by LK Kelley
The two women quickly went about doing their job. While Gem perched herself onto the stool that was behind the desk, Taylor opened the locked, desk drawer, automatically pulling out the key to the climate controlled room. Turning, she frowned in dismay as she walked toward him, noticing that he had already removed his coat, and was shaking it out, drops of water being flung everywhere!
“What a jackass hypocrite!” Taylor told herself. “I bet you’d never do that in your own really fancy home!”
Professor Hawkins sat in an overstuffed chair with a table and reading lamp that sat to the right of the chair. Gem had deemed this chair “Professor Hawkin's chair”, and they kept it vacant at all times. Gem had told Taylor over and over that she thought he was a dick, andTaylor agreed with her every time.
Taylor asked which books he wanted to see today, and after he “ordered” them, she turned to go back to her desk when to her surprise, he actually addressed her! That was a new one!
“My dear Mrs. Tamson,” he began, condescendingly, “Must I remind you both, that it is highly inappropriate to find our Librarian and her assistant, laughing loudly – and on the floor – inside the Sinclair Library?” he admonished her, then glared at Gem who pretended she hadn't seen it.
Professor Jaxxon Philip Hawkins was his name...and...he was the bane of her existence! Always complaining about something, he was a true enigma. He always sat in the same chair, always had the same, black leather, duster on with a hoodie underneath, and the hood flung over his head! No one could see his face that well, since it hid most of it, but, when one did get a glimpse of his eyes, they were indescribably gorgeous, deep brown eyes with flecks of blue glitter. And, from what she could see of it, his face was tan, as if he spent a lot of time in the sun. He would come and go from the Sinclair Library like clockwork, always asking for ancient manuscripts and books, but never the same ones, which was a bit peculiar to her. But, he also did one other thing that made Gem grit her teeth over and over to keep from smarting off in a retort. He always butted into other people's conversations without remorse, interjecting complaints into those conversations. He thought he was right and smarter than everyone else! And, even though he rarely addressed either Gem or Taylor directly, when he did, it was to criticize them for some stupid infraction. She narrowed her eyes at him when her “inner imp” invaded her body, which gave her the courage to do what she did on the spur of the moment, to finally say something to him. Of course, that led her to slap her hand over her mouth after the words spewed forth! Without thinking, Gem stood and walked over to him. Taylor saw her, and recognized that look! She quickly started shaking her head at Gem, who paid no attention to her.
“Oh, shit!” Taylor murmured under her breath, seeing Gem's eyes turning bright green as she approached Professor Hawkins. There would be no stopping her, now. As for Hawkins? Anyone on the receiving end of Gem's sharp tongue when she got started, well, Taylor cringed when Gem spoke.
“Oh? And, just why the hell do you object to laughter, Professor?” she demanded with hands on her hips.
His piercing, brown eyes glared with disapproval at her, raising his eyebrows in surprise that anyone would actually talk back to him! He smirked at her audacity.
“I do not object to laughter, young woman. Only where it happens and when. And, it is most obvious that a library is not that place!” he answered with sarcasm in his voice.
Gem started toward him, when a hand touched her shoulder. It was the only thing that made it through her angry haze. She turned to look at Taylor.
“Don’t, Gem. It’s OK. He was correct to point our inappropriate behavior out to us. I apologize, Professor Hawkins,” she told him.
He darted the same piercing eyes at Taylor, and sharply nodded once in approval. Gem glared at the Professor, then turned to glare at Taylor. She took a deep breath. Professor Hawkins was clearly waiting for her apology.
“Tough shit! He'll be waiting for an apology until hell freezes over!” she thought, looking into his eyes. He was clearly not going to back down. “Nope. Never gonna happen!”
Aloud, Gem told Taylor, “I’m going to the CCR, now.”
