Kara inhaled deeply and blew the dust off a row of books with cracked covers and ripped spines. The air smelled like a mixture of old glue and mildew. The dust motes hovered like a swarm of insects, and the hot and humid damp lingered and clung to her clothes. It was not the perfect environment to stow old books, but she loved how the smell of ink and paper seeped out. It was the smell of imagination—where great minds came together and created magic with their words—the smell of adventures not yet discovered. In books, anything was possible...and she loved it.
She wiped the perspiration from her forehead and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She squeezed The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn between The Call of the Wild and The Old Man and the Sea, in the classic novels section. She nudged them into a perfect straight line, with their spines arranged vertically. Once satisfied with her work, she wiped the moisture and dirt from her hands onto her blue jeans, adding to the layer of grime from the day’s work. The ladder creaked and wobbled under her weight. She clasped her hands firmly around the rail and stepped down carefully. Once she reached the bottom, she jumped the last step.
With a smile on her face Kara pushed a metal trolley piled with books and magazines toward the front of the shop. She ducked under the single light bulb that flickered nervously from a loose wire in the center of the shop and drove the trolley between crooked stacks of books that wiggled all the way up to the ceiling in some places and teetered perilously.
Rays of light spilled through a large bay window from the front of the shop and illuminated the bookshelves in a soft golden glow. Dust particles glowed in the light like miniature snowflakes. Kara could see the grey cobwebs that draped from the highest corners of the ceiling and made a mental note to sweep them later with her broom. Brown and beige striped wallpaper peeled from the walls behind a fragile wooden counter that lined the right side of the shop. An old cash register with manual buttons and a red lever sat above it. Below the cash register was a glass case displaying different sizes of crystal balls. Kara giggled at her distorted reflections in them. A warm breeze brushed Kara’s bangs from her face. Wind chimes sang faintly from above the open front door.
Kara sneezed. The trolley jerked. A thick blanket of dust covered most of the back bookshelves, a clear indication that she still had a lot of cleaning to do. It would take weeks to dust the shop free from years of neglect. She seriously doubted whether it had ever been clean to begin with. On her very first day at the shop, Kara had given the windows a good cleaning and had swept and scraped the floors of dingy brown grime and maroon stains that she’d rather not think about.
Kara gladly inhaled the summer wind from the open door—dandelions and freshly cut lawns—her spirits lifted with each new smell. It was an awesome feeling. School was over, and she was now officially an employee in a place she loved and for a man she admired. Mr. Patterson had given her a summer job in his bookstore. Her duties were to help him categorize all the new books into a new computer program, to keep the shop clean, and to work the cash register when he was on his lunch break. It had proven to be the best job ever. And Kara was determined to save enough money for the first semester at Dawson College. Mr. Patterson even told her that he would keep her on part time when she went to school. She couldn’t ask for a better boss or a better job. At last, things were finally looking up for her.
With the trolley parked, she grabbed a handful of National Geographic magazines and placed them by corresponding dates along the middle shelf from the magazine rack. She shuffled them together—and froze.
Her hair stood on end. Kara inexplicably sensed a presence. She followed the source of the feeling towards the bay window—
Someone was staring at her from across the street.
Her heart hammered against her chest. A young girl in an old fashioned white dress with a large red bow tied at the middle, stared at Kara from the opposite side of the street. Her silky black hair was cut short at her jaw line and accentuated her sharp features. She was beautiful, like an expensive doll. She looked to be about twelve years old. Even from the distance, Kara could see traces of redness around her eyes and nose. Her pallid face was pulled into a grimace, her eyes wide in terror. Kara could almost feel her panic. Her eyes pleaded for help, for Kara’s help. An inexplicable connection with the girl rose in Kara’s chest. It was as though they were related somehow, like a long lost cousin. The girl jerked her head around suddenly and started to back away.
