Tucked away in a corner of a busy street there is a small, unremarkable red brick building. The only entrance is a plain, black door with a brass knob and a sign which reads, "Books for Sale".
One would not notice such a shop, especially in today's busy world of technology. People bustling up and down the street were glued to their smartphones, far too oblivious to notice the shabby store.
If one were to enter the bookstore, more likely than not accidentally, they would see rows upon rows of dusty books of all shapes and sizes, and an equally dusty counter at the far end of the store. There would not be anyone present at the counter, only a silver bell and a faded piece of paper with the words "Ring bell for service".
Upon taking in all of this, the usual casual passerby would shrivel their nose in disgust and leave as quickly as they came, sparing no further thought for this sad, empty place.
But one day, a young man walked into this quiet little store, and although he did not realize it, his life was about to change forever.
Kyle Simmons was an unemployed student searching for a job. After hundreds of applications and rejections, he was starting to feel like he shouldn't have majored in history.
Tattered jeans and t-shirt and an unkept scraggly beard told of a poor man who shuffled along with his blue eyes cast downward and his shoulders hunched, which didn't help his below-average height.
Trying his best to make his way through the crowded street, Kyle found himself pushed against the walls of nearby buildings, struggling to find an opening. Eventually he managed to escape into a small alleyway, catching his breath. Why did the daily commute have to be so hard? At least he didn't have to drive; the roads were even worse. Not that he could afford a car anyway.
Kyle steeled himself, ready to continue to push through the crowds once more when something caught his eye; a small brick building with a single black door. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it before. He saw a sign on the door. Feeling his heart skip a beat, he shuffled hopefully over to the door, only to slouch back in disappointment when he realized it wasn't a sign looking for hires.
"Books for sale." He mumbled to himself.
He couldn't remember the last time he even read a book, let alone entered a bookstore. Maybe he could take a peek anyway, just for the sake of curiosity. It wasn't like he was in a hurry to get back to his dingy studio apartment anyway.
Grasping the brass handle, Kyle turned the knob, and entered the store.