The store clerk responded with, "The store is closing"
when I asked why everything was so cheap.

He said that the recession had finally beaten them,
and I shrugged and walked towards the back.

I browsed isles of useless merchandise,
picking them up and setting them back down.

Five minutes later when I started down the second isle,
all the items I was interested in instantly broke.

I picked up a mirror,
and it mysteriously shattered in my hand.

I destroyed three coffee cups that
I had planned to purchase.

A candle crumbled in my hands
when I slid it from the shelf.

Furious that all the goods were garbage,
I marched up to the front counter.

I found the clerk slouching slothfully
and checking the clock when I approached.

When I asked why everything was so cheap,
The store clerk responded with, "The store is closing."