Short Story: In The Market
Author: Bella
Rating: PG
Challenge: Challenge 9: These Pens Were Made For Writing (12. Starting sentence: “Smirking, she turned and walked away.”)
Word Count: 1219
Story Arc: Short Stories
Title: In The Market
Summary: Amelia looks for new servants.
Smirking she turned and walked away. Her high heels clicked on the tiled floor as she waited to be called back.
"Wait, Ms. Weaver. I just remembered I have some stock I could show you," a male voice said from behind her. Amelia Weaver stopped and her smirk grew even wider. The salesman would not risk losing a sale, not with the amount of money it would bring in. She knew he would let her in without an appointment, the temptation of the money was too much.
"Very good Mr. Bowen. I heard you got new stock in today," Amelia said, turning back to look at the man standing there. He wore black dress pants and a baby blue dress shirt. His brown hair was slicked back with gel and his eyes were brown and his nose was large.
"Of course. Now if you just follow me," Mr. Bowen gestured towards an open doorway that led to a dark staircase. He went down the staircase first and Amelia followed carefully. She sighed a little in relief when he pulled the chain to turn on the light, her high heels were not the easiest thing to walk down a steep staircase in.
When they reached the bottom Mr. Bowen flipped the light switch, illuminating the room in light. It was a big basement, with the walls lined with cages. The cages had bars made of steel and were big enough to contain a human. There were ten cages on each side of the room with a hallway down the middle.
"What are you in the market for today, Ms. Weaver? Angels or demons?" Mr. Bowen asked.
"I was thinking of one of each. A demon for the house work and an angel to show off," Amelia replied.
"Very good. Then I'll show you what we have," Mr. Bowen said, smiling. "First we have the demons."
In the first set of cages there sat humans with wings emerging from their back, just under the shoulder blades. They were called demons because of the look of the wings. All demons had bat-like wings, the bones that formed the frame were covered in a leathery membrane of skin. The colour of the wings varied from deep black to grey.
"What is the best one you have?" Amelia asked, slowly walking down the row of cages, looking into the depths to look at the demons.
"This one just came in today. He was one of the best in his training class," Mr. Bowen said, pointing out a boy who was no older then sixteen, with large charcoal grey wings. "This one is not new but is still young. She has never had a complaint from any of her previous owners."
"Why is she here then?" Amelia asked looking at a demon girl that was in her late twenties. Her wings were chocolate brown.
"Her last owner died of a heart attack and didn't leave her to anyone in his will. I got her in the auction yesterday," Mr. Bowen explained.
"I want to see that one," Amelia pointed at the cage on the right side of the room that contained the male. Mr. Bowen went to the staircase and picked a key of the hooks on the wall. Attached to the key, Amelia could see the remote that controlled the demon.
Mr. Bowen unlocked the cage door and opened it up slowly.
"Come out here," he said to the demon. The demon got up and slowly walked into the brighter light of the hallway. The demon only wore white cotton pants, a shirt that would fit over the wings were too expensive. The creature was short, stocky and muscular.
The wings were in one piece, with no rips or scar tissue. His dirty blonde hair was slowly growing in from a buzz cut. The demon refused to meet Amelia's eyes. Around his neck there was a metal collar that would shock him when its owner used the remote. He looked like the perfect creature to do any fix-it jobs on top of the normal chores.
"How much do you want for it?"
"$100,000," Mr. Bowen said smoothly.
"For an unproven demon? For a demon that could have attitude problems? $75,000," Amelia said.
"$90,000."
"$80,000, and that's my final offer," Amelia said.
"Deal," Mr. Bowen said after a moment. He didn’t look pleased but it was still a profit for him. "I'll just put him back until after we look at the angels."
"Of course," Amelia said, pleased smile gracing her lips. She walked farther down the hallway while Mr. Bowen returned the demon to the cage. Amelia looked into the row of cages at the far side of the room. The angels sat in the cages, graceful, with large feathered wings sitting beneath the shoulder blades. The wings were how they got their name since they reminded people of the old renaissance paintings of angels.
