When I was out in town today, I had come across an old pawn shop, tucked away at the end of a street full of other various stores and restaurants, and decided to take a look inside. It was filled with a real diverse range of items, including everything from old computers, to dusty VHS tapes, to models and much, much more, though one item in particular caught my attention. It was a crown, sitting alone, appearing very out of place resting upon a stack of old cooking magazines. It was obviously made out of plastic and intended to be a part of a costume, or something along that nature; something about it was rather alluring to me though. When I went to buy the fake regalia, the fairly eccentric-looking owner insisted that it was on him, but first he'd love to see me try it on. He wore a colourful but tacky Hawaiian shirt and had messy grey hair coupled with a thin, long goatee, and despite the fact that I can't recall ever meeting him before, something about his voice sounded so familiar…

Whilst this was a rather unusual request to make, he was giving me this thing for free, and I saw no harm in indulging him. Placing it upon my head, I found that it fit me pretty well, as I turn to look at myself in a mirror beside the counter — very regal indeed, I think, whilst smiling playfully at myself. However, when I turn around to ask the guy what he thought of it, he was gone — vanished seemingly into thin air. I look around in a confused silence for him, but he'd was no where to be seen. That would be the least of my worries soon however, when the crown then started to glow upon my head, getting heavier and more shiny with each passing second… almost as if it was becoming… real?

I feel my hands then starting to get kind of still and rigid too, closing involuntarily into fists as I begin to panic. My skin starts to look pale, the colour flushing away when the illusive store owner makes himself known to me once more, dropping his former human disguise. He giggles to himself, revelling in my shock as I realise that what ever is about to come, it's certainly isn't going to be boring…