[Expected Scene[Celebrate, Agree]
“Hi, I’m Rose. Can I help you?”
“I need to speak to Grandmaster Brightspark, I’m the Burgomaster Valen.”
“I’m sorry Burgomaster, the Grandmaster isn’t in at the moment I’m not quite sure where he is. I’m his apprentice Rose Ryding. Perhaps I can help.”
“We have a problem at the library, according to the librarian, Eldara. The books are possessed.”
“I’ll go over and try to help right away, Burgomaster Valen.”
“Thank you, that is most appreciated.”
I walked as quickly as possible to the library, I’d been by the building before but never inside. Sparky always gave me an endless amount of reading to do, and now with Doug as my personal librarian I had access to Sparky’s entire library, the town library probably containing maybe two percent of what we had in the tower.
The library seemed quiet enough when I arrived, eerily quiet as I couldn’t see a single patron or librarian so I just walked around examining the shelves. The town must have very diverse tastes as the library seemed to have a little bit of everything. Which is a very good thing for a small town like Wyldwood. You never know when some piece of information might become necessary for a business or even a doctor or lawyer. A diverse collection of fiction ensures the library will have an entertaining book for every citizen. I quite approved of the person who curated such an eclectic collection of books.
“Hello, Hello, Head Librarian Eldara, Hello”
A young woman with rainbow colored hair approached the desk I was standing next to and said. “I’m sorry but the library is closed temporarily.”
“Hi, I’m Rose, Burgomaster Valen asked me to come over and see what I could do to help. I’m an apprentice Bibliomancer. What seems to be the trouble? He said something about ghosts.”
“Thank you for coming Rose, I’m Eldara, the librarian. It started yesterday, patrons mostly males reported books being thrown at them. Some female patrons reported that their bottoms had been pinched, one reported her bottom was caressed. No one could describe the person that assaulted them. None of the men saw the book thrower, none of the women the assaulter. The women were scared, the men more annoyed, so I closed the library. I’ve been walking around the library all day and there is no sign of anyone and I haven’t been assaulted.”
“I was walking around admiring your collection and I concur everything seems quiet. Was yesterday the first time this has happened?”
“Yes it was, but I was afraid to let anyone in today as I was afraid that someone may be injured. A heavy book to the head. A granny getting her bottom pinched and having a heart attack.”
“Yes I understand, have you reshelved the thrown books yet?”
“No not yet.”
“That’s good, let's take a look at them and see if the books might give us a clue.”
“That's brilliant why didn’t I think of that.”
It didn’t take long to see that every single thrown book was a romance. All by a variety of authors and a variety of sub genres. Everything from historical romances to hockey player romances.
“So you're sure none of the women had anything thrown at them?”
“Yes, quite sure, each and every woman was assaulted.”
“It’s almost like a message to the women, get out of her or get pinched and throw romances at the men. Is it a female spirit that wants to have a romance with a male but has no other way to express their desires”
“That makes a lot of sense actually but what good does knowing that?”
“Well if whatever it is wants something, if we provide it maybe the trouble will stop. I read about this thing called a ouija board. If your spirit is strong enough to throw books it should easily be able to move a penny. Do you have a poster board I can use and a pen?”
I quickly made up the board a-z 1-10 YES NO. We put the board on the patron reading table, we both sat down staring at the board. I was going to feel silly if nothing happened, but I didn’t have a better idea.
“Oh, being in the library please let us know your desires. Move the penny to spell out your wishes.”
I waited a minute then repeated.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“Oh, being in the library please let us know your desires. Move the penny to spell out your wishes.”
I waited and a few seconds later.
L o v e
“Are you a spirit?”
YES
“You want a man?”
YES
“Are there no male spirits?”
N o n e
“Can you leave the library?”
