"Are you still leaving?" Sandra asked, her tone low as they ate lunch.
All had gone for their afternoon naps, so they had a perfect time to eat.
Aurora stared at her food, already filled since she had no appetite, " yes…I just feel suffocated most times, and I..I.. I can't explain."
She took a sip from her boba tea quietly, Sandra could feel how Aurora must be feeling since she'd literally opened up to her before.
She knew Aurora since she was sixteen, like a sister and understood all she was going through.
She had made all attempts to stop Aurora from leaving, but Aurora was one adamant girl.
She didn't say much again as she watched Aurora just playing with her food.
A light scrape sound of a chair brought Myra out of her thoughts as Aurora had stood up to leave.
"I have to start going to the library, it's almost time." She broke the silence as she picked her stuff to go.
"But you're not done with your food,you barely ate half Aurora – eat."
Sandra pushed her food back but Aurora only shook her head, " I'm filled."
Sandra sighed, defeated but it pained her to see Aurora living like this.
She hugged her tight and whispered softly, "take care, and please make sure you eat – you're getting thin as a stick." She teased on top.
Aurora gave a warm smile as she hugged back. Sandra was glad she could still make her smile.
She watched as Aurora left, still smiling warmly at her.
....
The afternoon sun shined gracefully upon the town, enriching the plant with its rays.
Aurora had almost reached the library when she sighted her boss.
A lady around her late fifties, with brown hair and copper brown eyes with a black frame glasses, was having a chat with the delivery man, with boxes of new book collections, when she glanced around and sighted Aurora coming.
"Aurora darling, you are quite early," Mrs Racheal's warm smile bloomed more as she spoke.
Her motherly and sweet voice Aurora loved. It most times reminded her of her… mum.
Her thoughts crumpled immediately as the thoughts of her mum came crashing down in her mind.
She was used to it by now, as she ignored the burning sensation in her eyes and the tightening of her throat as she tried to hold everything back.
"I can never not come late to my sanctuary… I've always had a lot of fun here."
She replied with a fake smile which could hardly be recognized by anyone, which she'd practiced for over the years.
The library was a place where she could get lost in the glamour of reading so many books ranging from mystery, suspense and romance, with no care of the outside world.
Mrs Racheal chuckled lightly as she remembered how Aurora loved this place since she was seventeen.
A very timid teenager back then.
Aurora kindly waved at the driver who returned it with a kind smile.He looked in his late thirties.
Mrs Racheal being Racheal decided to add a bit more to this interaction…like always with any delivery guy she sees as cute.
"Oh…Brian, this is my daughter Aurora," she introduced. "She's in her early twenties and has refused to settle." She whispered the last part, not so subtly.
Aurora mentally rolled her eyes at her tactics, "I'm heading inside now." Strolled inside with some boxes of books to stack in the library.
She plugged in her airpods and listened to her favorite band group 'one direction', as she worked.
She went a few rows inside, where the mystical genres were stacked.
She was almost done when something shiny caught her eyes…a book.
It was a white thick covered book, with red diamonds on the edge, which was oddly shining brighter than the rest.
It was on the topmost part of the shelf, like it was kept that far away for a reason. And all the shelves in this library were all 11ft tall.
She climbed the library ladder which wasn't as long as she wanted it to be, but still determined, she stretched her neck, her fingers almost having a feel of its touch…
AURORA!!!
________
Mrs Racheal had just ended her small chat with Brian, she'd planned to help Aurora stack the remaining books when she saw no signs of her behind the counter.
Worried she called out her name but got no reply back. She walked more into the library checking every book section until she saw her on a library ladder, which she was sure wasn't good since it was slightly shaking and losing balance.
'How did she get up there?' She sighed as she knew Aurora to be a very curious woman, who would go any length just to find out the truth because of curiosity.
But one thing that scared her the most was when the ladder slightly cracked because of the weight of Aurora as she was leaning too much on the left.
Almost losing its balance, she panicked and ran to hold the ladder because anything could happen.
AURORA!!!
....
"I'm sorry, but I didn't know the ladder was—
"You don't mean it Aurora!" Mrs Racheal scolded, "you don't get to climb a ladder to get a book from that height with a bad ladder…that's dangerous."
Aurora sat there quietly staring at Mrs Racheal as she was being scolded, and it's been over twenty minutes now.
"But I didn't know —
"Stop it Aurora. It's enough…I don't want to ever see you risking your health over some book." Racheal didn't allow her to talk for a bit, leaving the section with no room for argument.
She had always treated her like her own daughter and as such got highly worried over little things.
Aurora went back to work, stacking up the remaining books and hadn't gone back for that book.
She still had unsettling feelings about that book and wished she could have at least got it.
Racheal had gone for a break, seeing this as an opportunity, Aurora quietly stood to go back to that section when
"Miss..?
A shy voice whispered with a mix of uncertainty.
She slightly glanced back to see who the voice belonged to.
It was a young boy around 12 or maybe 13yrs, blonde with big rounded glasses and blue eyes
He had a book, and from the looks of the size it was a scientific book, not a novel.
"How may I help you ?" She asked with a whispering smile.
The boy tightened his hold on the book, his eyes racking around like he was searching around for something and meekly whispered,
"I would love to check out this book…please?"
Aurora checked it out, "To be returned in three weeks time."
The unnamed boy quickly whispered again, eyes begging, "can I maybe return it an extra week later…please?"
Aurora bent over the counter, she loved the way he loved reading this book and didn't have the heart to refuse — since she is also a book lover.
"Well..it's not in our library rule that patrons don't get to keep a library book for more than three weeks, but…", the boy's eyes widened a bit more excited to hear the remaining phrase.
"...you can bring it back in six weeks if you want." She whispered the last part, to which the boy continuously thanked her and walked out of the library.
She chuckled at his reaction as she settled down to engage in her own world through the new fantasy romance novel she had.
Time flew by fast as she welcomed patrons and checked out books, still having time to read her novel.
Now that the library was empty, she arranged and stacked up books left on tables by patrons.
Checking the time, night was fast approaching. She immediately packed up her stuff to go.
" Go take a rest dear," Racheal warmly hugged her before she left.
The weather had changed the cool evening breeze had become cooler as the night was fast approaching
Walking down the less busy street home, she felt some sought of relief being lifted up from her chest.
Until…
She remembered she still had one more work left…The bar.
Although the money she earned from the bar was really nice, she wanted to quit.
The previous night was one of the major forces that'd made her want to quit immediately.
She changed direction immediately and started heading off home.
Walking down her streets the streetlights had powered on helping her make her way home.
Unlocking her door she felt relieved to be home and immediately headed straight to her room.
Dropped her purse on her bed and went straight to the bathroom for a slow warm bath.
...…..
Now done and fully in her nightgown, she headed straight to the kitchen and ate the left over pizza in her fridge.
She didn't feel like watching a movie tonight and headed straight to bed instead.
After some minutes of scrolling through her socials, she kept her phone down and fell asleep.
...…
Aurora woke up to the buzz from her phone, annoyed she checked the time and saw it was just 1am.
She answered it only for that voice over to send chills down her spine...
"Hey sugarplum…
...