Chapter 1 #2
Alice left the college at two o’clock to find a dark sky overheard, huge raindrops falling, and a stiff wind blowing.
There was electricity in the air, she could feel it.
Tonight was going to be a wild night with heavy rain, hurricane-strength winds, thunder and lightning, and she’d be tucked up in bed with a hot chocolate and a good book.
She hoped the library had Wuthering Heights back in.
That was the perfect book to read in a storm.
She ran for the bus, knowing that it came at 2:05pm and got to the stop just in time as the bus turned the corner.
She jumped on, showed her pass, and went to sit down.
As the bus passed the college, she saw Rosie Clegg and two of her friends struggling with an umbrella.
It had blown inside out; they were already soaked, and their tiny skirts and short jumpers were no match for the autumnal weather.
Alice smiled to herself. It was a small victory, and she knew her mum would berate her for laughing, but she felt she owed it to herself to revel in their misfortune.
The journey to the library took twenty minutes, followed by a five-minute walk, which Alice did in record time to get out of the oncoming storm.
‘Hello Alice. Give me your coat and I’ll hang it up.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Wilkinson.’
She’d been told on more than one occasion to call her Jane, but Alice couldn’t call a grown-up by their first name. It didn’t seem right.
Alice was known by name by all the staff in the library. She’d been coming here since she was a young child and her love of reading had never waned. In fact, it grew stronger with each passing year.
Mrs Wilkinson took Alice’s coat and took it into the staff room to hang it by the radiator.
Alice smoothed her hair down as she approached the counter.
Standing behind the counter, gazing out of the window at the storm, was Anthony Winstanley.
He’d been working in the library for as long as Alice could remember.
He was a giant of a man, well over six feet tall and big, too.
He was always pleased to see Alice and tried to get her to read a few of his favourite comic books, but Alice’s mum said they weren’t proper books.
She enjoyed listening to the stories he told her, though. Spider-Man sounded fun.
‘I love a good storm, don’t you?’ Anthony asked, not taking his eyes from the window.
‘I prefer to be inside watching it than getting wet,’ Alice said.
‘I love it all.’ He turned to her, a smile on his thin lips. ‘I can’t wait until I leave and go walking home. I might go down by the old church.’
Alice laughed. ‘That’s proper spooky.’
‘Have you read any Dean Koontz?’
‘Erm, no, and I don’t think I want to.’
‘You don’t know what you’re missing,’ he said with a cheeky grin.
‘I know what I like.’
Alice walked away from the counter and headed for the classics section.
While she perused the shelves, she stopped occasionally as the strong wind buffeted the building.
It was going to be a nightmare walking home.
Fortunately, she only lived ten minutes away, but it wouldn’t take ten seconds in this weather for her to become soaked to the skin.
She chose five books – Wuthering Heights, Little Women, Persuasion, Anne of Green Gables and, she couldn’t resist, Alice in Wonderland. She didn’t care she was approaching her eighteenth birthday; she loved that book.
Alice was only happy when she had a book in her hand, whether she was reading it or simply running her hands along the spines on a shelf. As much as she wanted to spend her entire life in a library, she had to tear herself away to go home.
Anthony was still at the counter. Alice handed him her books and her card.
‘I was reading in the newspaper yesterday that library buildings are the tallest in the world. Do you know why?’
Alice frowned. She wasn’t sure how that was possible. She looked around her. This building wasn’t very tall. There wasn’t even an upstairs.
‘Why?’
‘Because of all the tall tales in them,’ he said with a smile.
It was a bad joke, but Alice smiled in return.
‘I’ve got another one for you. How do librarians make sure the books stay warm in winter?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘They give them book jackets.’
Alice laughed. She liked that one and hoped she’d remember it so she could tell her dad when he came home from work. She turned and saw other people in the library staring at them.
‘Do you know why librarians love jokes?’ Anthony asked.
‘Why?’
‘Because they always get the reference.’
She laughed even louder at that one.
Mrs Wilkinson approached the counter with Alice’s coat in her hands. It was warm and dry from the radiator.
‘Has he been telling you his jokes again?’ she asked, while Alice filled her satchel.
‘Yes. They were very funny,’ Alice smiled.
‘A captive audience, Anthony. You should come in more than once a week, Alice, and let him try out his new material on you rather than us.’
‘I wish I could,’ she replied, her eyes lighting up.
A large crash of thunder caused everyone in the building to stop and turn to the window. It sounded like something had come through the roof. The lights went off, plunging the whole room into darkness. They came back on again a few seconds later.
‘Good heavens, that sounded like the world was being torn in half,’ Mrs Wilkinson said.
‘I think I’d better be getting off,’ Alice said.
‘You be careful, Alice. Don’t stand under any trees. Oh, and will you tell your mum I’ll bring her the catalogue on Thursday when I see her?’
‘I will.’
At the door, Alice zipped up her coat, put up the hood and pulled the drawstrings tight. She stepped out into the early evening which was as dark as midnight. She put her head down and marched for home.
John Street, 5pm
Judith usually walked home from work. It took around twenty minutes.
Even during the winter months, she’d button her coat up, put her head down, and enjoy the bracing air and the exercise.
Tonight, Dr Pratt gave her a lift. The storm was just too severe.
Anyone out in weather like this was a fool.
He dropped her off outside her front door and watched her go into the house before setting off again.
Judith closed the door behind her and wiped her feet vigorously on the mat while carefully taking off her coat so the rainwater wouldn’t go everywhere and make the floor slippery.
‘Good grief. I’ve never known weather like it,’ she said. ‘There were trees down on practically every road we went on. Thank God we trimmed that one in the back garden.’
She looked up. The hallway was in darkness. She turned on the light and headed for the kitchen, desperate for a mug of tea.
‘How were the buses?’ she called upstairs to her daughter.
Judith turned the light on, filled up the kettle and flicked the switch. She pulled the tea pot down from the shelf and opened the cupboard for a mug and the tin of tea. She frowned. There was no sound from upstairs. Alice always came down to see her when she arrived home from work.
Judith went back into the hall and looked up the stairs.
‘Alice, are you up there?’
There was no reply.