You Get Lost in a Strange Bookshop (Part 1)

Transcript

**rain and thunder sounds** **bell rings** **thunder sounds** Welcome. .. Whoa! Hey! Careful! You might knock something over! Are you alright? What, uh.

.. What was what? Voice! Uh.

.. I said hello. That's.

.. that's all I heard. You okay? Alright, just.

.. Just try not to be so. ..

so. .. jumpy.

The bookshelves are stable, but they aren't really built to be bumped against like that. You look a little lost. I take it.

.. you've never been here before. **laughs** No.

Most of the customers are regulars at this point. I can recognize all their faces. Did the storm drag you in? **laughs** Don't worry.

I don't mind at all. I won't kick you out if you're just trying to get out of the rain. But! While you're in here, please feel free to take a look around.

I know that it looks like just another bookshop, but I think you'll find it a bit more interesting than that. **laughs** Uh. ..

Unique is a word you could use for it. I know that every. ..

well. .. most bookstores have a unique feel to them.

The big chain branches not so much because they're just another part of the corporate life and lack that personal touch, but anyways, this one in particular takes my heart. Which, of course, is a biased opinion. **laughs** But I still love it.

I do indeed own it, actually. Bookstores don't make much money these days, but I wasn't about to let that stop my passion. But enough about me.

Having picked a bookstore instead of the fast food joint next door, I assume you must be a reader. Huh. Well, uh.

.. Do you have any favorites? Series, maybe? Or a genre that kind of stands out more than the rest? Oh.

Medieval fantasy, huh? Well. ..

Uh. .. Are you open to suggestions? **laughs** Of course, don't worry.

No pressure. But feel free to walk around all you want. I'll be right here.

**humming** **humming** **humming** **humming** **humming** Oh? Yes? Find something? Oh.

**laughs** Don't worry, it's, uh. .. A lot of people get turned around in here.

You're not alone. Small space. You wouldn't think of it as a labyrinth until you're actually inside trying to walk around.

Did you find the section you were looking for, though? No? You want me to take you there? Okay, it's not a bother, but.

.. Suit yourself. Like I said, there's no pressure.

Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere. **sighs** Don't lie.

Oh, I do like medieval fantasy quite a bit. Yeah, whatever. I bet you only read the smutty ones, too.

If you read at all. What? What are you doing back here already? Well, yeah, no shit it's weird.

What did you do? Turn right back around? You look like you haven't moved an inch.

What's wrong with you? Excuse me? What's wrong with my shop? What do you mean? This is the best damn bookstore there is.

You just can't make up your mind. What do you mean, what do I mean? I meant what I said.

You keep getting turned around and end up back here because you're turned around in your head. If you could just think straight for like half a minute, you'd have a book already and be happily turning pages. Yeah.

I know you can't find any books. Like I said, you keep going down the same aisle and ending up here because you can't even think of a book. You know what? Fine.

I thought I was speaking your language but clearly not. Follow me. I guess I'll just have to show you what I mean.

Yeah, down the same aisle. I know that's the one you've gone down and ended up back here. Twice now, actually.

It's insulting. So, come on. Alright, so, obviously right away there's a few books but these aren't the ones interesting to you.

So, we're just going to keep walking. And. ..

What? This is literally the aisle you were standing in. You know for a fact it's the same one you walked down twice.

Oh, but it never had an intersection before. Of course it didn't have an intersection before. Like I said, you wouldn't even pause to think.

Why would there be more options available to you if you wouldn't even consider them? Oh, what am I talking about? You know what? Alright.

Go ahead. Go ahead. Pick a direction.

Pick one. Or screw it. Even straight ahead.

Go on. Choice is yours. Yeah? Alright.

Straight on it is. Gods, you are so twitchy. What? What? What is it now? What don't you get here? I know.

.. I know that's not the front desk ahead. You chose to go forward.

Not. .. not backwards towards the entrance.

I. .. Oh, you are so dense.

I already said you kept ending up back at the front because you couldn't think. Now that I've taken the lead, you're actually letting your mind wander while you blindly follow. So, voila! Choice presented itself and you picked.

Now, here we are. I'm going to be here all day, aren't I? I.

.. oh. Hey.

I was right. About your reading preference. Medieval smut.

What am I talking. .. On the shelves! All around us! You have eyes, don't you? I know the brain is questionable, but it at least looks like you can see.

This is medieval smut, right? I'm not suddenly illiterate after a lifetime of reading and writing. Am I? Alright.

Glad we can agree on one thing. Though, with reading so much about magic, I really thought you'd warm up to the idea a little bit faster. Oh, well.

Everyone's different, I suppose. I mean, these books, these books right here, are the kind of books you read when you do read, right? I haven't totally lost my touch.

Oh, no. I'm, uh. ..

I'm well aware you were asking about the magic. I just decided it's time to change topics. You read this.

That is a fact. That's what I was talking about. Uh.

.. Actually, this one, this one right here, this one in particular, was your childhood favorite. Oh.

What a name. God, you must have been a wild child. Huh? Oh, I, uh.

.. I didn't know. I don't know you.

It's on the label. It says right there. Childhood favorite.

I'm clever, but, hell, I'm not that lucky. That'd be. ..

That'd be an insane guess. What kind of a label is that? That's.

.. That's for you. That's your label.

This isn't just any kid's favorite book. That'd be. ..

That'd be really messed up. This thing's pretty dark, too. You must be into some fun stuff.

But, uh, no, this. .. This is your childhood favorite.

I mean, if you don't believe me, what about that one? That's the next book in a long series that you've been meaning to read. It is better than this, I'll give you that much at least.

Oh, that's fun. Over here, it looks like we've got the strange one that your friend suggested to you, but you're never going to read. Can't say I blame you either.

Fish people just aren't attractive. Oh, no. I feel like I shouldn't even point it out, but.

.. We also have your mom's book that you accidentally read a page of and it both scarred you for life and shaped your fantasies more than you'd like to admit. Wow, what a mouthful.

Probably literally, too. Uh. ..

Well, let's see. .. Where do you want to begin? Huh? What do you mean, what is this place? I thought I told you as soon as you walked in.

This is my bookshop.