Late Night Customers by Megan Farney

Late Night Customers by Megan Farney

It started with a book in a shop. Pages and Purrs, a small-town book shop nestled across a pier. It wasn’t the typical spot one would find a bookstore to be located. However, it was the shop that the young graduate, Elias Alore, could afford. He decided to make it his own.

The glass front window with the oak half glass door for way of entry made way for natural sunlight. Putting in some hickory-stained shelving, along with a few matching tables helped the place feel less empty; the muted forest armchair in the corner of the shop with the russet ottoman helped the shop feel homey.

Providing a place that felt safe and secure was all Elias ever wanted when opening the shop, no matter the work it would take to make it that feeling. He felt the homey feel to his business more than anyone considering it his home. The thin framed spiral staircase that was nestled in the corner of the shop behind the singular counter, led up onto the second floor, which happened to be his living quarters.

Sure, most people would want to be far away from their work when they don’t need to be there. However, to make his dream happen that was the price to pay, literally since it was all the fresh in debt college grad Elias could afford. He made it work to the best of his ability. He couldn’t really complain; he was his own shop’s singular employee and in turn his own boss. Well, singular employee if Charcoal isn’t in the equation.

Pages and Purrs was the young man’s passion to own, and he enjoyed every minute of it… including the sometimes-dreaded customer service aspect.

“Thank you so much for your book! Have a good day and come again soon,” Elias smiled as he said goodbye to a customer.

It was nice getting to accept books that people may not have wanted anymore. The books that they were once eager to read. He’d fix them up if they needed any repairs and put them on his shelves ready to be sold to the next person who picked it up eager to read.

Elias called the next in line and a gentleman approached. Wrinkles etched his face, rescinding hairline that told his years, grass colored trench coat and walking stick steadily leaned on the counter.

“I cannot believe this establishment!” The man let out as Elias held in his sigh. “What kind of shop is this?!”

“How can I help you today sir?” He gave a forced smile to the man who already came to him with attitude.

“Surprised you haven’t been shut down yet,” He scoffed, “There’s a wild animal in here completely disrupting everyone! Where is young manger young lad?”

The old man pointed to Charcoal, the dusty gray shorthaired cat who was laying across the top of some books on a top shelf. Customers were pursuing some books on the shelves and tables just going about their business, being completely undisrupted by the cat who was taking a nap.

He does his fair share of work too in the shop! Getting to show up late, lay around in the shop all day high on one of the shelves, nap in one of the many book boxes, valued employee right there.

“I understand your concern sir however all of this shop’s permits are in order, no rules are being broken by having a cat in here on a sales floor and he has never bothered a soul.”

“Pfft.” The man rolled his eyes. “Let me speak to who’s in charge and hear that from them myself.”

It could have been the oversized navy blue knit sweater or his black thin framed glasses on his soft blues that didn’t necessarily give off the impression of “professional”. Even so, he was used to people like this in his area of job.

“I am in charge sir. This is my shop, just like that cat is my cat.” He stated assertive. “If it would make you feel more comfortable, I can ask Charcoal to go upstairs.”

“A cat listen?” The man huffed, not believing his word.

“Char?” Elias called.

The aloof smoke colored cat on the shelf slowly opened his dandelion-colored eyes when he heard his nickname. He saw his wavy black-haired owner at the counter pointing towards the spiral staircase. The old man watched as the cat took a stretch then jumped down and sure enough, ran up the staircase. The man took a breath as his eyes looked down with startlement, the old man thanked Elias and continued with his book browsing. As soon as the man turned around, Elias let out a detached breath towards the glass on his right.

A set of glass doors on the right of the counter connected the neighboring shop, a bakery. He saw the blonde girl, the owner of the bakery, working the counter, who just happened to catch his look. The look that all customer service workers know too well of when one has just dealt with a difficult customer.

