Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Gatsburg's Town Library had originally started from one man's private collection, his utter love for knowledge made him travel far and wide, eager to broaden his horizons and inspire his imagination. Until of course, life and love has made him settle down, but that didn't stop Nicolas Gatsburg from sharing his passion for books.
And so the Library was made at his will, and the Director's Office was soon filled with his most prized collections as well as his lively memoirs of days filled with adventure. It wasn't long before the children of his own followed in their father's legacy and began leaving traces of their lives lived to the fullest, all the way to tomorrow, and the generations after that.
Glumly, I stared at the set of small keys I held in my hand. It would be years before I'd be able to contribute to the family legacy...
“Are you Nicolette Entale?”
“Yes.. just call me Cole. Did you find anything missing, Officer?” Placing the set of keys back in my coat's pocket, I trained my focus on the inspector.
“Nothing seems to be missing from the collections, Miss Cole. But there are a lot of the books that's been strewn around the space, almost like they were looking for something...”
It was good thinking that I had Noel round up our patrons that time and appease them with his winning personality... “Any clues on who could have done such a thing?”
“We didn't find any traces of a break-in, but we did round up the misplaced books back in a corner, see if it gives you any insight on who could be after some old piles of journals?”
I stood up straighter, taking offense at what he said as I forced out a 'thank you' through gritted teeth. Ugh.. Now more than ever did I wish I had finished that pot of hibiscus tea with Roe.. Speaking of her—
The set of footsteps I heard approaching made me automatically greet, “Roe! Good timing with getting back—?”
I stopped mid-sentence as I saw it wasn't Roe, but Mr. Cross who stood in front of me, his entire superstition-based ensemble complete with a tinfoil hat on his head. He was avoiding looking directly at me as he grumbled out, “She couldn't stop yapping at me.”
The slight gesture of his hands made me then realize the empty glass jar he held, “Uhhmm.. She?” I couldn't help but awkwardly ask.
“My mother-in-law. She lives here now.” Mr. Cross deadpanned, as if it was normal to even keep ghosts in containers as if they were pets!
“Right...” I stretched out the word, narrowing my eyes at how foggy the inside of the glass looked. Probably remained unwashed from whatever was previously placed there...
“The shortest key will lead you to answers long lost, Child of Gatsburg.”
I was certain the sudden chill I felt wasn't disgust from the dirty jar, but with how Mr. Cross' voice momentarily sounded like that of an old woman's. But the second I fixed my gaze on him, he looked just as if he was blinking himself out of a daze.
“Well I'll be! That's gotta be enough time outside yah old coot!” After his exclaimed outburst, he was just about to turn back around but then stopped, “That reminds me..”
Backtracking enough so only the two of us can hear, he whispered in a grim voice, “Careful with that pretty boy of yours, he ain't no Prince Charming.”
Links:
The Ink Well Weekly Fiction Prompt #8: All the way to tomorrow
Author's note: Where it all began... My InkWell Story Map. It all began in The Ink Well Fast and Furious Festival and continues on The Ink Well Weekly Fiction Prompt. Try as I might, RL happenings do get in the way. We're experiencing lockdown season two. It's no fun at all.