Two men in meticulously tailored grey suits approached the young girl from either side. Their platinum hair and faces were identical and their skin was a sickly white color like that of diseased albinos. They moved swiftly and with purpose. The girl backed up against the front wall of the neighboring shop. She locked eyes with Kara once more in a silent plea. She mouthed the words Help me. Kara held her breath. The girl was trapped between the two leering men with black eyes. The loud hammering of Kara’s heart in her ears drowned out all other sounds around her. The little girl was no match for these two evil looking men. Kara had to do something, she had to try to help her.
Kara pushed the trolley out of her way and threw herself over the counter. She grabbed the baseball bat, which Mr. Patterson kept hidden behind the counter in case of a perilous transaction with a customer, and dashed out of the bookstore and onto the street.
She skidded to a stop.
It was empty. The girl had vanished and so had the black-eyed men. The street rang with silence. The sidewalk was bare except for a few pigeons pecking at the ground.
Were her eyes playing tricks on her again? Was this another strange vision? For the past few months she’d had the sensation of being watched. She had perceived creepy shadows in dark places following her every move, lashing out at her when they thought she wasn’t looking. But as soon as she would turn around to confront whatever they were, the shadows would disappear in a blink of an eye. Perhaps this was one of those occurrences. Or perhaps she was going mad. She thought it must be the latter.
“Are you planning on beating someone with that bat?”
Kara whirled around. David stood there, handsome as always, with his customary cheeky grin and tousled blond hair. With his head in the air, he sauntered toward her with a hop in his step.
“Is it safe? Or should I come back later?” laughed David, and he jammed his hands in his pockets.
Kara ignored him and watched the opposite side of the street. “I—I thought I saw something.”
David raised his brows. “And so you decided to go all vigilante and grabbed a baseball bat—to beat it with?”
“I saw a girl. I think she was in trouble—no, she was in trouble. She was really scared and needed my help.” Kara’s knuckles turned white as she grasped the bat tightly. She remembered the little girl’s petrified face as she retreated from the approaching men.
“What girl?” David searched the street. “I don’t see any girl. Are you sure you saw something? You know, all that dust you inhale all day could be affecting your brain.”
Kara sighed and lowered the bat. “She was there a minute ago. I’m sure of it. And there were these two weird looking men…with white hair—really ugly looking and creepy—I felt they were going to hurt her. They had these scary black eyes.”
“Black eyes? As though they were punched in the face or something? Just as you were about to do with that bat, right?”
Kara looked into David’s puzzled face and decided to drop it. Clearly he thought she was mad. She shook her head and shrugged. “Never mind.” She gave out a frustrated breath and then gave him a lopsided smile. “What are you doing here so early anyway? I thought you had soccer practice?”
“I did.” David did some fancy foot-work to impress Kara. “It got cancelled. I thought we could catch an afternoon movie or something.”
Kara tried hard not to smile, but her face betrayed her. She looked quickly away from David. Her cheeks burned, and she knew instantly her face had gone tomato red. Her heart pounded in her ears.
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��Um…let me ask Mr. Patterson first. He might still need me for the rest of the day.” She hoped silently that he wouldn’t. David had been coming around the shop every day since the very first time they had accidentally met two months ago. And every time he came around butterflies fluttered inside her belly.
With the baseball bat loose at her side, Kara walked back into the shop. David ducked below the wind chime and followed behind her. She heard the click of the back door as it closed. She looked up as Mr. Patterson shuffled towards them, his bones creaking as he approached. He scratched his head, sending ripples through his wispy white hair. His short legs peeked out from under his usual khaki Bermuda shorts and colorful yellow and orange Hawaiian shirt. The floor-boards creaked under the weight of his bare feet. Kara never understood why he walked around barefoot in the grime and dust on the floors. But as time went on, she got used to seeing his large square toes and long yellow nails. She reminded herself to get him a gift certificate at the local spa, Toes with Bows, for a pedicure. If she was forced to look at his feet, then at least they could be groomed.
Mr. Patterson waved at them excitedly. “Why, hello, Denis! What brings you to this side of the literary world? Have you come to buy a book at last? There’s a great new section on adventure books for boys over there—” He flung his long white beard over his shoulder and pointed to a tall book shelf to his left.
