I first noticed it on a break from high-school in my local shopping mall. The store claimed to be an ‘Exotic Crafts and Jewellery’ store however upon entering I was disappointed to find that it meant selling ‘powdered crystals’ and ‘soothing salts’ to gullible people. Having nothing better to do I browsed, hoping to find something nice looking for my girlfriend. While she also didn’t appreciate the ‘mystifying arts’ I knew she would appreciate a small gift.
“Looking for anything in particular?” The clerk, a towering old man who wore a variety of crystals tied to a necklace, appeared behind me and just about gave me a heart attack.
“Uh, yeah I'm just looking for a ring for my girlfriend.” I replied after a moment.
“Ahh, come, over here,” the creep spoke as he turned to a cabinet I hadn’t seen before. Splayed before me were a variety of jewellery pieces, some of which I couldn't even begin to identify. Looking over it all they all looked fairly complex and intricate in their designs and carvings.
“I uh, I don’t think I can afford any of these,” I said, what was with the names? ‘Wishful thinking, Good Fortunes, Hypnotic horror.’ My eyes lingered on the final ring for a moment before he spoke drawing my gaze.
“Nonsense, I can see it in your eyes, you can afford them, and you want one.” His voice grew deeper, demanding almost and he stared into my eyes. I couldn’t look away.
“I’m good thanks, I think I’m going to head out.” I wanted to turn around, to look away but I couldn't make myself. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him reaching for one of the rings, I think it had said something about hypnotism? At last he looked away from me and down to the ring. I’ve never spun around and began walking out of a store so fast in my life.
“You forgot this.” he called, I turned back for a second and saw him holding out his hand, the black and red spiralled ring fitting snugly on his ring finger. His deep brown eyes piercing into my own and that damned ring was the last thing I saw before everything else became hazy.
I… awoke? Out the front of the store, standing, and with a small gift bag in my hand. I quickly opened it up and I saw the dreaded ring. I turned around to head back into the store only to find it had closed… a sign out the front announced that it had been getting renovated for weeks? I looked back to the bag and felt uncomfortable.
“Go… find your girlfriend, give her your new gift.”
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