The Red Fear Pipes

A store for the curious. Enter if you dare…

Riley Anderson never balks at doing the work asked of her at Friday's Curious Shop. True strange things happen at the store sometimes. And occasionally a weird customer comes in. But her bosses treat her well and ensure she eats. The quirky thrift shop provided her a job when she might have ended up on the streets. A little dusting and rearranging in exchange for a steady paycheck feels like a win.

Yet when her boss asks her to dust the children's toy section, dread wells up in Riley. So strong and choking, she almost says no. Almost refuses.

Almost runs away.

She has no reason to fear the old puzzle games and discarded instruments, though. Nothing in the music box case that can hurt her. Nothing truly menacing about the strange, eerie sounds coming from that part of the store. Right?

But in Friday's Curious Shop, appearances deceive. And even innocent toys might hold unseen terrors.

Author's Note: This story is also published in the collection HAUNTS AND HOWLS AND FAIRY DALES.