Another excerpt form the Children's book series

Here is another excerpt form the Children's book series, West of Noreaso:

The Shopkeeper

Inside the shop the children were overwhelmed by the variety of objects for sale or trade. There were sacks marked ‘Salt’ and vials of strange liquids, dozens of rabbit’s feet hanging in place on a wall under a stained glass window and a tray filled with pennies.

They saw a dish growing clovers, cotton baton for ones ears, literally hundreds of horseshoes and a case containing what appeared to be a black cat!

The interior of the shop was held together by large wooden pillars and stone walls. A fire burned in the corner. The ceilings were not as high as in mother’s house, and it was in fact more like a cave than any shop they’d ever been in. The place was dimly lit by a chandelier that hung far too low from such a short height, and although Asil was safe from its sharp iron fixtures, Ekim actually had to duck to avoid knocking his head!

"Hello, all," Greeted the shop keeper from behind his cluttered counter. Not at all what Ekim and Asil had expected, this shop keeper was surreal in size and tone, with kind features, but strange all the same. He had large thick fingers that looked as though they would crush most anything they held. That being said, he was carefully and delicately replacing a small tea cup to its place on one of the shelves while standing on his tip toes. Wearing a tweed jacket over his bulbous frame and a scarf round what might pass for a neck he seemed to be sweating profusely. His size was an obvious hindrance to his everyday life, but it seemed not to affect him as he fluttered hither and thither. One would wonder if he had the means to move from this spot at all should he need to, but he did so magically with the grace of a dancer.

"Goodness me! What are you?!" Asil spoke the words, then covered her mouth, ashamed of her reaction.

Ekim chastised his sister. "Asil! That’s rude!"

"That’s alright children. What am I? A fine question. What am I. What AM I! What are you?"

Asil folded her arms and answered. "We are people."

"Well so am I!" chuckled the oddity from behind his counter.

"No offence sir, but you are not people as we are people. What sort of creature are you?" asked Ekim.

"I don’t follow you child. I am who I am and nothing more. There is no secret to who I am. I am the keeper of this shop."

Elijah made his way over to the children, having spotted what they had come for hanging on the back wall along with assorted eyelashes and found pennies. "Yes, thank you shopkeeper. We’ll have two small bags of your finest salt for the children."

"Isn’t it funny..." thought the shop keeper aloud, "that the two of you have found yourselves in this place?"

"How do you mean?" asked Ekim.

"Well, that two ‘people’ such as you should end up here is a strange occurrence."

"We understand that Mr. Shopkeeper. And is there some wisdom you can offer while we make our way home?" Asil inquired.

"I imagine there is a wealth of information I could offer." He removed his scarf and wiped his smooth brow, and replacing the scarf knocked over one of the dozens of salt
shakers atop his counter. Picking up a finger full of salt he threw it over his left shoulder as though he’d done it a thousand times before.

Ekim pleaded with the shopkeeper. "Please sir, anything you could tell us would be most appreciated."

"Hmm, let me think, sheep, which way are you taking the children?"
"We’re going west," Abraham answered.

The kindly shopkeeper’s eyes assumed a frightened intensity as he considered the date on his calendar. October 31st!

"Then I can offer this one piece of information, as I am from the west. Beware the valley, and when you come upon it veer towards the woods."

What the shopkeeper was telling him dawned on Joseph as he himself realized the month, and the date.

"Oh yes, a fine warning sir. Yes, yes, a fine warning indeed."

"Alright shopkeeper, thank you for the salt but we must be going now. As you are well aware the journey is a long one." Said Elijah.

"Yes, sheep. Good luck be with you all."

The children each took a bag of salt, Asil slipped it into her dress jacket and Ekim placed his into his front pocket.

For more on the children's book visit this link.