Gem turned on her heels, and stalked off in a huff toward the CCR room. Taylor turned, and walked back to the desk, when several things happened simultaneously. A huge bolt of lightning crashed, causing a fireball to appear inside the library, and just missing Gem. She was stunned into silence as she watched the ball of fire travel leisurely across the library, before it dissipated, knocking out all electricity to the building. Anyone who has ever seen one knows that it is a scary sight to behold. Then, immediately, a massive gust of straight-line winds blew out the windows on one side of building, hitting books and bookshelves as waves of various sized glass flew toward Gem.
Watching as if in slow motion, Gem knew she would never make it, even if she ran! She knew, without a doubt, that she was going to be struck by millions of shards of glass, and would be cut to pieces! There was no way that she would be able to move out of the way in time. Dropping to her knees, she tried to cover as much of her body and head as possible, and slumped forward waiting for the shards to slice her. That’s when she heard Taylor scream, as if from a distance, followed by another scream, “NO”! Then, suddenly, Gem was slammed by something that felt like a tank, knocking her out of the way of the oncoming glass.
“Umpf!” was the sound Gem made as she felt her body fly sideways, and out of the path of the glass. One of the tables stopped her from going any further, as she smashed into it. Her head hit the corner of the table, and she uttered an oath.
“Fuck!” she said yelled.
More lightning and thunder followed, and rain began to blow into the library onto the shelves showering down water onto the precious books.
“Taylor! Do you have something to cover these books?” Professor Hawkins yelled, as he knelt next to Gem to make sure she was alright.
“Yes!” Taylor told him loudly, then turned and ran to the storage closet grabbing a couple of tarps that were only there, because of the manager’s convertible, antique T-Bird.
“Are you alright?” Professor Hawkins asked her in a tender voice.
“Y-yes, I-I guess,” Gem answered, rubbing the bump that she had on her head. Her hand came down, and she saw that it was bloody. She stared at the blood dripping from her hand, but tried to stand, anyway. That was a futile move, since she fell back down on her ass, as a wave of dizziness hit her.
Hawkins obviously tried to help her, but she waved him away.
“I’m fine! Go! Help Taylor get those books covered!”
“But, you're bleeding,” he stated the obvious.
“Yeah, yeah! I know! Don't care! Please, Professor! Help her cover those books! It's just a little bump on my noggin’!” she whined, closing her eyes.
Nodding, the Professor darted to help Taylor. Gem opened her eyes. Wait! Noggin'? Who the hell says that type of word? One word came to her...concussed! Yep. That’s what was wrong, because the minutes that followed had her questioning her sanity.
“Jaxx!” yelled Taylor. “Take your time, but hurry the hell up!”
Hawkins left her, while Gem shook her head, trying to clear her vision, and decided to lean against one of the table legs closing her eyes. That’s when her blurry vision saw Professor Hawkins and Taylor fly up to the top of the shelves to cover the books. She frowned. Flying? Gem closed her eyes, and when she opened them seconds later, she saw Taylor on the ladder with Professor Hawkins, helping her cover the lower books with one of the tarps. Gem groaned, and rubbed her head, again. Where the hell was the tank that had pushed her out of the way? It had saved her body from being scarred for life, if not saved her very life. But, what was it that hit her in the first place? Gem tried to stand to her feet, but they collapsed from under her, and she fell back onto her ass.
“Damn! That's twice!” she murmured in anger.
She tried, again. This time, she managed to pull herself up by holding onto the table edge
. Her legs were really wobbly – probably from a bit of shock. Her body was bruised, but at least the bruises would be temporary. No such luck if she’d been hit by the flying glass! She’d just be in a lot of pain until the bruises healed. That was alright for her! Bruises were good!
Professor Hawkins dashed to her side when he saw Gem trying to walk unsteadily toward them.
“Are you alright?” he asked her, grabbing her arm as she stumbled, almost falling, again.
Nodding, “Yeah. I think so. I’m sore as hell from that tanke that hit me, and knocked me against the table,” she said, “But, at least I’m still alive.”
“Good. Stay here,” he ordered, earning a “no one tells me what to do” look, which he ignored, of course.
