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Lily looked up from her book and glanced at the clock. Almost time she though to herself, the library would close in a half and hour and then she go finally go. It was the favorite part of her evening, visiting the library!
The book Lily was reading was by one of her favorite authors, Dani Pettrey. Lily smiled, would she ever get tired of her books. She loved the suspense, but most of all, she loved the romances. Lily signed and closed her eyes, daydreaming about the handsome deputy in her book. She could feel herself in the story like she was there, that was the thrill of reading. She enjoyed begin wrap up in the story, it made her feel the desire of love the couple felt, it was so romantic.
Another two hours dragged by for Lily, she had to make sure nobody was there when she picked the lock to the back entrance of the library. It wasn't as if she was stealing the books, but simply borrowing them because she didn't have a card. Lily had tried numerous times to get a library card but they librarian rejected her with no explanation, she loved to read which was the only reason she sneaking in after hours to get her books.
The sunset was almost set when Lily reached the library. She looked around and saw nobody and the library was dark. She picked the lock so easily because she had done it numerous times before. Within seconds she opened the back door of the library and walked in, slowly closing and locking it behind her. Lily breathed in a sigh of relief, she was here! She couldn't believe it! She started to make her way to her favorite section of the library, her heart smiling at the thought of getting the next book.
In a matter of minutes, Lily found herself putting her return books back on the shelf and looking for new ones. She enjoyed reading with a passion. It took her longer then she expected to find her books. She only took two because she didn't want anybody to realize they were missing and not checked out. Lily knew she was taking a big risk, sneaking in a library after dark, and taking, wait, no, she wasn't taking them but simply borrowing them, only for a few days. It was all worth is, just for books. Lily smiled, oh how she loves the thrill of reading.
The next half and hour, found Lily choosing two books. She started to take a book of the shelf, but the sound of someone unlocking the library stilled her. She gasped. Lily quickly and quietly moved behind a huge chair and crouched low. She became still as the back door open. Footsteps echoed down the hall and over to the desk and then it hit her. Oh my! What was she going to do? It was Mrs. Steller, the librarian. Lily sat as quiet as a mouse, afraid if she moved she will be discovered. She heard the librarian on the computer, clacking away, she then wondering why she was here?
Drawing in a shaky breath, Lily remained crouched behind the chair, hoping the librarian would leave soon. The phone rang and Mrs. Steller answered it. She was so friendly that Lily had to grasp. She had never heard her so cheerful. Another 5 minutes passed and Mrs. Steller wrapped up her phone call by saying, ?I'll be there in 10 minutes.? Then the librarian, switched off the lights, leaving and locked the door behind her. Lily remained behind the chair another 5 minutes just to make sure she wasn't coming back and then breathed a sigh of relief as she got up. Lily went back to her section and begin looking for books, she knew she didn't have as much time as she thought when she came in.
Lily smiled with joy when she grabbed the next book to her Dani Pettrey series. She couldn't wait to get home and read it. The thrill of excitement that went through her body when she read, was the best feeling ever. Her phone buzzed, signaling a incoming text. She checked her phone, it was her friend Jasmine, asking when the term paper was due. Lily replied her message hastily, and put her phone back in her pocket. Then it hit her, what if her phone had rang when the Mrs. Steller was here? Lily gasped, thankful that it hadn't. She knew she had to get put of her, soon, very soon.
The next fifteen minutes found Lily in a tough decision. She simply couldn't decide between four books. She wished she could take them all but she knew better. It was to risky, they could be missed or worse, there could be a notice in the paper for stolen library books and she wasn't about to let that happen. If she lost her only privilege to borrow library books, then she was pretty sure she wouldn't survive the remaining year of high school. The library in the school had good books but she could help that she had read all the good ones that interested her
Lily planned on going to school in New York University. It had a fascinating library, that she couldn't wait to explore. She was simply tired of having to sneak in after hours to get her books, but it was worth it once she sat and read the suspense love stories. She knew in her heart that it was the right school for her. She had already applied and had received word to welcome her to NYU. It was hard to believe that she made it into her dream school, she couldn't wait till her last year of high school was over. Lily and Jasmine had been planning on going to this school from the first day they started high school. Jasmine was still waiting on her final word that she was accepted, but it was no doubt that she wasn't. If Lily got in, so would Jasmine. Lily sighed, it was going to be awesome that they were going to continue there friendship and go to school together. The end of high school couldn't come fast enough.