David smiled uncomfortably and scratched the back of his neck. “Uh…no, Mr. P—but thanks anyway. I’m sure they’re all…swell.” David turned to Kara and whispered under his breath. “He’s still calling me Denis.” Kara covered her mouth and laughed.
Mr. Patterson halted and watched Kara warily. “Clara? Why are you holding the mad-bat? Did something happen? Were you engaged in combat with a psychotic customer?”
“Uh, no, I was just…”
David snorted. “The mad-bat? Seriously? Sounds a little batty to me—”
Kara kicked David in the shin and hid the baseball bat behind her back. “Uh…nothing. I was just…cleaning it.” She walked over to the counter and placed the bat behind it.
“Actually, Mr. P,” said David, “I came to see if Kara could get the rest of the afternoon off.”
“I see.” Mr. Patterson eyed David suspiciously for a moment. His clear blue eyes peered out from under the folds of hundreds of wrinkles. He pursed his lips and scratched his head. “Well, I don’t see why not. I think Clara’s done quite enough today already. You can go with Denis if it pleases you.”
Excitement rushed through Kara’s breast. She dashed back. “Really? Thank you, Mr. Patterson. You’re too good to me.”
“Nonsense.” Mr. Patterson waved a dismissive hand. He stood silent for a moment, his face perplexed. “Dear me. I can’t remember what I was about to do just now…my mind seems to wander on its own as I get older. A very strange business, this old age.” His blue eyes glazed over, and he stared into space.
Kara peeked at David and then back at Mr. Patterson. “Mr. Patterson—if you want, I can stay and help you find what you were looking for. Really it’s fine. I can go to the movies another time. I’m sure David won’t mind.” Kara gave David a sidelong glance.
“No, no. That won’t be necessary, my dear. You go on now with David. I’m sure whatever it was…it’ll turn up soon enough.” Mr. Patterson waddled over behind the counter. He slid open the glass compartment door from which he pulled a fist-sized crystal ball. Specks of light reflected off his face, and he gazed at it intensely without blinking. He held it with both hands and was still.
“Mr. Patterson? Are you all right?” asked Kara. And when he didn’t answer, she asked again. “Are you feeling okay? You seem a little pale. Can I get you a glass of water?”
“The guy’s a little spaced out…if you know what I mean,” whispered David beside her. He whirled his finger at the side of his head and opened his eyes wide.
Kara ignored David and studied the old man. She lowered her voice. “He does that sometimes. Whenever he stares into one of those crystal balls—it seems he forgets the world around him. It’s as if he’s off somewhere else. It’s pretty…freaky.”
“Maybe he’s got the early signs of Alzheimer’s.”
Kara shook her head irritably. “No, he doesn’t. He’s just…old. I’d like to see you at his age—see how you would handle yourself.”
“I’d be the sexiest old fart in town, baby. All the single senior ladies would be chasing me with their canes. I’d be awesome.”
Kara rolled her eyes and laughed. “You’re such a moron.” She watched the old man somberly. It pained her to see him so distraught. “I hate to leave him here like this, though. What if someone comes in…and he’s still staring into that ball, and he doesn’t answer them? They might call the police or something. What if they lock him up?”
David squeezed her shoulder gently. “Don’t worry. The old dude had this shop long before you came along. I’m sure he’ll be fine. Let’s go. The movie starts in half an hour.”
“I hope so.” Reluctantly, Kara turned around and followed David towards the door. “So… what movie did you want to see? Please don’t say another zombie film. I think I’ve seen enough blood and guts to last me a lifetime.”
David cracked his knuckles and grinned. “I was thinking the new—”
“Wait! Stop!”
With a crash, Mr. Patterson’s crystal ball exploded into a million pieces as it hit the floor. He ignored it and ran wildly towards them. His white hair bounced from the top of his head, and Kara couldn’t help but be reminded of the little luck-trolls with wispy purple hair she used to collect. He waved his hands frantically in the air. “You cannot leave. The darkness comes. The legion needs you. The mortals are in danger!”
David whistled softly. “Whoa…and you said the old fart wasn’t nuts? He just poured a bucket of crazy on us—”
“Hang on,” said Kara, cutting him off. “Something’s wrong. I’ve never seen him so agitated.”
