Unexpected Fees

Writers often have to deal with unexpected expenses. Be sure to read the fine print.

I stared at the notice in front of me as the envelope I had pulled it from dropped to the floor. My stomach followed closely behind.

There was no way this could be right.

I barely stopped in to the convention center.

My eyes widened at the extravagant amount I apparently owed.

I sucked in a breath as I flipped over the page searching for a phone number to call.

My hand trembled as I dialed the number. I closed my eyes and concentrated on pulling in calming breaths. My heartbeat raced a staccato beat.

"I just received a bill that says I owe over a thousand dollars. What does this mean? I was not even at the convention."

"We have a record of your book being on display at one of the booths."

"I only stopped off to drop off some books to a friend who said she'd sell them for me."

"Ah, well. Anyone selling merchandise at the convention was required to pay a selling fee. This amount is for that and for the fact that a second party was responsible for selling the product for you."

Holy Shit. "Is this for real? You're kidding, right? I had no idea this was even a thing. If I had known I would never have dropped off my books or let my friend sell them... she told me she could do it for me as a favour."

"Well, this is our policy."

"I only sold a couple of books."

"Oh, well that will make a difference."

I blew out a breath thinking maybe there was a way out of this.

"The total you owe will be increased to take that into consideration. You'll need to pay an additional $50 per book."

My heart stopped and I dropped to the floor.



Word Count = 300 words

Notes ▼

Written for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge" 
Prompt for 3/28
Write a story that includes the line: “What does this mean?”
Honourable Mention