Meredith:
It was two in the afternoon. I was late. I quietly slipped into the library, tucking my scarf into my coat while heading towards the counter. Oops! Miss Page was here already. I thought I could come in without her noticing me. She was tall and composed, and her reading glasses balanced perfectly on the bridge of her nose.
"Seven minutes late, Miss Avery." She said, her eyes fixed on a book list. "I assume the city bus has swallowed your watch." She had a way of telling you off: you'd either be hurt or end up giggling.
"I'm sorry Miss Page. There was a detour. I ran the whole way." My voice was calm as usual.
She looked up, her strict amber eyes piercing through mine, "Running and excuses; neither belong in a library."
I bit my lower lip, nodding politely. Then without her order, I quickly walked over to a book stall and started arranging the returned books. I noticed a little boy struggling to reach a shelf. I instinctively stepped away from my cart and helped him out.
"Miss Avery, the fiction section isn't going to organize itself!" Miss Page said, rather harshly.
"But he just-"
"Books first. Always." She glared, and then left. Wow! Miss Page was so rigid and principled. She lived by rules, and I doubted she ever broke a law...ever.
Smiling, signing, checking, flipping...time was running. I felt so at home at the library. It was like my second home...peaceful and quiet, so you could sink into a book and enter another world.
"Hey." I heard a voice, calm and composed. I raised my head.
"Ellias?" My lips curved into a smile. Ellias was regular at the library. I saw him almost every week, and we seemed to have an unspoken connection between us though we never spoke one-on-one. He was tall and lanky. His eyes were so small and dreamy that they got lost in his large round glasses.
"Good to see you again." He smiled shyly. I couldn't help but return it.
"It is." I lowered my gaze, feeling slightly flushed.
He took out two books from his brown leather handbag. "Came ro return these." He placed them gently on the desktop, his fingers brushing the top of the table gently.. "Be sure to flip through them carefully." He smirked, and then with a wink, he left through the open door. Like he said, I flipped through the first book. There was a small sticky note attached to the page. It read:
Meredith,
You probably don't notice, but you light up this quiet library more than any sunshine ever could. I've seen people come and go, but no one ever smiles the way you do. It's warm...real.
I hope you always keep that glow - even if the world around you gets dark sometimes.
-E
My cheeks turned red. I tried to stop the feeling I was having, but I barely did. I was flattered, admiring him more and more every single minute. That was so thoughtful! I was left smiling throughout the rest of the day, and I could feel Miss Page steal a few inquisitive glances at me from her seat. Don't lock eyes with her or you'll get another lecture.
Books first...always.
The evening was cold and the streets slightly damp from the light drizzle. I entered my house and shut the door, exhaling a loud sigh of exhaustion. I was drained, and I needed a meal and some good sleep.
"You're a little late today." My sister slipped by to the kitchen with a pair of heels in her hands. She came out a few seconds later.
"There were more people today. Gosh! My wrists hurt." I dropped onto a couch. "Where are you going?" She was dressed in a sleek, body-hugging black dress. Her lips were painted with deep red lipstick and around her neck was a chunky silver necklace. She sat on the couch and fixed her heels.
"I have a date."
"Roger?"
"Ew! No! I dropped him. This one's name is Conner." She stood up. She was elegant. I admired her in every way. She had the confidence I never had. She was assertive and open, but I was always stuck inside, oblivious to the world around me.
"Get something to eat. Don't sleep with the hunger."
"How'd you know I was hungry?"
"You're always hungry." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm off. Tell mama I have an emergency at a friend's when she comes."
"But that'll be a lie." I said, innocently.
"Don't be a dim-wit. Just tell her." She rushed past me, heavy perfume filling my nostrils. Then she shut the door behind her. Olivia changed her partners way too often. Could she not find 'the one'?
My stomach growled, reminding me of my hunger. I went to the kitchen to fix something for myself. I closed the door and then began the preparation. Some grilled cheese sandwich would do. After all, it was getting late, and mama advised not to eat heavy food late.
I made a mistake...I should have checked the gas stoves. I should have checked for any gas leaks...I didn't.
I striked the match, then...boom!
I screamed, running away from the counter. Thankfully, I wasn't harmed, but a napkin beside the stove caught fire along with the curtains. I made sure to turn off all the knobs on the stove, and then grabbed a mug and filled it with tap water, throwing it at the napkin that was almost burnt. I don't know why, but the fire on the curtains spread wildly. The fire spread...catching other napkins, burning the wall cabinets. It was almost as if the whole place was dipped in kerosene. Water wasn't working. My heart raced in my chest. This has never happened before...why now? Why? Sockets began to catch sparks. The refrigerator was on, and before I knew it, there was a blast. Everything was on fire. I was trapped, coughing, stumbling through flames and heat
...and then it happened.