Elias’ eyes went back to in front of him and he saw the next person who was in line. Her jet black hair was long and straight. She grasped a leather bound book in her snow-colored hands that looked like he could see through. Her eyes were incredibly dark brown they were almost black, if he looked too long he might get lost in them.

“I would like to sell this book please.” She had to have been a teenager, the way she shyly spoke.

“It is very unique.” He commented on the physical structure of the book when it was placed on the counter. The pages just started to stain yellow, this book had been very well loved. “Do you know where you first got it?”

“Family heirloom you could say.”

He gave her a fair price for the new oddity she provided him with now. He placed the new addition under his counter to go through later and put on the shelves. The rest of the day and the customers went by and nothing was out of the ordinary.

The living space above the bookshop had it’s perks. Such as when the workday was done, all Elias had to do was flip the sign closed, lock the door and just go right upstairs, and he was immediately home. Sure, that meant the kitchen, living room and bedroom were all in one room but it wasn’t too bad when one got used to it.

Elias awoke to the sound of scratching in the middle of the night. He shot up in the bed and saw Charcoal pawing at the door instead peacefully asleep at the foot of his bed. …Odd. It added to the odd when he tried to go back to sleep only to hear Charcoal let out a meow as he continued to paw at the door that led down to the shop. Once again… very odd. What made this normally aloof and calm cat wide awake and curious at 2 in the morning?

Seeing he wouldn’t get any sleep until this issue was solved, Elias stepped out of bed groggily and opened the door. Charcoal bounded down the steps as he kept meowing as if to tell his owner to follow. He flicked on the shop’s lights to show his friend that there was nothing down here. They could just go right back upstairs, back into the cozy and warm bed, they could just go right back to a nice peaceful sleep and in the morning be ready to start another-

When the lights flicked on, Elias’ hairs stood up on the back of his neck. Charcoal sat at his feet at let out a single meow as if to tell him ‘told you so’.

A young girl, her hair in blonde braids with ribbons, a cream-colored dress and bare foot stood in his locked shop. He could feel the pounding of heart, the sweat on his brow. He knew the shop was locked. The little girl seemed preoccupied with looking at some of the adult coloring books that were for sale. The longer he stood, fear frozen, the more he observed her.

Her dress reached her ankles having a tied detail on the neckline, it looked a little loose on her. She was laughing and smiling as she looked at the pictures in the books, sure she was making a mess by not putting them back, but she seemed so full of life. Her spirit seemed so full meanwhile it was like her color was… faded? Faded to the point where he saw the journals through her that where on the shelves she was by?

Before he could think to say or do anything, Charcoal made the choice for him. His trusty four legged friend, who would do him no wrong, let out a meow as he approached the translucent girl.

“Kitty!” The little girl whipped her head around and dropped the book she held as soon as the cat’s meow came.

Her braids bounced as a wide smile plastered her face. She knelt down to pet the creature. Her translucent hand went to touch Charcoal’s shorthaired fur, but as she went to make contact her fingers went right through him. He seemed to pay no mind to it, classic Charcoal, however her smile downturned as her eyes became glossy. Elias knelt down to the cat and little girl’s level to consol the tearful child.

“STRANGER! STRANGER!” The little girl got to her feet immediately and ran back to the safety of the coloring books.

She appeared to huddle in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest, trying to make herself as small as possible as if to hide. This little girl was frightened and all on her own. No one should ever have to go through that. The pounding of your heart that can be heard in your head, your ice cold hands, the intensity in your heart as your chest rise and falls rapidly. No child should ever go through that.

“Hey…” His voice was soft as he kept his distance as to not frighten her more, “…My name is Elias, this is Charcoal. I notice you like coloring don’t you?”

She slowly nodded.

“If you want, I can go grab you some pens that way you can color a pretty picture.”

She once again slowly nodded as she let go of her knees at sat cris-cross instead. He walked over behind the sales counter, opened a drawer and came back in no time with multiple different colored pens for her. Charcoal had taken to sitting across from her, probably to ease her worries some. He set the pens on the floor as he sat cris-cross across from her now, the coloring book in between them. She went to reach for a pen and grabbed it without a hiccup.

