I don't know what drew me into the store, or why I had never noticed it before. Almost against my will, I went inside, not knowing what they sold, or if I would even want anything.
An ancient Chinese man worked the counter, dusting the shelves, which were filled with all manner of bottles and tins, all of them unlabeled. I browsed silently for a few minutes, attempting to decipher the uses for the items, and was unable to do so. Then the man spoke.
"Looking for something?" he asked me, smiling a knowing smile.
"Just sort of browsing" I answered. I tried to think of something interesting I might find in a store like this. After a moment, I had an idea.
"Do you have any special massage oil? My girlfriend loves it when I give her a massage and I always try to keep an eye out for nice massage oils to try..."
The man seemed to contemplate my question for a moment. "I think I might have just the right thing for you." He searched through some bottles on a shelf then pulled one from near the back. "Here you go. Very special massage oil, very special indeed. I think it will be perfect for your girlfriend."
I paid for the oil (no more expensive than regular massage oil) and left. Looking over the bottle, the only writing I found on it was some small script that refered to it as "Snake Oil". I thought that was an odd name for it. I shrugged and thought no more of it as I headed home. Maybe when my girlfriend got home I'd try it out...