NO
“Will you promise to leave the patrons alone if I promise to try and bring a male spirit here, I can’t promise I will be able to but I do promise that I will try my best.”
i p r o m i s e
“Thank you, I have to go and try to find a male spirit, I’ll be back soon. I’m sorry I forgot to ask your name, my name is Rose and this is Eldara.”
d a i s y
“It’s nice to meet you Daisy, I’ll be back soon.”
I hurried back to the tower to talk to Doug.
“Doug I need a book on how to find a male spirit and how I can move them from one location to another.”
“Why I thought you played for the girls' team?”
“Doug I need help not harassment, there is a female spirit in the library, she can’t leave. She wants a relationship. So I need a book detailing how to find a male spirit, and how to move them to another location.”
“Take me, I want to meet her.”
“You're too big, I can’t lug you all the way to the library.”
“You can now.”
Doug had transformed into a small mirror about the size of a deck of playing cards.
I went back to the library, told Eldara that I might have a temporary solution at least, and introduced Doug to Eldara. For once he actually behaved. Eldara and I walked back to the table placing Doug in the center, next to the ouija board.
“Hello Daisy I'm back, I brought my friend Doug. Would you like to speak to him?”
I waited a minute.
“Hel..”
“Quiet will you Daisy and I are just getting to know one another, come back in an hour or so.”
So Eldara and I went back to the desk and started chatting. I asked her if she did all the purchasing for the library and complimented her on the great selection for a small town library.
“I really enjoyed your book Rose, I love a strong heroine like Juliet.”
“Would you like to meet her?”
“Yes I’d love that.”
“Let me go check if she’s done teaching for the day.”
She was so I brought her back to meet Eldara and they chatted about the library here and the one in Juliet’s world. I mentioned how well stocked this library was and maybe Eldara could recommend some titles Juliet might want to acquire. So they both started making lists, fiction and nonfiction titles every town needs. Everybody had someone to chat with but me so I just wandered through the stacks. Just being with the books is almost as good as reading them or writing them.
Then it was closing time, I went back to get Doug.
“Doug it’s time to go, the library is closing.”
“But we just got here.”
“We got here three hours ago.”
“Well it didn’t seem that long.”
“Good you I’m glad that you too got along so well. I’ll bring you again.”
“Daisy wants to know when.”
“Well, I’m not exactly sure, maybe next week.”
“No, that's not going to work for us Rose. Yes, do that Daisy, I wish I could.”
“Ouch…, that hurt Daisy, after all I did for you today that’s the way you treat me. I expect bad behavior from Doug but I thought we were becoming friends.”
“She said sorry Rose, it was my fault anyway I asked her to do it. But it isn’t fair, what if I told you I’d let you see Lu maybe someday next week. I bet you wouldn’t like that.”
“Well Doug, you can do some research when we get home, see if there is any way to make it possible for Daisy to leave the library, then she could come live at the tower. If live is the right word.”
“How about we make a deal Rose, I’ll be on my best behavior for you, two days a week you drop me off here for the day and once a week we get an overnight here and in return I’ll be down right charming to you, Lu and any of your friends that drop by.”
“Fine but you still have to research to see if we can bring Daisy home with us, understood.”
“Sure I was planning to do that anyways.”
I grabbed Doug, said goodbye to Daisy.
“Edara we’re leaving but we’ll be back, Doug’s going to do some research to see if we can bring her home with us. Did Juliet tell you about our book club?”
“Yes she asked me to join, if that’s ok with you.”
“Yes that’s great, next week for the book club my girlfriend Lu and I are having a housewarming party and general book chat about what everyone is reading. I’ll let you know the date next time I see you. Oh and Doug and Daisy want two days a week and one overnight if that’s ok with you?”
“Sure I’m fine with that. I’ll also tell Burgomaster Valen how you solved our problem. Thank you so much.”
“Your welcome, I’m just glad I could help.”
Lu was already home when we got back so I told her we had a new club member, and that Doug promised to be on his best behavior from now on so he could date the spirit that lives in the town library. Then I brought him into the annex, where it grew back to full size and started researching a way to get Daisy home to the tower.
