Bellwether Market

Mila replaced shelf labels before Bellwether Market opened. By seven she had raised every price by ten percent and reached the baby food aisle. She peeled $1.80 from a jar and pressed $1.98 into its place. The digits slid beneath her thumb and settled at $0.00. She tried another jar. Free. Coffee became $14.20; bread, $0.00. Then the automatic doors opened early. Mr. Vale strode in, saw the labels, and ordered Mila to lock the doors. Outside, a dozen customers waited. As each face turned toward the glass, every price in the store changed.