88. The Pawn Shop

Third Person's POV:

The pawn shop looked like a place that time had long since abandoned. A narrow bell jingled weakly as Rose stepped inside, the sound barely audible over the oppressive stillness that clung to the air. 

Another bell jingle alerted the emptiness of one more customer.

Aria released a whistle looking around. "Wow, I didn't know this place was still in the times of great depression."

Rose jerked her elbow in Aria's side as the two finally saw the old man behind the counter staring at the two.

Rose smiled politely at him, hoping the poor man didn't hear that.

Dust floated in lazy spirals, catching the dim glow of a flickering overhead bulb that swung slightly as if disturbed by their presence. 

The scent of aged paper, old wood, and something faintly metallic filled the air, making Rose's nose scrunch involuntarily.

Aria wasn't entirely wrong. The place really needed a remodel, desperately.

Rose's eyes again caught the old man as he stood up from his seat and asked. Turns out, judging by the looks is wrong, however, what this guy looked like, he sounded the exact same. Ragged and out of time.

"You! What do you want?" He asked in his craggily shaking voice pointing his finger to Rose.

"Umm, we were just looking for some hexes, crosses and such."

She saw him grumble, seeming to be irritated by her. But then again, the guy looked like the kind to get annoyed by everything that moves. Reminds her of someone she knows. Maybe he's Dracken's long lost grandpa or something.

"Is it the time for Halloween again? I hate that wretched night, people are extra annoying, all pretentious and drunkard bastards. I ought to-" he was ranting to himself and Aria giggled in Rose's direction. 

"Should I tell him, we are actually Easter bunnies?" 

"Um, Sir? Where can I find the- Halloween stuff, yes. And I promise I am not drunk." Rose gave her best charming smile at the poor old soul. He looked ancient and she saw the harshness of time appearing in the lines marring his forehead. 

He wasn't a bad man, just old and tired.

He still grumbled, ranting some more which was so jumbled in his own throat she barely understood but he pointed in the direction with his finger, which she thanked him for and beelined in the direction.

The store was cluttered with bizarre trinkets and forgotten relics, the kind of place that held the whispers of things long lost to memory. Almost as old as him.

Gilded mirrors with tarnished edges lined the walls, their surfaces smudged and dull, reflecting shadows that seemed deeper than they should be.

He was right. Soon the aisles changed to hold many things that looked to have come straight from churches. Statues of Mary, Jesus and even some of Gargoyles residing side by side.

Rose's eyes zeroed in on the amount of crosses of different shapes and size and of even various material were present. She could give this place a second visit it seems like.

A wooden, simplistic looking cross caught her attention and she picked it up in her hand. Rose looked about to see if she could find a carry cart to put the ungodly amount of objects she was planning to buy from this place.

Her eyes fell to the furthest back corner of the store and she began to follow.

Slowly the aisle changed from crosses to stacks of old leather-bound books towered precariously in the far-right corner, their spines cracked, their pages yellowed with the passing years. 

There were whole tall book shelves filled with books. Rose saw Aria at a distance messing with a thing that curiously looked like- Yup the way she dropped it with a yelp upon realization, it was definitely a sex toy, an old one by the looks of it.

The books were of many different names and genres, just placed haphazardly in the shelves. No genre specification, not even alphabetized. The old man needs a clerk too.

Witch's guide to magic. Memories of murderer. Grimoire of death and many more disturbing titles lined the walls.

One name caught her attention and she pulled it out of the stack with a bit of force. The puff of dust went up her nose making Rose sneeze a few times. 

So apparently it's been sitting here since the origins of this country. Noted.

And for that matter, it looked like it was even older than that.

She studied the cover that was covered in dust. The title read: The Tale Hallowed.