Luke took out and opened his wallet.
The Clerk staring at him intently.
After peering inside, Luke reached back into his pocket and pulled out every bit of change he had.
Putting the coins on the counter for the Clerk to see, Luke took out every bit of money he had inside the wallet and placed it on the counter too.
"What can I get for..."
"5 dollars and eighty two cents?" Luke asked, after counting everything out.
The Clerk stared at him in disbelief.
"That's all?" the man asked, staring at the small pile before him.
"Afraid so. I'm not as wealthy as some of your other customers, nor do I have a rich patron like the two men who were here before me."
"Then how do you hope to attend the party?" the Clerk wanted to know.
"I don't know. Everyone else seems to be going, and I just didn't want to be left out. Again," confessed Luke.
The Clerk stared at Luke, which made him worry about what the man might do next.
"I'll tell you what," the Clerk finally said, as he reached underneath the counter and pulled out a dusty old box.
"I shouldn't be doing this," claimed the man, "but I might just have something in here for you that you can actually afford," as he opened the box.
Inside the box was just one piece of a costume.
It was a...