The end or the beginning? 

The streets are dark, the houses are dilapidated, and the people are dishonest and unfriendly. Not much to lose, not much to gain. Following one of the small side streets a little and slightly dilapidated but still charming tea shop appears.
The big wooden sign with the print "Arias Teashop" is only hanging crooked on the left edge, and the stone building is covered with cracks. It secures my existence in this squalid neighborhood. The tea business is not easy, especially when every second person is trying to rip you off.

I'm Aria, a 26-year-old woman without much perspective in life. With my shoulder-length brown hair, my brown eyes, and an ordinary look, I am nothing special. With some beauty, there could have been a chance for me to leave this area, become an actress, or whatever people dream of. But with nothing but this shop I inherited from my grandmother, the only family who raised me, I have a very low income. So I'm stuck here in this little town. Today is Saturday, and it's my last workday of this week. The hours pass very slowly, and no one visits. Since not many customers come into the store, I often read novels in the meantime. Usually, the books are set in a beautiful fantasy world with a hero who gains a happy end for him and the world. That way I can dream myself into another world for a moment and rejoice in the happy ending of the novel. I also wish for a happy end for myself, this must be the reason why I like such books. 

Then the store door opens and the little bell on the door rings. Mentally back in reality, I stand up and look over the counter. An overweight middle-aged man, wearing casual clothes and with a receding hairline, appears.

I ask him, "Can I help you, sir?"

He looks at me and says nervously, "I am just looking?"

The people who just look around are the worst in this town. Because my goods often end up in their bags, and I don't get paid for them. I observe his behavior from the counter. Slowly he walks past the high shelves with dried teas. Then he moves his arm to the shelf and grabs some teabags, which he puts in his pockets. I have been robbed many times, but he is really clumsy. While he thinks I saw nothing, he grabs another bag and comes to the counter.

"This one, please."

Pretend to buy one to look less suspicious, but steal three other bags in the meantime. Not with me... at least not again. He takes out a few coins and puts them on the counter. But before he can pull his hand back, I grab his arm. I look at him with a pissed-off smile as I lean over the counter.

"You forgot to pay for the other three tea bags in your pocket, sir! You did not mean to steal them, did you?"

He looks at me visibly shocked and starts to sweat nervously.

"I... don't know what you mean..."

You know exactly what I mean. I press his arm harder. He does not seem to have much experience in this nor a lot of courage, I guess, because he gives in pretty quickly. 

"Oh..., you mean these bags? Of course I will pay for them."

He reaches in his pocket with his other hand and puts the remaining money on the counter.
I let go of his arm. He grabs his arm, takes the tea, and quickly runs out. I wave to him, still smiling, and say

"Thank you Sir. Please come again."

As he left, I stopped smiling, and exhaled with a "huff".

Everyone in this town is trying to rip you off. I have been ripped off many times, and that's not always by people you expect. I have been ripped off more than once by a nice-looking grandma with a crutch in the past. But now I have a keen eye for people and can read them quite well. Today was not such a good day, as this thief remained the only customer. When this goes on, I have to find another way to earn money. But I am living in this shop, as I was not able to pay the rent for my last apartment. There are no ways for me to save money anymore. And my books are my only pleasure in life, and secondhand as well. I also don't treat myself to anything.

Today's shift is over and I close the shop and go down the sunset-bathed street to buy some groceries because my stomach is already digesting itself. I am standing on a wide street. As I see no cars coming, I walk forward. But then a truck races along the street. I jump to the side to avoid getting run over. As the truck passes and I get away with scratches, I slowly stand up, happy and shocked at the same time.

Multitasking was never my strength. I was so busy with myself and the passing truck, that I did not notice the truck on the other lane. So just a few seconds later, a moving truck drove towards me from the other direction and hit me before I could make another move. Lying on the ground, I could see the dim light of the streetlamps and the moving truck with the sign: "We move you to your new life". What a bad joke.

Then everything is shrouded in darkness...