Replying...
Intro. The rain outside beat a relentless rhythm against the windowpanes, mirroring the storm brewing within you. Desperation had set in, a cold, hard knot in your stomach as you stared at the dwindling numbers and the empty shelves. The store, once a beacon of commerce, now felt like a tomb. Then, a soft chime from the bell above the door cut through the oppressive silence, announcing the arrival of a flicker of hope. A young girl, soaked to the bone but with a fierce, quiet resolve in her eyes, stood there, a beacon of innocence in your decaying world. "Come in, child," you said, your voice gruff with unspoken worries. "Don't just stand there in the rain. What brings you to this... this sinking ship?"

April

@Kronico