Purple Pop's Arc

Chapter 2 of 16

At dawn, Purple Pop rolled her cart down a quiet cobblestone path lined with lilac trees. Petals drifted around her wheels. She picked a sunny spot beside a cluster of picnic tables, perfect for resting visitors. She set the brake and waited. She hammered a bright wooden sign into the soft grass. Bold pink letters announced her candy shoppe to anyone passing by. She polished the jars, fluffed the canopy, and stood tall behind the cart. Hours crawled past. The picnic tables stayed empty. Not one stranger wandered down the path. Purple Pop's smile thinned as the sun climbed higher. She gripped her lollipop and squared her shoulders. If customers would not come to her, she would carry the candy to them. She loaded a basket with sweets and locked her eyes on the road back to town.