Richard and Jason had been friends since elementary school. They'd been there for each other through thick and thin, in health and in sickness. They were the epitome of best-friendship. And like so many best friends, the two boys seemed to balance each other out. Richard's brash and impulsive personality would've landed him in major trouble if it wasn't for Jason's more controlled and humble attitude. This wasn't just a one-way street, however, Jason's friendship with Richard had helped him come out of his shell, and if it weren't for his best buddy's antics, Jason wouldn't be as willing to take risks and try new things.
The two boys were now 15 and finishing up their second year of high school. And although their lives were beginning to take diverting paths, their friendship remained strong. Richard's involvement in sports had toned his body, and although he wasn't ripped, he certainly had a solid frame, emphasized by his shorter stature. Jason on the other hand, had hit a growth spurt at 13, he stood at a tall 6'3" but without much exercise outside of the mandatory P.E. classes, he was thin and lanky.
It was a hot summer afternoon and the two boys were walking home from their last day of school. Summer vacation had begun. Jason's family had a cabin by a nearby lake and the two friends had convinced their parents to let them spend a month up in the cabin. After much pleading, their parents agreed, after all, the cabin was not far from a small town, so if anything went wrong, help wasn't too far away.
"Man, we're gonna have SO much fun! The lake's right there so we can swim whenever we want. And the mountains look like a pretty good hiking place. Hey! Maybe we can try rock climbing!" Richard went on excitedly to Jason.
"Yeah," Jason replied with a chuckle, "and maybe you can finally teach me how to fish."
"I still can't believe that your family has a cabin by a lake and you've never learned how to fish."
The two kept going back and forth, throwing comebacks at one another.
"Wait, dude hold up," Jason stops and puts his hand on Richard's shoulder to stop him as well, "was this store always here?"
Richard stopped and turned to look at the building Jason was talking about.
"Uh, I don't think so?"
They'd walked this route for two years now, so they knew this street pretty well and that building had definitely not been there yesterday. Richard walked up to one of the windows and looked inside. The store looked pretty small, but it was chock full of all sorts of knick-knacks.
"'Emerson's Emporium'," Jason read the sign above the door out loud, "Should we go in?"
"Totally!"
The boys walk into the store, a bell jingling above them as the door opened.
They walked around, taking everything in. Jason picked up a jar and looked inside, there seemed to be...eyes inside? He quickly put it back down. Richard was looking at a small portrait of a young woman when she winked at him. The two boys looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Can I help you boys?" An elderly woman spoke up from behind the desk. Her white hair contrasting against her dark skin.
"Oh, um," Jason muttered, "We were just looking around."
"Looking around is right!" the old lady laughed, "Come here boys, I have just the thing for you two."
Not knowing how to react, Richard and Jason walked towards the front counter. The old woman pulled out two leather cuffs from under the counter. The two cuffs were identical, they were made of weathered, brown leather, and had a thin silver wire running around it.
"This is JUST the thing for your camping trip! I guarantee you, boys, you'll have the time of your lives."
Richard and Jason looked at each other, how did she know about their camping trip?
"Go on! Take them, boys! They're on the house." the lady said as she pushed the cuffs towards the boys. Richard and Jason took them, they didn't want to be rude, thanked the elderly lady and walked out of the strange shop.
"Don't be strangers y'all! Come back when you get back!" the lady laughed as the bell above the door jingled.
Richard and Jason put the cuffs away and thought nothing more of them.