Closing Time (open)
Alexandra Thorne, at least that was what she was now known as, busied herself with closing up her shop Curious Goods for the evening. Antiques littered the shelves, tables and display cases in the small shop in the Near West Side of Chicago. The store had been open for the past ten years and run and owned by Alex.

She made her way around the shop putting things back where they belong after people had moved them during the day. It looked like the items were placed haphazardly around the small store, but Alex had a particular place for everything. She wasn't anal retentive about things, but there were a few small areas of her life where it shown through.

She went into the back of the store and emerged with a small dish of cheese and bread and sat it on top of one of the display cases. There were a few things from the old days she held on to. She made her way to the door and stepped outside for a moment.

The air held a slight chill to it, hinting at the colder weather to come. Maybe in a year or two she would move southward. She was tired of cold winters and snow.

Alex looked up and down the busy street. Despite the myriad of people on the street, there would be no more customers today. She took one last look and stepped back inside.