Maybe it’s only small items she can pick up.

“Your dress is pretty.” Elias broke the silence in the air.

“…Thank you. My Mommy got it for me.” She said as she opened the book she had dropped before and began coloring the grass green.

“Do you know where your Mommy is now?”

“…No,” she shook her head as she was preoccupied with her picture, “she tucked me in and kissed me night-night.”

Night-night? Her bare feet, her dress that looked more like a nightgown now when he looked at it, looked like it was from a different time. It was starting to make sense.

“Do you know anything else about your Mommy?”

“Mommy was crying before she tucked me in,” She casually explained, once again being occupied with her picture, “She’s been doing that a lot when I go night-night. Daddy told me she’ll be better once I’m better.”

‘Better?” He questioned.

“My throat and tummy was hurting like the other kids at school was.” She revealed.

“Would you like me to grab you some bread from the girl next door’s bakery? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

“I’m okay Mister.” She shook her head. “My tummy hurts no more now. I woke up and was here but I was better so now Mommy can be happy now. This is for Mommy.”

Elias exchanged a look to his cat, thinking he would have put together the same thing he did. Though Charcoal was Charcoal and was laying aloof on the wood floor.

Her different time clothing, her translucent appearance, it made sense now unfortunately. Yet, this little ghost girl remained herself. She would forever have that childhood innocence and wonder to her.

She was the first to show up. After her others started to come in the night. One man was decorated in a navy-blue suit with gold medals on it. He spoke proper and had authority presence.

There was another who came in a brown leather jacket, with white fur on the neckline trim. He wore a leather aviator cap on his head. He talked about how he’ll be the first to fly over the dreaded tundra in the north.

They didn’t always show up as individuals, sometimes there were groups. Much like when a group of what looked like schoolboys showed up. They all wore the same navy school uniforms with high knee white socks and flat caps on their heads. They were all rambunctious boys, shouting and hollering at each other as they goofed around. They weren’t necessarily allowed in the book store, given their energy level together but it was still nice to get to know them through the open shop door.

There was one group that showed up that Charcoal seemed to like. It appeared to be a gang on stray cats, some had marks on their ears, other’s fur was mangled. That time Elias had to get cat food sooner than he normally would considering they all insisted on eating all of what he had for his own pet.

Any late-night customer who came by the book shop, no matter their age or clothing that told what time they were from, all had their translucent appearance in common. They all had their own individual stories and lives they had lived.

Elias’ bookstore still had that safe and homey feeling to it even at night. That’s all he ever wanted when he opened it up. If that meant the occasional ghost sought comfort in his little shop, then so be it as strange as it was.

What still boggled his mind was why they first started to show up. He had his shop for a while and they suddenly started to show up. Perhaps not every story had to have all the answers… except maybe this one.

Elias was stocking the shelves in his shop while a few regulars perused the books he had. Charcoal was very helpful by making sure the empty boxes were empty by laying in them. It also helped that the sunlight happened to be shining onto one of the boxes which was the ideal spot for a cat to be. Elias heard the bell ring which meant someone was ready to be checked out.

After he cashed out a regular, the regular almost bumped into the girl behind him in line. He apologized as the girl put a journal on the counter.

“Just this please.” She said quietly.

“Okay that will be-” His sentence was interrupted when he saw the girl’s snow colored hands on the book she placed.

Now that he thought about it, it was the same-colored hands that belonged to the girl who first dropped off the leather-bound book. The leather-bound book that he got at the same time the little ghost girl first appeared. He finished ringing her up and gave the receipt to her telling her,

“That book you sold me has some interesting stories that came with it.”She gave a soft smile to acknowledge what he said. He watched her walk away, her pin straight jet-black hair cascading behind her. When she crossed the sunlight that came in through the window, he could have sworn her entire frame became faded… translucent even.

* * * * THE END * * * *
Copyright Megan Farney 2024