An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

The bell above the shop door gave a brisk ring. Anna started and looked towards the storeroom, but her father did not appear. She had watched him serve customers many times; she had never stood behind the counter alone. Now the counter seemed as high as a wall.

A woman entered and asked for a packet of needles. Anna's fingers hovered over the row of wooden drawers. She opened one and found only buttons. As she closed it, the clock ticked loudly into the silence. Her reply, when it came, was thin and hurried.

Then Anna noticed the faded labels beneath the handles. She drew a slow breath, read them carefully and opened the correct drawer. "The needles are here," she said, and this time each word reached the other side of the counter. When the woman also requested pins, Anna turned to the next drawer before the question was finished.

Her father appeared in the storeroom doorway but remained there while Anna completed the sale. The customer thanked her and left. A moment later, the bell rang again. Anna stepped forward at once. The counter no longer seemed quite so high.