Celeste
I stare outside my bedroom window and grimace at the cloudy sky. Rain was coming down. I continue to glare out at the rain, knowing it will intensify in about fifteen minutes, as it takes to get ready, looking away from the window. I got off the bed and padded my way to the walk-in closet. Quickly, I grab a comfortable outfit that I could sit in all day while at the library. A pair of black leggings, a Light brown tank top, with a black and red leather jacket that says;
"Who you are is beautiful. Strong. Fierce. You're everything they could never destroy." ~Nightshade.
Then dark red legwarmers over a pair of gray Doc Martin. After dressing, I clip up half my hair and arrange my bangs with my fingers. After finishing, I unplug my phone and take my keys, bag, and laptop to the library.
When I get out into the apartment's hallway, it is dimly lit, and I can hear a couple fighting at the end of the hall. Turning to my apartment door, I put my key into the door handle and locked it. Then head down the hallway towards the elevator. I press the bottom arrow, then wait as the numbers above the elevator doors.
Five. Seven.
Ten. Twelve.
Fifteen.
Why did I rent an apartment that is on the Twenty-fifth floor?
Seventeen. Twenty.
Thank God. It is here.
Then, a loud alarm sounds from inside the elevator. After two minutes of the alarm going off, a voice starts up. "The elevator is currently undergoing maintenance. We do not know when the elevator will be available for all tenants. Please use the emergency stairs until further notice. Thank you and have a good day."
When the intercom goes off, I glare at the elevator door and make my way to the emergency stairs that are around the corner, hidden from sight. Taking a deep breath, I push the door open and start making my way down twenty-five flights of stairs.
When I reached the lobby floor, I was already perspiring heavily despite not having been outside. I walk to the lobby door, then grab one of the shareable umbrellas and head outside to the now-pouring rain. Opening the umbrella, I take a deep breath and enjoy the fresh scent of the rain. The cold, wet air cooled my warm skin from walking down from my apartment. Turning on my phone, I walk down the sidewalk and make my way to the only Starbucks in this small town. Since I didn’t make coffee this morning, I will spend my money on one at this point.
I make it to Starbucks and see that the line is not as long as I thought it would be. I quickly walk up to the doors, close the umbrella, and walk in. Pulling out my phone, I ordered my usual Vinti Iced White Chocolate Mocha with salted Caramel Cold Foam and Caramel lining the cup. Making sure everything is correct, I buy it and wait by the pickup area. Seven minutes later, my name is called. Grabbing my coffee, I walk out the door and open my umbrella, then head towards the library to work on the semester readings that Professor Radcliff needs by the end of the week, but secretly means by tomorrow morning before his first class at ten.
For the next five minutes, I slowly walk to the library and drink my coffee. Knowing that I will need it to last me till lunch. When I am only a light away from the library, I speed up a little, already tiring of the rain and coldness it is bringing me. Grabbing onto the library door, I pull it open and walk right in. I quickly step to the small table and place my coffee down. Then I close my umbrella, pick up my coffee, and walk over to the guest lockers. Quickly snagging myself a locker, I put my umbrella in, then placed my bag in as well and fished out my laptop, notebook, and pen.
Once I’m sure I have everything, I close the locker and enter a custom code on the keypad. I then make my way out of the locker area and head past the checkout desk. I acknowledged the librarian and proceeded to the back of the library where the old Literary books are. Heading to the back, I walked to a table next to a window.
I placed my cup of coffee, laptop, and notebooks down on the table, then pulled my phone out of my pocket. I checked my email to see if the Professor had sent me the two books his students would have to choose as their end-of-term Final assignment. This would also require me to read both books before the Term even starts, and then create two separate forms for the books and packets by Monday. Which is orientation day, which means I must be present for all seven of his classes that day.
You would think he would have at least two or three aids to help with all seven of his classes. But, no, I am the only one currently. He usually has his two top students support him in their free periods. Especially when it is a student’s last year and they want to become a Professor at the College but need to learn the basics of teaching. Like me, I graduated from the College three years ago and have been learning under him as his teaching assistant.
When he calls out sick or has an emergency, I end up teaching the class. This will be my fourth year as his aide. This year, I will take a qualification test from the Dean and Professor. It could be anything, such as a test, where he teaches all his students for a whole month without helping me, as he or the Dean will watch every so often during that month.
When I find the email, I notice the books are two separate genres that they will need to choose from. Looking up from my phone, I walk over to the contemporary Romance books and look for The Fine Print by Lauren Asher. I must go through three different aisles to find the first book. I saw the book was re-shelved in the fantasy section. Who puts a contemporary book with fantasy books? Glancing at my phone again, I see that the next book is Now Is the Time of Monsters by A.G. Mock. Great, it just had to be a Thriller book, which is not my fine cup of tea. I instantly search for the book and go back to my table. I read 'The Fine Print' for the next three hours.
Silas
Entry Eight,
I could see her.
I can always see her when she is at the library. The girl with long brown hair in loose waves. That she would always pull up and out of her way, this was not the first time I could see her, and it would not be the last time either. The only time I would see her was when she would get close to the book. Close enough that you would think you could touch her. But being from a different world was the one thing keeping her away from me.
She is different in this lifetime. It has been about three thousand years since she could see me. Her hair was a different color back then. Her eyes might be the color of cinnamon instead of the deep blue she's had every time she was reborn, and those times had been only small glimpses of her past lives. But now I'm happy to see her every day instead of just at the library. Now I can see her, feel her touch through the book, and even better, she takes the book everywhere with her. Oh, how my Little Sparrow has changed. Still as spirited as back when wild magic roamed free in her world. Back when she could still see me.
I know that when she picked up the book, I panicked. It wasn't the first time she had picked up the book and been able to read it. She thought she had a stalker, a stalker who left a book only about her everyday life. It had her so freaked out that she threw away the book, thinking that an actual human was stalking her.
I'm just glad the language was different this time. If it hadn't, I would ignore her just as much.
To my sparrow,
~Silas