Graveyard, Backyard

58. The Narrator

Ander and Rick entered the library which smelled of old books and dust. There were few old ladies moping the floor and stacking that day's newspapers. The desk was empty and the librarian was not in sight.

Rick approached a janitor and asked, "We're here to meet the librarian-"

"Ah, you're looking for Poetry. Search that section," she pointed towards the rows of shelves on the left and continued moping.

Rick laughed, "No matter how bizarre it may sound, we're not here for literature, ma'am. We are looking -"

"That's her name, you dumbass." She pushed her trolley muttering a curse under her breath.

Ander shook his head and grabbed Rick, dragging him where the lady pointed.

"What? It's not fair to hire someone named Poetry in a library."

Ander was more concerned about the death stares some ladies were giving them. Something was suspicious.

They found a short bony girl near a tall shelf stacking away books. She had her black hair in bun, her back facing them.

"Hey kid. We're looking for Poetry. I mean, the librarian, Poetry."

I turned around with an annoyed look on my face, perching my dark rimmed glasses higher on my nose. If it weren't for the love for the books, I wouldn't wake up at six in the morning to face people like him.

"Firstly, I'm Poetry. Secondly, I ain't kid. In fact, I'm older than you, Rick."

His mouth was wide open, staring at me in disbelief. Ander was equally shocked, though he didn't show.

"You.. How, I mean.." Rick started blabbing walking backwards as if he was scared of me.

"Minerva informed me. But, I already knew you were coming." I said, motioning them to follow me. "You're looking for some discreet information, I guess?"

They looked at each other behind my back, asking each other silently if they should trust me.

"Are you a witch?" Ander asked finally.

"Of course," I answered without turning. Their footsteps following me in the silent hall. I took them where we stacked all the coven data. "I'm even older than you, Ander."

"How do you know our names? I didn't tell Minerva about Ander or even my own name!" Rick asked.

'Can she hear what's going on in our brain?' He thought but didn't ask.

"I don't have psychic or mind reading powers if that's what you're thinking."

They were looking for Gabriela's child, I've sensed. So, I wandered around the data files, looking for the right book. They were confused of what was going on, but like Ander said, I saw a heck of trouble waiting for them. There was this fog around their storyline, tense and static, waiting to devourer them.

"Then what's your superpower?" Rick asked again.

"Killing."

The book should be here, but with the movement in the coven, I wasn't sure they'd be able to find the information they were looking for. Gabriela won't let them.

"Killing characters, recreating them, building stories. I'm a storyteller, you see."

I found it. It sat on the top shelf, untouched. I grabbed a stool and climbed it.

"You mean, you create our stories? You decide what's going to happen with us?"

I shook my head as I snaked the book carefully from the stack. "Stories come to me, I just tell them. I don't know what'll happen in your story Ander,"

My eyes meet his light orbs, I'd been following his story for so long. "but I know where it's going.

Jumping down with the book in my hand, I walked towards them. "Look, I can't intervene with stories but from what the stir in my creative senses is telling me, there's this big danger sign on your heads. Gabriela has many allies from her coven who want her back and some of them are here. And they'll not let you interfere with her plans. Time is running out. Run back to Havendell as soon as you can. And take care. Finding about Gabriela's daughter is not going to be easy."

"Whoa, now that's creepy." Rick commented as I passed the book to Ander.

"It's a daughter? Are you sure?" Ander's eyes looked for trust as he intently gazed me, but there's nothing else I could do for them.

"Yes."

"But you know everything about us? Or some part of it?" Rick kept asking about my powers but I ignored him.

Moving past Ander, I squeezed his hand and whispered, "Truth is not always what it seems. Truth lies too."

"So wait, you could write any story claiming it as if it's from your own imagination when in reality you copied it from real stories! That's plagiarizing God!"

I sighed. It's going to be a long day for these two. "And Rick? You were adopted." I lied, walking out of their story line.

"What? Hey! What do you mean?" Rick called out.

Ander skimmed through the book finding every detail about Gabriela's child. "She was just messing with you, Rick."

Gabriela's daughter was born in the same year as Ander. Gabriela was young and couldn't take care of her so she gave her away. Her name was Penelope. A witch adopted her. Penelope grew up in Havendell until she was eighteen and learned about witchcraft. She was gifted with healing and protecting powers.

That made sense. Gabriela's soul was gaining powers even though she was dead, Ander thought. She took control over living humans and reconciled with her coven. It was Penelope's work.

Penelope travelled around the state, grew old but never married or had children. Around the beginning of twentieth century she restarted her life, changing her identity and growing into a teen, and then restarting her life again as a child, continuing that cycle.

What was she trying to do? Ander was confused by the witch terms but tried to understand every single detail. Was this part of Gabriela's plan?

However, Penelope's where being of past nine years were missing. Just an address was provided by the family who adopted her thinking she was just a little kid.

"Guess we're about to find out where she is!" Rick said as they rushed out of library, Poetry's words ringing in their head, 'Time is running out.'

The address details led them to a deserted alley in a lonely part of the town. They got out of the cab and searched for the house but all they found was a woman smiling at them from the other end of the alley.

"Ooh, we finally meet, Ander Booth." said she as she ran towards him with a shining dagger in her hand.