Lily bit her lips as she returned two books on the shelf and stuck the other two in her bag. It was a tough decision but she would be back soon for the other two. Lily glanced around to make sure nothing was amiss and started towards the door. She slowly stepped out, looked around, she saw no one. She locked the door, and quickly walked down the street. Home from where she had come from.
Never would I have guessed that one overdue assignment would lead me to such a fascinating discovery. I don't even know how it happened; I've always been the stereotypical straight-A's, goody-two-shoes, by-the-book student. Never got into trouble, never late for class, and absolutely never missed an assignment. How this one got away from me I may never understand, but honestly...I'm glad it did. If it hadn't, I never would have had to sneak into that library and I never would have met him.
A strange circumstance to be sure. I thought fables and fairytales were just stories told to children so they would behave and believe in silly things to make them stay young and imaginative. If you had told me they were real, I might've laughed right in your face before that night. After all, who would believe that a creature like him would be living in the library in the middle of town all this time?
I wandered through the darkness in the Biography section, looking for a book on Alexander Graham Bell for my assignment. That was when I saw the light on in the balcony above; the History section. I thought someone had forgotten to turn it out when they closed, and of course I was afraid of getting caught should someone notice and come back to rectify the error. Quietly I scaled the stairs, but before I could make it to the switch I heard a rustling. I was shocked to find myself facing a short, humanesque being with one big eye. I would've screamed too, had he not dropped his books and begged for me not to. He looked so frightened himself that I listened and didn't make a sound. Then he began to tell me how he'd been living in the library basement for decades, since the building had first been erected, reading books every night.
Call me a jerk, but I had to ask him why he had only one eye. I said he reminded me of a Cyclops from Greek mythology, which in hindsight I admit might have been a bit rude. Though he took it in stride and even laughed before telling me he was only half Cyclops. On his father's side. He said his mother was some kind of fairy, which accounted for why he was shorter than myself rather than the size of the entire library. Naturally, I chose not to think too much into the matter of his creation. It didn't take long for us to warm up to one another and together we sat on the balcony to talk. His name was Kairos, which I recognized as Greek, and he'd recently been fascinated by human history books. ?Think of it like reading a book about Cyclopes in the ?fantasy' section,? he said ?I'm reading about humans just like they read about Cyclopes.? When I went to correct him on the plural of his own kind, we both fell into a fit of laughter. After all, who would know better? And besides, when you think of it 'Cyclopses' is a pretty ridiculous thing to say.
When he asked about the book I'd brought up with me, I explained my assignment and his eye sparkled with delight. He'd read everything this library had to offer on the inventor and was thrilled to have someone to share his knowledge with. In no time at all, my paper was complete and ready to be turned in come morning and I had nothing left to worry about. The rest of that night we spent talking about our favorite books and sharing crazy tales of our own that we created from nothing but a little inspiration and our combined imaginations. He was quite the storyteller as I'd come to learn, painting fascinating pictures with his words I wished he could share his talent, but sadly the world simply wouldn't have it.
After that, I came to see Kairos as often as I could. I brought him notebooks so he could write down his wondrous tales and he always had a new story for me with each visit. In return, he would help me with every reading project I was assigned. I soon learned that he'd read all the books in the library so many times he may as well have them all memorized, which made him an excellent study partner. Thanks to him, my grades had never been better! I was easily on my way to graduation, and my parents were thrilled to be sending me off to college! In fact, I'm headed off tomorrow. That's why I had to come back to the library tonight; I had to say goodbye to my dear friend. I still plan to keep his secret, and I always will; I couldn't bear to think of what would happen if he were discovered. But I can't stay forever. Humans may be able to walk out in the open, but it comes at a cost. We have to work and learn in order to survive and provide for ourselves or the families we may hope to someday have. We can't hide and read books all day and night the way he can. I'm almost jealous. But more than that, I feel guilty. I was the only friend he's had all these years, the first human to find out about him and the only one to keep him company in his lonely dwelling. We used to talk for hours on end about the things we've read, like our own secret book club. I had a few other friends, human friends, but none shared my passion to learn and imagine the way he did. He told stories that sounded so fantastical they couldn't possibly be true, yet he had me believe in every word. Then again, it's hard to know what's real and what isn't when you're talking to a being you once thought to be nothing more than a myth himself. It would be hard to tell a friend like him goodbye...
Sneaking through the back window, I can feel the stillness in the air. Tonight the walls lined with books felt empty and lifeless; the vivid stories within those pages didn't speak to us this evening, instead they haunted us with their silence. I came upstairs in search of Kairos and found my lonely one-eyed friend sitting on the balcony of the History section, hugging a book tight to his chest.
A biography of Alexander Graham Bell.
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