One day, Ilana was wandering around Time Square looking for art supplies. She saw an alley, and walked in and saw the kind of shop that sold everything from pencils to pots. For some reason she couldn't understand, she went in.
Why am I doing this? It probably has nothing I want! Oh, whatever. She thought. The name of the shop was Cigam Emporium. When she walked in, the weaved between piles of pots and pans, stale food, strange foreign clothes, and Art Supplies! She walked down the art supplies aisle, and collected paints, smocks, watercolor papers, and colored pencils.
Out of the blue, she heard a little thud behind her, and turned around to see what it was. A little pencil had fallen on the floor. She bent and picked it up. It was black, totally round, with no markings, except a little grip carved into the wood, just the size of her fingers. The only place it could have fallen from was a little velvet cushion.
Odd. It fits my hand, I'll keep it...
She walked to check out, and the man behind the counter was old, but with an ageless quality, a white beard, but sharp blue eyes. He checked out everything, but when he came to the black pencil, he stopped and eyed her thoughtfully.
"Ahh, it has chosen at last. I knew it would. Guard it well, Ilana." said the old man.
"How...how did you know my name!?" asked Ilana, alarmed.
"I know many things, Ilana. Take care of that pencil. It is more powerful than you know," said the old man.
"I will." said Ilana, not knowing what else to say.
She walked out of the alley, and when she looked back, it was gone! There was just a plain brick wall.
Odd...Definitely odd... thought Ilana.