: An Ex-Encounter :

I didn't see the men in black for quite a while. In all honesty I had forgotten all about their jackass attitudes and dark sunnies. But unfortunately for me, it wasn't for long. A week after the encounter, Mr Davey called me into his office. I thought he wanted to make sure the library was ready for the opening considering today was the biggest day in library history, but as usual, I was wrong and besides, I don't actually think there is a library history...

Walking into the well-lit room, I noticed the angelic photos of Mr Davey's wife who had died many years previously in a car accident. The poor old man never really healed from her death. The blonde curly haired woman looked almost alive in many of the pictures that occupied his desk. Every year Mrs Davey would demand her husband take them on an adventure. While in her late 30's she kept herself fit and in well condition, never fighting the signs of aging.

One late afternoon Mrs Davey had left the hotel the duo was staying in at Perth, Australia to go for her usual daily walk. So with her handy camera in tow, she trucked her way bravely through the streets while it was getting dark. Crossing a usually busy street to get closer to a park where many ducks, swans and wild life flocked to, a careless, half snoring driver in a black little Mazda didn't see Mrs Davey crossing, and she certainly didn't know about the car until it was too late. The driver was actually a 25 yr old self-made business man who was coming home to his wife and two kids after a late night. Much to everyone's slight and apparent dismay, he only received a fine. Mr Davey could never really blame the young man, nor totally forgive him. After all, he was more then a murderer, the business man was also a good father and husband. Quite a paradox he had to solve, but I don't think he has found a solution just yet, his wounds still raw.

His antique desk was neatly ordered with little paper out of order…not like my desk which had papers everywhere with unusual paw prints on them. Some were even dated three years ago! I helped myself to an old wooden chair, as the old man was preoccupied with writing what appeared to be a library request form. Curiously I tried to see what he was writing but alas, he noticed my prying eyes and turned the form over.

Looking up at me, Mr Davey seemed to hesitate, as if he wasn't sure about what he was about to say, or do. Deciding to be a patient little beaver, I kept my mouth shut. Sighing quietly he handed over the library request form and said nothing. Now it's not like Mr Davey not to talk, last year at his wife's memorial service, he was so unnerved by the silence he cracked a joke that failed. Mind you he was out of favour with many of the other guests, gossip claiming him to be 'rude,' 'shameless' and with 'no respect for the dead.' The poor old man was ushered out of society and virtually pushed into the dark dank halls of his house. Since the production of the public library, his only companion was solitude, but now, he had some fight within him.

Looking down at the request form that I had seen more times then I would like to admit, I noted again that someone should really change it. The form itself was impractical, the system this private/public cross library really needed was just the required book name, author, your full name, phone number and address. The old form complicated matters by asking users to indicate why they want it, how long it's for and rate the service. The new details given to us to make us more 'modern' like strict 2 weeks booked outside meant the information was useless.

Straying away from the topic at hand, I noticed that I had begun to ramble in a day dream kind of way. Snapping out of it, I read the form for a book called "Achievements and Accomplishments of Everyday People" by Joel Tarish. Now where had I seen this book title before? It seemed these men in black had come back to haunt me. Maybe it was my lovely attitude that won them over? Looking up at my boss with a strange look on my face all he could do was look helpless.

"Sorry little Jai, I'm out of my depth in this decision, do what the men ask, even if it's to polish their shoes, there are people bigger then us who want this book and if they're so desperate for a broken and tatty old book, then let them have it."

I tapped my teeth with my finger nail – a habit I had picked up when I had braces,
"I have only one concern, and one that may get you in trouble…remember when you said that the homeless pile needed a home for the moment?"
Looking suspicious he agreed.
"And remember how I said I would give them a home…?"
Sitting up right in his chair alarmed he was close to yelling "You didn't? You cannot tell me that you took private books off of the property? You-" I quickly cut him off.
"But its ok see, it's at my house safe and sound, I can go get it for the men now and by the time they get here it'll be ready for them!"

Luck apparently had run off with the spoon today, because it certainly wasn't with me!
"That would work…if they weren't already waiting in the library at this very moment" he whispered sharply.
"Oh nutters."

