The Winter Fairy Has Left Us

There’s something to be said about Joseph’s Fine Antiques Shop. A shop clustered with decorative plates, stained furniture, and somewhat dusty lamps stacked on top of each other in a topsy-turvy way as lamps balance on plates and plates balance on bent shelves and stools. The place is nothing like its neighbors, neither the sterile bright of the Walmart or the red obsessed cleanliness of the Target. It has character, at least that’s what people say when they step foot into the shop, and no one in the building has more character than Joseph himself.

Joseph stands tall in the cramped shop, taller than most of the shelves. His eyes, always following, constantly shift from a state of strain to gentle annoyance. His voice is always bright with his customers, though each of his sentences ends with a shaky breath. He was odd to say the least. Rumor has it that he was born on the other side of town. It is believed that the soot and the winds from the ashy grounds damaged his lungs, but that is all rumor. No one really knows when he came here or if he has always been here; just one day, they noticed the shop and consequently, noticed him as well. Some avoid it like the plague; some are drawn to it.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Even so, I don’t know why, but I feel like you won’t enjoy it in your house based on how you described it.”

Joseph further discusses the furniture with the middle-aged lady and in the end, the woman walks out with a confused expression on her face. She had spent two hours in the store, yet left with nothing.

A younger woman who came in shortly after the lady’s exit picks up a gorgeous figurine. The piece has been tucked into a lonely and blocked corner of the shelf. It has detailed wings that morph the body and on one of the carved wings, there was a small hole. Flipping the figure repeatedly, she studies it intently. Hesitantly, after several minutes, she places the figurine back in its spot and walks out of the store. Joseph sighs gently.

A teenager, a mother of five, and a college student all enter the store one by one. All browse the shelves but ultimately leave the store after a quick look at the selection.

Spotting a young man entering the store, Joseph watches for several minutes as the man weaves through the aisles, accidentally brushing against objects on occasion. Finally, the man picks up an object, inspects it, and continues forward with the plate in his hand.

Joseph quickly approaches the man.

“Hello! Welcome to the store. I’m Joseph, the owner. Anything that I can help you with?”

The man smiles at Joseph awkwardly and states that he’s looking for something for his girlfriend, a statement piece for her kitchen.

“That’s sweet! I’m not sure that plate will do it, but we do have a beautiful vase that could go on her kitchen island. Follow me.”

They walk around the store with Joseph prowling from shelf to shelf as the man shifts from one foot to the other. Joseph brings him from one end of the store to another, seemingly clueless as to where the vase could be.

Joseph abandons the main floor and strolls towards a dark part of the store, hidden from the show lights. Waving at the man to follow, they both step into the stuffy dark corner that contains a small doorway to a tight hallway. The man’s shifting increases as he smells something bitter in the air and feels a stickiness to the floor.

The man, eyes darting, suggests that they go back to the main floor, saying that they could find something else.

“That’s a fine idea! My apologies. I could have sworn that we had that vase…. Oh! There’s a tea set that she may like.”

The walk continues and continues. Joseph couldn’t find the tea set, the pot set, or the ceramic mug set.

“Does it have to be for the kitchen? It looks like we have run out of all the nice kitchen sets. Let me show you something else instead.”

Before the man can respond, Joseph quickly turns around and pulls out a shower curtain that had been hanging from a nail on the side of one of the shelves.

“Isn’t it nice?” Jospeh smiles.

The man stares and then suggests the plate that he had originally picked up.

“Oh, that plate? It’s not for sale. Someone must have accidentally put it on the shelf, but if you want something like that, then you should check out the nearby Target or Walmart. It's only 18 minutes away from here.”

The man thanks Joseph through clenched teeth and leaves the store with a confused frown.

Joseph sighs.

…

Only one more person came in after the man, but after speaking with Joseph, they promptly left.

The clock strikes 7:30pm and Joseph starts closing. It starts with him walking through the aisles and adjusting items. Then, he sweeps the floors, checks the register, and finally concludes the routine by going into the dark corner and hallway, making sure everything is complete and secure there. That particular step takes 30 mins to an hour. The ritual concludes with him turning off the show lights.

As Joseph was walking towards the door with his bag slung over his shoulder, his eye caught something on the shelf.

Glass wings.

The glass fairy figurine was poised on a battered brown shelf, tucked in the corner with a coat rack blocking its view. It was a stunning piece, though those who found it often stated that it was unsettling with its piercing glass eyes and unusually large wings. The proportions shouldn’t work, but somehow it kept upright. The piece really isn’t meant to be looked at too long, but in Joseph’s case, his eyes always find it, especially at night.

He sighs and leaves the store.

The figurine’s glass wings flutter.