Author's Note/ Disclaimer: Since I write a lot about Little Shop of Horrors, I decided awhile ago to make a collection of one shots and drabbles. These first ten short works may come from either the musical play or film versions of "Little Shop of Horrors" (I'll let the reader figure the version out for themselves), and may be from anywhere in the characters' time lines, as long as they're canonical. Lastly, I don't own Seymour, Audrey, Audrey II or any Little Shop canon characters. Thank you, and enjoy these shorts!

*S. Snowflake

First Impressions

A short prequel fiction to "Little Shop of Horrors"

by Laura L.

It was a late autumn day on Skid Row. As usual, only bums and commuters passed this way, so nobody saw the small flower shop named Mushnik's Skid Row Florists, and therefore nobody inside that little shop was expecting anyone to visit or buy flowers. The sole worker, Seymour Krelborn, was busy tending to some near-dead plants on the back shelf. His eyes fixed on their leaves from behind his large black glasses, his brown hair was tangled from the long day of working almost nonstop, and his non-flattering sweater vest was covered in dried potting soil from spilling potting soil. He miserably misted the plants one by one while his boss spent his time in the back room grumbling about the lack of customers.

"There hasn't been a customer for three days!" Mr. Mushnik, the boss, blared. "One of these days I ought a just close this dump down."

Seymour shook his head. All his life he had heard his boss complain like that. Sometimes he wondered why he stuck around when he was barely paid enough to buy himself food, but then, he knew the answer. He felt that he owed it to Mushnik because he had given him somewhere to call home; though he had never really felt content in the shop. It was as if there was something missing in his life.

Caught in his train of thought, Seymour didn't hear the shop doorbells softly ring, or the quiet footsteps of a young woman behind him. The woman had blonde hair, was very thin and fair skinned, and wore a black dress and high heeled shoes that lightly clicked the linoleum as she stepped inside. She seemed rather confused and nervous in her surroundings, and spoke not a word as she approached the man working at the shelves behind the counter. At last, when she was about six feet away from him, the girl spoke.

"Excuse me, sir."

Seymour was startled by her voice and turned around abruptly, causing three plants to hit the floor shattering their pots into pieces.

"Oh my!" the visitor yelped in a high-pitched, squeaky voice. "Are you okay?"

Seymour clambered to pick up the shards of glass and keep a straight face at the same time. "I-I'm okay," he stuttered. "Welcome to Mushnik's!" he said genially once he had reclaimed the pottery pieces from the floor. "What can I do for you today?" He thought carefully about what she might have needed to purchase by looking at her. She's wearing black, so she could be heading to a funeral, or maybe she just needs something for a relative. Ya need a bouquet or an arrangement?" he asked, not wanting to generalize.

"Actually," she said sheepishly. "I'm here for a job. Is the job advertised in the window still available?"

Seymour was, needless to say, surprised. She wants to work here? he thought. "I think so, but you'll have to ask…"

"KRELBORN!" Mr. Mushnik screamed as he came through the back room door, his round face livid with anger. "I heard a crash, did you break something again?" His eyes happened to catch the girl's gaze for a moment and he immediately changed his tone to that of a salesman. "And who's this lovely customer?" he asked her with a sweet smile.

"She's lookin' for a job sir," Seymour answered.

"Is that so?" Mushnik asked her charmingly.

"Yes sir," she replied. "I need a new job real bad."

"Well first let me ask, do you have any floral experience?" he inquired.

"Well no." the girl answered sullenly. "But I used to pick flowers for my mama when I was little, and I did take half a plant science class." Before I dropped out of school… she thought, then continued. "And I can learn sir; I'll do whatever it takes for this job!"

"Good enough for me." Mr. Mushnik said shaking her hand. "You're hired miss, err…"

"Fulquard, Audrey Fulquard," she replied simply.

"Well congrats Miss Fulquard, you'll be our new arrangement consultant. Krelborn over here will teach you all he knows starting tomorrow," he said, gesturing to Seymour. Then he turned to the back room laughing under his breath, "A miracle, I've had that sign up for two years! Ha, ha!"

Audrey turned to Seymour who had now returned to his duties, determinedly misting the sickly plants. She smiled in admiration of his sheer dedication to his job, even though he did not seem to be very good at it, and then interrupted him. "I guess we should get acquainted too, don't ya think?" she asked.

Seymour slowly turned and faced her. "I guess so, now that you and me will be workin' together Miss Fulquard," he answered shyly.

"Oh please," she said sweetly. "Just call me Audrey, um…what was your name again?"

"Seymour Krelborn," he replied looking at her for really the first time and stuttering. "B-but not the second part, just Seymour."

For some reason that she could not tell, Audrey blushed a little when Seymour said that. "Well, I'll see ya tomorrow Seymour," she said before quietly turning to the door.

"Goodbye, Audrey," Seymour called as Audrey left the shop with a smile. What an amazing thing it was that such a beautiful creature like her had not only stepped into his life for one second, but now was going to come back everyday and work with him. He watched her walk down the street until she was of his sight, and found himself happy in a profound way that she had come to the shop at all.

"I'm telling' you Krelborn, that was a miracle," Mr. Mushnik called from the back room. "Nobody wants a job here and nobody comes here. A miracle I tell ya!"

"Must be some kind of miracle, sir," Seymour replied and then whispered to himself, "Because she's an angel."

THE END.