A Desert Store

[anasa]

"That'll be 15 gold, please," the woman said to her customer.

"15?! Are you insane??" the man angrily replied, "I got this exact same type of bread at this exact same shop just last week, and it only cost me 5!"

"Yes, but demands have gone up since you last came," the woman said, using the same line she had used on many before him, "Sir, you obviously do NOT understand the demands of holding a produce store in the middle of the desert!" She put on her best offended act. "If you came here merely to insult me, then I suggest you give that bread back and leave this instant!"

"Oh, no!" the man said, falling for the shopkeeper's commonly used ploys, "Forgive me! I did not mean to offend!"

As the man was leaving, silently cursing himself for upsetting a woman, and the shopkeeper was pocketing her reward, a boy of about 17 with white hair and different-colored eyes entered.

"Oh, hello!" the woman said warmly, "Welcome to my humble store!"

The boy merely tilted his head in greeting and began to gather his provisions. They were all fairly cheap and tasteless items that one only buys when one wants to keep from starving.

[anasa]

"Forgive me for staring," the woman said, although she had not, "But you have the most peculiar hair and eyes."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," the boy said gruffly.

"What's your name, sonny?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Fine, suit yourself. I was just curious if you were related to a past customer of mine. He had eyes like yours."

The boy abruptly stood up and whirled around to face the shopkeeper.

"How old was he? Where's he from? What's his name???"

"Easy! Easy, now!" the shopkeeper said, raising her palms defensively, "He was only in here once or twice. I don't know his name or where he's from-"

"Then, tell me something about him! Anything!"

She studied him for a moment before continuing on.

"Well," she said, "He had very light skin. I believe he was a foreigner. He had blonde hair and was about six feet or so...at least, that is how he appeared to me. With a stature like mine, everyone seems quite tall."

"Got it! Anything else?"

"Nothing that comes to mind," she said, "Oh! But, sir, you wanted to buy those items, didn't you?"

[anasa]

No sooner had she finished that sentence then the boy was already out the door.

"He can't possibly be thinking of going into the desert without supplies, can he?" she said to herself, "That fool..."

She looked down to see what she had gathered gone.

"W-WHA??? That little rat!! How did he get those so quickly?! Police! Police! Thief! Thief!!!"