After a moment, Mr. Patterson stood before them. His eyes were wide and crazed. He pulled at his hair with trembling hands. “I have seen it! It is time. You must go back!”
Kara searched his face. His big blue eyes were lost under bushy white brows.
“Time for what? You’re not making any sense.” Her body stiffened. What if he had gone mad? She would have to look for another job. A lump formed in her throat. She looked over at David who raised his brows.
Mr. Patterson paced on the spot. “The time is now. You must prepare yourselves. They are waiting for you. You must leave the mortal world.”
Kara wiped the sweat from her forehead with her hand. It was getting worse by the minute. “Who’s waiting? I don’t understand. Mr. Patterson, you’re not making any sense—”
“Keys! I almost forgot!” The old man rushed over to the counter, rummaged through a drawer, and rocketed back. Two golden key cards glimmered in his hands. He held them up to Kara and David. “Here—you must take your cards. You cannot enter level five without them.”
David laughed and took one of the keys. “Thanks, Mr. P—maybe you should sit down and relax a little. Whoa…is this real gold?”
Kara shoved David aside and shook Mr. Patterson gently by the shoulders. “Mr. Patterson. You’re scaring me. I think you need to lie down and have a glass of water. Did you eat something today?”
Mr. Patterson nodded impatiently. “Yes, yes, of course.” He grabbed her hand and placed the other golden key card in her palm. He curled her fingers around it. “Kept it safe. You will need it. It’s only a matter of seconds now.”
Kara blinked the moisture from her eyes. “Okay. That’s it. I’m going to lock up and take you home. We’re not going to the movies anymore.”
She started for the door, but Mr. Patterson grabbed her arm forcefully and pulled her back to face him.
“No! It’s happening. You cannot go anywhere. You must stay here. Both of you.”
Kara and David shared a look. She realized thi
s was a lot worse than she had first anticipated. She would have to call someone. She decided to phone her mother. Her mother would know what to do.
“I need to use your phone.”
“No!” Mr. Patterson grabbed Kara by the elbow and steered her back to face him. “There isn’t time. It comes now. Prepare yourselves.”
“What’s coming?” laughed David, playing along. “The darkness? Will it give us more gold cards?”
The old man backed away from them suddenly and pointed towards the ceiling. His eyes were wide in fear. “The earthquake,” he whispered.
Kara frowned. “The earthquake? We don’t get earthquakes here—”
As if on cue, the bookshelves started to rattle and the ground shook fiercely. An enormous boom thundered around them, as though the earth itself had split open. Bookshelves swayed dangerously, spilling out their contents. Books toppled over and crashed onto the floor around them. The walls cracked, revealing large gaping holes. Chunks of plaster cascaded down from the ceiling and covered Kara and David in a blanket of white dust. Kara coughed as the powder burned her throat.
“Kara! This way!” David yanked Kara by the arm and pulled her towards the counter. They ducked and flung themselves against the wood frame to protect themselves from the falling rubble as best as they could.
Kara looked around nervously. “Where’s Mr. Patterson?” she shouted over the groans and creaks of falling debris.
A huge chunk of plaster crashed on the floor, just inches away from them.
“I don’t know!” yelled David. He inspected the ceiling for more falling boulders. “The ceiling is coming down. We’ll get crushed if we stay here. We have to get out of here now!”
Kara nodded and followed David out from behind the counter. They ducked and jumped out of the way of broken shelves and dangerously sharp chunks of rock—
BOOM!
Half the ceiling came down behind them. The counter disappeared under an avalanche of wreckage.
Kara watched David’s lips move, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. All she could hear was the hammering of her heart and the thundering crash of falling debris. He pointed to the door and grabbed her hand.
Desperately they ran for the door. It was near. They were almost at the threshold—
An earsplitting crack vibrated around them.
The remaining ceiling tumbled down.
Kara’s last image was of a brick wall crashing on top of her. A tremendous weight pressed on her chest, and then her consciousness left.
Chapter 2
Back Again
Marked, Soul Guardians Book 1 Page 64
