Easy Money

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: Story must take place in a pet store

Easy Money

The large dark overcoat wasn’t spooky by itself but it came with a set of bloodshot eyes above a tangled beard both of which peered out from under the brim of a filthy Fedora. The accompanying odor wasn’t so bad. It actually fit in well with the smell along Puppy Row, a stretch of cages filled with small furry food processors.

Charlie eyed the customer suspiciously. Not liking the looks of the hulking figure, he poked around for some sort of weapon in case trouble started. Nothing really jumped out as helpful. For a moment, he considered using a shock collar but decided he probably wouldn’t be able to convince the guy to put it on in time for it to be useful.

After a few minutes of shuffling around, the stranger approached Charlie who stood behind the counter suddenly absorbed in reading the back of a box of turtle food.

“How much for the monkey?” grunted the overcoat.

Charlie looked up suddenly curious and said, “What monkey?”

“The one in the large cage near the back of the store.”

Charlie craned his neck to see what the man could be referring to. He knew for a fact there was no monkey in the store.

“I’m sorry sir. We don’t have a monkey. I think you might be referring to by little brother Timmy. He is supposed to be cleaning the cages back there by the sink.”

“I’ll give you $500 for the boy, but you have to put him in a monkey suit.”

Charlie looked through the front window at the costume shop across the street. This is perfect! he thought until he noticed the CLOSED sign in the window.

Thinking quickly, he leaned across the counter and offered “Four hundred and no costume.”

Word count 297