Peppermint Candy

The peppermint candy jar broke at three. Jana sighed at the mess, and got a broom to sweep up the broken glass. On hands and knees she had almost finished picking up the spilled candy when the bell over the doorway jangled loudly as it was pushed in. Jana stared from the floor as a troop of dwarves stomped into the store swearing and muttering under their breaths. They were followed by a beautiful pale looking woman dressed like a hooker. The eight of them piled against the ice cream bar and the little men began calling out orders for beer and pancakes, rum, whisky, cold chicken, skittles and all manner of foods and drinks. Jana watched from the ground, fingers frozen in the act of reaching for a peppermint. The shrunken men continued to shout out orders for a few moments as the white woman and Jana watched. After a few moments when no one came to the bar and Jana remained on the floor, they helped themselves to the chocolate ice cream, stacked a pile of coins on the counter and streamed out with the beautiful woman behind them. Jana shut her mouth after a minute or so and shook her head. She finished gathering the candy and tidied up the shop, being careful to make sure all the candy jars were safely out of harms way. Then she scooped all the little gold pieces into her apron and took the rest of the week off.1