better start getting ready for school tomorrow. Not that I want to or anything.
“Hey! Christie! Wait!” Freddie calls at me. “We found your textbooks!”
“Keep them!” I retort.
Category:Beings
Category:Books
Category:Places
Category:MalumLibrum958