Jumping to my feet, while knocking over the chair in the process, I ran outside of Mr Davey's office yelling sorry for the mess. What is it with men in black that seem to just annoy you? Stomping like a herd of elephants down the stairs I passed Amy who seemed concerned, more for the wooden floors then me,
"You have guests waiting for you in the library! Janelle was going to handle them but the big guy asked specifically for you!"

Slamming the front door behind me, I didn't even have enough time to thank Amy or even to curse the bald guy for being arrogant. Kicking the stand up from my Ninja, I raced away from the compound, but not before I put on my helmet of course, remember kids, safety first! Racing down the highway, not going above the speed limit (much) I quickly grabbed the book after flinging the cat three quarters of the way to the moon to get to it, then chucking a U turn to race back to work. All in all it was quite the adventure, and I must say, I broke my record of getting to work by a minute. Who said luck had run away with the spoon?

Face flushed from the running around combined with excessive anger towards these two strangers, I nearly broke through the doors of the library just to start yelling my head off at them. Looking around at the main entrance there was one thing I saw, only one. Nothing. There was no two men in black, sunglass wearers or otherwise, nor was there any other personal or bouncers. So where had they gone? I walked towards the main computers and like the morning a week ago, nobody was around, and the elevator camera seemed down. Deja vu anyone? I looked at the clock which stated the current time was 3:30pm, too early for the Grand Opening, yet too late for rehearsals. Why would two men who obviously had an eye set on this rusty old book leave suddenly? It wasn't as if I had been particularly late, only by 10 minutes tops. Suddenly thoughts plagued my mind as to the disappearance of the men and Janelle, she had been rostered on to finish off of the books, and yet she was no where to be found upstairs. Grumbling to no one in particular, I clicked the button of the elevator to go down a storey, reminiscing of nostalgic times where toothpicks and world atlases were used in combat, laughing at myself in the process, I hoped into the elevator.

Watching the camera, I had a sense of unease, something was wrong, I knew it. But hey, I had been wrong with the last adventure, maybe it really was just the usual Bouncer who was shifting through the books…with her trusty toothpick at her side. Metal doors open in front of me the sight without any zombies about to bite me to bits and pieces, only to be saved by the food-loyal Jess! Mentally slapping myself, I confidently stepped out of the metal prison and walked, head high, past the rows of books to the electrical panel at the back with my faithful atlas in tow. Needless to say, despite my appearance of a confident young lady, I was freaking out inside, and walking in the dark 1st floor, didn't help. Ignoring my sense of terror inside, I went running back to the elevator to drop off my lone item and began the trek to the electrical panel again, this time more comfortable. Arms free of any books; I made my way around the corner of the last stand only to be grabbed from behind and pulled backwards. Completely caught off guard and curious as to how the attacker came to be in this place without me hearing the ping of a door, I struggled as much as I could, but a gal can only do so much struggling in her life, there are limits…I swear!

Giving up the 'honest' fight, I swiftly lifted my right leg up, and I'm glad to say I hit the home run. Moans of pain came from the perpetrator as I grabbed a nearby book, "The Complete Cook Book – Over 800 Recipes in Full Colour" the biggest, bulkiest book I could find, without running back to my atlas ally, and quite frankly, it's appearance was really puzzling, wasn't level 1 supposed to be used for the old and valuable books? Moving on to whacking strangers over the head, I spun around and unleashed the fury of The Cook Book - none have ever escaped its wrath before, and the poor bloke certainly wasn't going to escape it today. Thumping the stranger over the head while he was down for the count, I proudly wielded the book with such skill that my prior book attack gave me. Only to find the apparent stranger to still be strange, just one that looked a lot like the companion of the big sunglass wearing man in black …oh nutters again.

Ohh it's been WELL over 6 months since I have last updated this ole thing blushes shame on me! As for my concentration of A Dieing Wish … well that didn't turn out as well as I thought, not as realistic as I preferred, anyways, thanks for reading!

Shadow-Love