"These three are new in today," Mr. Bowen said, pointing to the last three cages on the right side of the room.
The first one was a girl no older then eighteen. Her wings looked to be tawny in the dim lighting of the cage. She was shorter then most angels, definitely not the six feet tall that was average. Her hair was red and curly, going down to just above her waist. Amelia thought she looked more like a human in a Halloween costume then a beautiful, graceful angel.
The next one was a young man, probably twenty one, with shaggy brown hair that threatened to cover his eyes. The wings were charcoal grey and were big, the tips would be just barely above the ground when he stood. This angel was definitely over six feet tall and looked to be lithe and graceful. Amelia thought he would be the perfect addition to her household.
The last of the angels was another teenage girl. Her long feathered wings were off white, but out of all the angels she looked the closest to the traditional looking angels. Her hair was straight as an arrow, brown and went to her waist.
"This one," Amelia spoke suddenly, causing Mr. Bowen to jump. "I want to see her."
"Her name is Elisa, just in today. She is beautiful and well trained," Mr. Bowen said as he walked back down the hallway to get the key and remote for the angle. He unlocked the cage, remote in hand in case the angel attempted to run for it.
"She's perfect," Amelia said, as the graceful angel walked out of the cage. She had white cotton pants, a band of white cotton covering her breasts and a metal collar around her neck.
"$300,000," Mr. Bowen offered.
"$250,000," Amelia countered.
"For this beautiful creature? No, $275,000 Amelia and that is my final offer," Mr. Bowen said, shaking his head.
"OK," Amelia wanted the angel, no matter how much it cost her. Mr. Bowen handed over the remotes over to her with a smile. He unlocked the cage of the demon that she purchased and beckoned the creature out.
"Come with me upstairs and we'll finish off the paperwork," Mr. Bowen headed for the stairs and Amelia followed. She looked back to make sure her new creatures were following her before she started up the staircase. Amelia smiled, beyond happy with her purchases.
Rating: PG
Challenge: Challenge 9: These Pens Were Made For Writing (12. Starting sentence: “Smirking, she turned and walked away.”)
Word Count: 1219
Story Arc: Short Stories
Title: In The Market
Summary: Amelia looks for new servants.
Smirking she turned and walked away. Her high heels clicked on the tiled floor as she waited to be called back.
"Wait, Ms. Weaver. I just remembered I have some stock I could show you," a male voice said from behind her. Amelia Weaver stopped and her smirk grew even wider. The salesman would not risk losing a sale, not with the amount of money it would bring in. She knew he would let her in without an appointment, the temptation of the money was too much.
"Very good Mr. Bowen. I heard you got new stock in today," Amelia said, turning back to look at the man standing there. He wore black dress pants and a baby blue dress shirt. His brown hair was slicked back with gel and his eyes were brown and his nose was large.
"Of course. Now if you just follow me," Mr. Bowen gestured towards an open doorway that led to a dark staircase. He went down the staircase first and Amelia followed carefully. She sighed a little in relief when he pulled the chain to turn on the light, her high heels were not the easiest thing to walk down a steep staircase in.
When they reached the bottom Mr. Bowen flipped the light switch, illuminating the room in light. It was a big basement, with the walls lined with cages. The cages had bars made of steel and were big enough to contain a human. There were ten cages on each side of the room with a hallway down the middle.
"What are you in the market for today, Ms. Weaver? Angels or demons?" Mr. Bowen asked.
"I was thinking of one of each. A demon for the house work and an angel to show off," Amelia replied.
"Very good. Then I'll show you what we have," Mr. Bowen said, smiling. "First we have the demons."
In the first set of cages there sat humans with wings emerging from their back, just under the shoulder blades. They were called demons because of the look of the wings. All demons had bat-like wings, the bones that formed the frame were covered in a leathery membrane of skin. The colour of the wings varied from deep black to grey.
