First #fridayflash of 2010! Hopefully first of 52!

I don't remember where the germ of this one came from, but it'd been rolling around in my head for a few weeks.

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Niche Market - A Horror Story

1.

Jon held the book up to his nose and inhaled deeply. It was perfect. People didn't often think about the smell of books, but it really was one of the most important details.

"You're really weird, you know that?"

Kristi shared the studio space with Jon. She was an art therapist who worked mostly with ceramics and divorcees.

"I'm just a perfectionist."

He set the book down and gazed at it for moment. Drummed his fingers on the cover.

"Is this guy even going to care about how the book smells?"

"Nope. But I do."

He opened it up and leafed through the pages. The paper had been bought on the cheap when a local printer went out of business. Jon considered his handiwork, then picked up his coffee mug and dribbled some of its contents onto the top right corner. After the coffee had been absorbed, Jon roughly shaved off the top corners of the pages.

Satisfied, he dropped it onto the pile of books in the milk crate on the floor beside his desk.

Kristi looked up from the vase she was detailing. "You should start stamping the covers as though they were library books. Your clients would totally go for that."

Jon rubbed his chin. "That's not a bad idea."

2.

Thomas, the buyer, picked up one of the volumes and thumbed through it with a frown. Plunked in down amongst the others in the milk crate.

"No Bibles or anything in here, right?"

"Nope. Uh, there's a paperback edition of the Silver Chair though."

"That's fine."

He took out his wallet and counted out a small stack of bills.

"You do fine work, son."

"Thanks, I certainly try."

Thomas hefted the box of Jon's handcrafted books.

"Can't have a book burning without books. Everyone just downloads them these days. Deleting files just isn't the same."

"I can imagine. See you next month, Thomas."

After Thomas left, Kristi said, "I'm not sure a real artist makes his art so others can destroy it."

Jon shrugged. "Bills gotta be paid. I'm like a chef. Food is art, but chef make it to be eaten."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's go hit the pub. You can buy me a pint with your ill-gotten gains."

14 responses to "Niche Market - A Horror Story "

Carrie Cleaver wrote: Friday, 01 Jan 2010 16:09 Unique concept. I often feel guilty when I buy eBooks, but I know it's eco-conscious, takes up less space, and in the long run is cheaper, yet I feel we are at the brink of an important revolution in the publishing industry. Gutenberg would be astonished.

Laura Eno wrote: Friday, 01 Jan 2010 21:58 My ebooks are safe from the book burners! I suppose he is like a chef. I wonder if it will come to that. :)

peggy wrote: Friday, 01 Jan 2010 22:19 I love the smell of books! I've been trying to write a story that conveys not only the smell of books but how the children's room in the basement of the old stone library smelled when I was a child. Best smell in the whole world. Loved the tongue in cheek "horror" description of this story. e-books make me sad too.

ganymeder wrote: Friday, 01 Jan 2010 22:58 I love both paper books and ebooks. I am completely in love with this story. It's so inspired. Great work.

mazzz_in_Leeds wrote: Saturday, 02 Jan 2010 06:56 I'm a paper book lover, but if ebooks will stop people burning books, maybe that's a good thing :) Cool story, doesn't half make one think! Silver Chair - Narnia?

Shannon Esposito wrote: Saturday, 02 Jan 2010 16:03 Ha! You know one thing that you can't have with an e-book is a first edition. Or get it signed for that matter. Unless you print it out, which just isn't the same. Nice one.

Deanna Schrayer wrote: Saturday, 02 Jan 2010 16:11 I have yet to buy my first ebook. I just have to have the feel of the real deal, as well as the smell. Clever story.

karen from mentor wrote: Saturday, 02 Jan 2010 16:22 "She was an art therapist who worked mostly with ceramics and divorcees." made me lol. There's a joke there somewhere about both being fragile....

Marisa Birns wrote: Sunday, 03 Jan 2010 09:29 Oh, the horror! Books dying in flames! Still love the feel of a book in my hands, though not opposed to ebooks. Your story is a very good one to ring in the new year. You continue to bring on the admiration!

Kylie wrote: Sunday, 03 Jan 2010 11:48 I have a friend who always smells the books when we go into a bookstore! And anything with a book burning is horror story enough for me o_o Fingers crossed for those 52 stories!

~Tim wrote: Sunday, 03 Jan 2010 21:08 Interesting concept! Do you suppose Kindles will be kindling when people start burning e-books instead of paper books?

Chance wrote: Monday, 04 Jan 2010 01:35 Great story, I just hope the buyer was just burning books!

David G Shrock wrote: Monday, 04 Jan 2010 14:05 Nice concept. Print-n-Burn eBooks. Always could create an eBook virus/worm, I suppose.

J. M. Strother wrote: Tuesday, 05 Jan 2010 13:16 Arrrrghhhh! Book burning! Nooooooo! That was very well done. Sad, but well done. Did not see it coming in the slightest. On a side note, the MC is named Jon and his partner says, "You're really weird, you know that?" We seem to have a lot in common. ;) ~jon

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