After he finished helping to cover the windows, Taylor asked him a question.
“Professor Hawkins?” Taylor said. “I wish we had some wine, or other booze in here, but we’ll just have to make do without it. Could you get some coffee for Gem while I finish hanging the tarps?”
Without question, Professor Hawkins, first, helped Gem to the chair where he usually sat, pushing her gently down into it. His heart, if he had one, would have still been pounding in fear! He could have lost her! Instead, he turned to Gem.
“Ms. Elwood? How do you take your coffee?”
“Oh…uh…two sugars, please?” I think.
He put the sugar into the cup, and brought it to Gem as well as one for himself, and Taylor.
“Damn! It knocked out everything even the phones!” Taylor complained, taking a sip of her coffee. She tried her cell, and threw it down on the desk. “Even the cell towers must be down!”
“More coffee?” Professor Hawkins asked Gem as he poured a cup of coffee for himself.
“Sure. I suppose. Thank you, Professor Hawkins,” Gem told him.
“My pleasure, Ms. Elwood,” he answered in such a soft voice, Gem’s head shot up in surprise. But, he had already gone back to the drink station provided by the library.
Finally, Taylor finished, and rushed over to Gem’s side.
“You OK?” she asked, kneeling next to the chair. “I am so very, very sorry I couldn’t get to you, sweetie!”
“Hey, no worries! But, yeah. I guess I’m OK. My head hurts, though,” she complained. “By the way...did someone get the license plate of the tank that hit me? Anyone know what it was? What knocked me out of the way, anyhow?” she asked.
Taylor looked at Professor Hawkins as if for an answer. With a sarcastic grin, she asked him.
“Well, Professor Hawkins? Did you get the “tank’s” license number?” she asked sweetly, earning a glare from him.
“There,” he pointed to one of the library tables that was lying on its side – right where Gem had been before she was knocked out of the way.
Gem looked at the table in surprise, then turned to look where the Professor was pointing. How had she missed it? She didn’t remember seeing it there earlier. But, then, again, her head was still woozy. She shuddered when she thought that if the table hadn’t hit her, she might have been cut to pieces! But, how on Earth did it get thrown there? She looked back at him, and he shrugged.
“Must’ve blown sideways, and caught you in its path.”
Really? Gem wasn’t sure she bought that, but then, with her head hurting so badly, she decided to let it go – for now, that was.
“You want me to call Simmons and tell him that you won’t be in tonight?” Taylor asked.
“No. That’s OK. I’m all right. I’m only going to be there for a couple of hours, anyway.”
“You’re sure? Head injuries are not to be taken lightly, you know.”
“Yeah.”
“OK.” Taylor looked at the clock. “It’s only six thirty, so I want you to stay right where you are until you need to go next door, OK?”
Gem nodded without an argument.
“Wow! No argument? Who are you, and what did you with my best friend?” Taylor smirked.
“Very funny. Ha ha,” Gem answered, leaning her head back on the chair, and closing her eyes.
Taylor walked toward Professor Hawkins who was standing at the inside glass doors looking out on the still-raging storm. Gem raised her head, and looked on in puzzlement when she noticed that their heads twere ogether, and whispering – almost as if they were great friends who like to argue, that is! Gem leaned her head back. She decided the worst thing she could do was to think, and began to doze.
A shake on the shoulder woke her, and her eyes opened to lights once again.
“It’s five till seven, Gem. Are you sure I don’t need to call Simmons?”
“Oh, goodness! No, no, Tay. Really, I’m fine. I see the lights are back on,” Gem remarked. Standing up, she tested her legs, and equilibrium. Actually, she felt quite a bit better! “Seems, everything is in place! I’m OK. I’ll get my purse, and walk next door. Has it let up at all, yet?”
“Seems so,” Professor Hawkins told her picking up his belongings and walking to the door. “Well, I’d better leave while it has let up. Besides, my night has officially gone the way of the dinosaurs, so I guess I’ll come back in a couple days.”