"What is the best one you have?" Amelia asked, slowly walking down the row of cages, looking into the depths to look at the demons.
"This one just came in today. He was one of the best in his training class," Mr. Bowen said, pointing out a boy who was no older then sixteen, with large charcoal grey wings. "This one is not new but is still young. She has never had a complaint from any of her previous owners."
"Why is she here then?" Amelia asked looking at a demon girl that was in her late twenties. Her wings were chocolate brown.
"Her last owner died of a heart attack and didn't leave her to anyone in his will. I got her in the auction yesterday," Mr. Bowen explained.
"I want to see that one," Amelia pointed at the cage on the right side of the room that contained the male. Mr. Bowen went to the staircase and picked a key of the hooks on the wall. Attached to the key, Amelia could see the remote that controlled the demon.
Mr. Bowen unlocked the cage door and opened it up slowly.
"Come out here," he said to the demon. The demon got up and slowly walked into the brighter light of the hallway. The demon only wore white cotton pants, a shirt that would fit over the wings were too expensive. The creature was short, stocky and muscular.
The wings were in one piece, with no rips or scar tissue. His dirty blonde hair was slowly growing in from a buzz cut. The demon refused to meet Amelia's eyes. Around his neck there was a metal collar that would shock him when its owner used the remote. He looked like the perfect creature to do any fix-it jobs on top of the normal chores.
"How much do you want for it?"
"$100,000," Mr. Bowen said smoothly.
"For an unproven demon? For a demon that could have attitude problems? $75,000," Amelia said.
"$90,000."
"$80,000, and that's my final offer," Amelia said.
"Deal," Mr. Bowen said after a moment. He didn’t look pleased but it was still a profit for him. "I'll just put him back until after we look at the angels."
"Of course," Amelia said, pleased smile gracing her lips. She walked farther down the hallway while Mr. Bowen returned the demon to the cage. Amelia looked into the row of cages at the far side of the room. The angels sat in the cages, graceful, with large feathered wings sitting beneath the shoulder blades. The wings were how they got their name since they reminded people of the old renaissance paintings of angels.
"These three are new in today," Mr. Bowen said, pointing to the last three cages on the right side of the room.
The first one was a girl no older then eighteen. Her wings looked to be tawny in the dim lighting of the cage. She was shorter then most angels, definitely not the six feet tall that was average. Her hair was red and curly, going down to just above her waist. Amelia thought she looked more like a human in a Halloween costume then a beautiful, graceful angel.
The next one was a young man, probably twenty one, with shaggy brown hair that threatened to cover his eyes. The wings were charcoal grey and were big, the tips would be just barely above the ground when he stood. This angel was definitely over six feet tall and looked to be lithe and graceful. Amelia thought he would be the perfect addition to her household.
The last of the angels was another teenage girl. Her long feathered wings were off white, but out of all the angels she looked the closest to the traditional looking angels. Her hair was straight as an arrow, brown and went to her waist.
"This one," Amelia spoke suddenly, causing Mr. Bowen to jump. "I want to see her."
"Her name is Elisa, just in today. She is beautiful and well trained," Mr. Bowen said as he walked back down the hallway to get the key and remote for the angle. He unlocked the cage, remote in hand in case the angel attempted to run for it.
"She's perfect," Amelia said, as the graceful angel walked out of the cage. She had white cotton pants, a band of white cotton covering her breasts and a metal collar around her neck.
"$300,000," Mr. Bowen offered.
"$250,000," Amelia countered.
"For this beautiful creature? No, $275,000 Amelia and that is my final offer," Mr. Bowen said, shaking his head.
"OK," Amelia wanted the angel, no matter how much it cost her. Mr. Bowen handed over the remotes over to her with a smile. He unlocked the cage of the demon that she purchased and beckoned the creature out.
"Come with me upstairs and we'll finish off the paperwork," Mr. Bowen headed for the stairs and Amelia followed. She looked back to make sure her new creatures were following her before she started up the staircase. Amelia smiled, beyond happy with her purchases.