Terrifying Tales in Retail

     Drauma threw her hands into the air and collapsed onto the pile of clothes beneath her. It was another frustrating workday at another random Neopian shop. She’d been pulled back and forth through so many shops that day that she lost count. It seemed like every minute a new Neopian was singing her praises and begging her to run their shop, but she just couldn’t take it anymore. She was exhausted.

     “Hello, is anyone here?” A voice called from the front room. Drauma was hoping to get a few moments of peace by hiding in the stock room. Maybe she could bury herself under the piles and piles of clothes and toys that still needed priced and put out on the floor.

     Ever since Drauma could remember, she had a gift for retail. She had the ability to get items from all over Neopia to fly off the shelves in a matter of minutes. The sad thing is, she used to enjoy it too. She would spend hours shopping and researching prices to help Neopians make their shops as competitive as they could be. Over the years though... it all just became too much.

     She would spend hours getting comfortable in one shop just for another one to snatch her up and insist they sell for her. The restocking, the pricing, and the constant cycle of chaos was just exhausting.

     The worst part of all of it, was that some of the shop owners didn’t seem to even want her there. Drauma couldn’t really explain that feeling she had, but it was always in the back of her mind. They treated her being there like a task needing to be checked off, and she felt like a nuisance more than ever before. Drauma was at her breaking point, and she wanted out.

     “I’m leaving the shopkeeper life. I’ve had it!” She grumbled to herself. Just speaking the words out loud immediately had her pulse rising. The stockroom was eerily quiet around her. She pushed herself off of the heaps of clothes on the ground and dusted herself off. This was her moment to take her life back and pursue her real passions.

     …And what exactly were those passions? Well, I’ll figure that out later, she thought to herself. She decided she was going to storm up to the front desk and put in her notice. She was officially leaving, and she wasn’t coming back.

     As Drauma entered the storefront she saw that there was only one customer in the room. A bubbly pastel Usul was oohing and aahing over the neat stacks of clothes that Drauma had just put out an hour ago. The rest of the store was already in disarray. Clothes were carelessly flung onto the ground with their empty hangers staring at Drauma mockingly from their fixtures. She groaned at the thought of cleaning this mess up and putting everything back where it belonged.

     But no, this wasn’t going to be her job anymore. She shook off her nerves and searched the room for the shop owner.

     “Excuse me? Can you… OMG!” The Usul gasped as she finally noticed Drauma behind the register. She started bouncing up and down and giggling in excitement.

     “You’re not… are you…”

     Drauma sighed.

     “Yes, I’m the Emo Usuki.”

     The Usul squealed and ran towards Drauma with her arms outstretched. She pulled her in for a hug so tight Drauma could feel her face turning blue.

     “Could you… I can’t breathe…” Drauma sputtered.

     “Oh, sorry! I’m just such a big fan.” The surprisingly strong Usul gently let her go and quickly took a step back.

     Drauma leaned onto the counter and tried to catch her breath. The Usul’s eyes were wide with curiosity. Drauma felt her cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

     “So, uh… you’re a fan, you said?” She coughed awkwardly. The Usul nodded her head enthusiastically.

     “Of course! You’re like, an inspiration! You changed my whole life you know. When I was just a kid, I met you in one of your shops.”

     Drauma shook her head in confusion. What was this Usul talking about?

     “I… huh? What do you mean?”

     The Usul giggled and pointed to the fluffy bow on the top of her head. Drauma squinted her eyes. While probably once bright and shiny, the bow did look a little faded, like it had seen better days. For some reason, it looked vaguely familiar.

     “When I was little, I had a really hard time with my confidence. Other kids used to pick on me and I always just felt really sad about it. I never wanted to put effort into my outfits or make any new friends cause I was too embarrassed. My mom decided to take me shopping one day to see if that would cheer me up and we walked into a random store. I was just… feeling sort of defeated by everything, and you came up to me with this pretty bow in your hands.” At this, she tugged on the bow for emphasis.

     “You said, “Don’t worry, style is something we all have, you just have to go out and find it”.

     Drauma blinked. This was all coming back to her. This happened years ago, when working in retail still made her excited to go to work every day. She remembered that bow, the same one this Usul was wearing now.

     The Usul grinned. “I remember putting this on and just feeling so confident. I started coming out of my shell, and making new friends, and now I even design my own clothing! I never got to say it before, but now I can finally thank you. You really make a difference here, and in all the stores that you work at.”

     Drauma felt her eyes welling up with tears. She looked away in embarrassment. The Emo Usuki showing emotions? Please.

     “Uh… you’re welcome.” She mumbled. She didn’t know what else to say. The Usul pulled her in for another hug, this one not nearly as crushing as the first.

     “I better get going, but it was so great seeing you again. I really mean it, thank you!” The Usul squeezed Drauma’s arm reassuringly then skipped out the door.

     What just happened? Drauma’s head was spinning. She’d forgotten all about that Usul and that long-ago day at the store. She’d forgotten all about those days of chatting with customers and swooning over clothes. Drauma felt dizzy with the rush of emotions.

     The store was quiet and empty again. She looked behind her and saw a stack of shirts that needed folded and put back on the sales floor, haphazardly thrown on the counter behind the register. She walked over and brushed her finger over the fabrics.

     Would it be so hard to find that joy in shopping again? She grabbed the first top and started to fold. She began to hum one of her favourite songs (when was the last time she’d done that?) and started daydreaming of outfits this top could go with. She grabbed a stack of bracelets on the counter and held them up next to the top. Maybe she’d accessorize a new mannequin in the shop window.

     Drauma smiled. Her mind was already racing with ideas.

     The End.