Jeweller (Patreon)

You came to thejewellers for... Something. Not that it matters anymore. You found what you wanted.

* * *

The old jewellers was cramped, but the display cases had so many pretty things inside of them. The person behind the desk smiled brightly as you walked in. They were holding a crystal pendant up to the light, and went back to staring for a moment, eyeing it critically.

As you reached the counter, they looked at you properly. “Hi there!” They said, their voice as bright as their smile. “Can I help you find what you’re looking for?”

You took a moment to look around at the displays, there were so many things. Some help wouldn’t go amiss.

“Sure. I’m looking for-” Your eyes fell on the crystal pendant that they were holding. It had caught the light. Shining softly. They saw you looking, and held it up again, so it caught the light once more.

“Something like this, right? I can totally understand. It’s so easy to look at.”

You nodded. “Y-yeah.”

They let it slip down, dangling from its chain. “People wouldn’t be able to look away if you were wearing it. They’d be drawn in. Kinda like you, right now.”

You blinked, trying to think, but your mind had become somewhat melty. “Like… me?” You asked. It was a struggle to find the words.

“Yeah!” The seller’s voice was so cheerful. It was so easy to listen to. “You’re being drawn in, aren’t you? It’s so hard to look away.”

“I…” The thought died on your lips. All you wanted to do was stare.

“Shh, that’s okay. I know what you want. I could tell from the moment you walked in. You wanted to be shown a pretty crystal. Just like this! And you wanted to buy it. No thoughts. An impulse purchase.”

You nodded, brain still stalling, being dragged along by their words. “in fact, you’d give anything to own it, isn’t that right?” You kept nodding. It was impossible to stop. “That’s right. Lucky for you, I’m not charging too much. Just a hundred dollars.” They said.

A part of your mind struggled to compute. That felt like a lot. But the thought was so hard to hold on to. Numbers weren’t computing right now. You felt a finger on your lips. “Shh, stop thinking so hard. Just stare. It’s okay. I know what you need.” You heard a soft beep.

But you couldn’t look away. “There you go. Just keep watching, until you get outside. And if you like that one, maybe you should come back, or tell your friends. I’m sure I’ve got a piece that they’ll love!” The wind blew around you, and you blinked. You were outside.