“Strange man,” Gem murmured in consternation, when he left.
“You have no idea,” Taylor agreed under her breath, and watched as Gem left the library.
“Hey, Simmons,” Gem called as she walked to her register, and logged on.
“That was some storm,” Simmons said casually.
“Yeah, it was.”
“Anything interesting happen when the lights went out?” he asked her with narrowed eyes.
Gem cocked her head. He couldn’t know what had almost happened to her. So, ignoring his narrowed eyes, which was weird in itself, her intuition told her not say a word about her almost being sliced to pieces.
“Well, as a matter of fact, yes!” she rambled while putting on the purple vest that all employees had to wear. He waited. “The lights, the phones, and even the cells were knocked out, too! I mean, I thought that Taylor was going to have a coronary! You know how she is about her iPhone! It’s like an extension of her arm and her fingers! And, a couple of windows blew out, and we had to cover the shelves underneath the windows – you know how high they are – and the books from getting ruined by the rain.”
Simmons just looked at her.
“That’s all?”
“Well, yeah. That’s about it.”
“Where did you get the bruise on your forehead?” he asked.
“Oh, that?” Thinking fast, she made up a lie on the fly! “Lola. She was rambunctious to a fault this morning! She leaped out of the bed while I was on the floor, looking under the bed for one of my socks, and jumped onto my back, using me like a step stool, and landed on my head, which pushed my head into the bed’s steel leg!”
Narrowing his eyes again, she could swear that he didn’t believe her, and even more than that, he seemed as if he was irritated at her. But, she shrugged, and her first customer appeared who had braved the storm's aftermath to shop.
Ignoring him, “Hi, Mrs. Wayne! Storm didn’t keep you away, did it?”
Two hours later, when her shift was over, she grabbed her purse, and hung up her vest.
“Night, Simmons! See you in a couple of days!”
All he did was nod. He was just acting so damned strange tonight. And, she hadn’t been the only one who noticed it, either. The rest of the employees were gossiping about it as they left.
“What was wrong with the boss, tonight? Anyone have a clue?” asked Timothy.
“Dunno, but one thing is for damn sure…he looks as if he’s a man who was angry at something not going his way!” Jane remarked.
“Well, maybe. Night everyone!” Gem said.
Gem walked next door to her rusted bucket of bolts. Just as she opened the door to the truck, she got a really, really strange feeling. Nothing ever happened in this little out of the way town of about six hundred people. Well, not counting the excitement of the libr
ary. Starting the truck, Gem pulled out of the parking lot. Musing as she drove, about seven years ago, some really old woman on the opposite side of the world, had left all her books, oddly, her entire collection of first editions of books as well as money to establish a building with enough to keep the library self-sufficient for a hundred, or more, years – if it lasted that long! The money also included the funds to build a climate controlled room inside the building to keep them safe. The collection was so old, many were written in the forms of Tomes, scrolls, and even the oldest known type of books, codices. No one in the town knew who she was, and as far as anyone could determine, no one was related to her either. Even now, people were puzzled about it, and very curious as to who the woman was who left it to them. But, it was such a curiosity, people from all over the area came to it. And, it also drew the academic world as well such as Professor Hawkins.
The collection was amazing, and extremely expensive. Only a few people were allowed into the CCR, because of their value. If anyone, including the academics, needed anything, only the manager, Marshall Adams, Taylor, and Gem were actually allowed into the room. It would be very difficult for someone to escape with any book. It was rigidly controlled as were the few who were chosen to sit down with them to study. Clean, white, and disposable cotton gloves were always provided for those who touched the books, and they had to have experience with ancient documents to be allowed to handle them.
That was just about the only thing exciting to have ever happened around here. But, Gem’s gut instincts were rarely, if ever, wrong, and it was coming through so strong, now, it caused her to be nervous. She’d never felt this way. But, there was definitely something wrong! Shadows were everywhere there was no light. In fact, she could almost swear one of them was moving! Lately, she had a fanciful, and over-active imagination.
