The Library Of Edinburgh

Chapter One - News

Norwich, England

Today was like any other day in Eleanor's life, she had yesterday stayed up until late at night to finish reading yet another book that she bought just last week. The night was stormy and the morning scent built by a mixture of rain and cold brought an end to the unpleasant hours that had just passed. 

Eleanor was rapidly eating and trying to hurry up as much as possible to arrive to her daily reading on time. Running up the stairs with a cup of coffee in her hand, she quickly dressed the clothes she had previously prepared for today while taking small sips of the rest of her drink. Eleanor checked if the keys and her phone were in her possession and, after taking a quick look around to make sure everything was in order, she hurried up back downstairs. 

It was cold and wet outside, the effects and consequences of the storm last night were quite visible, Eleanor would have to make sure that her driving today would be safer and more cautious than normal. She took off in her small white Fiat that her parents had bought her as a graduation gift, 'it has been the most useful present I've ever got!' she thought.

On her way to the Children's Center she got a call from her colleague Nicole, a older woman who ran the center and a very good friend of Eleanor. 

"I know, I know, I'm late, just 5 more minutes I will be there!" Eleanor shouted at the phone.

"Good morning to you too!" Nicole chuckled, "Don't worry about arriving a few minutes late, last night was awful so don't come rushing. The roads aren't safe today." She advised.

"I'm not rushing, it's just that the kids are counting on me." She complained while tightly holding the wheel.

"I told them you would arrive a bit later, they are eating some cookies at the moment. I guess they don't mind having patience if it involves cookies." 

They both laughed as Eleanor kept driving closer and closer to the center, "I'm almost there! I will park the car and be right there with you."

They hang up and Eleanor quickly parked her car outside of the Children's Center. Ever since she finished high school and found herself with almost no responsibilities, she decided to enroll in a volunteering program in the Norwich's Children Center. The goal was to develop activities for the local children whose parents couldn't afford babysitting or child related services. Teachers, students, babysitters and the surrounding community helped the program and the center stand on it's feet and thrive. The had annual fairs, Christmas theaters and markets and at least 3 ballet recitals per year. It was a flourishing community built and supported by amazing people and Eleanor found herself admiring the selfless spirit of everyone involved.

Eleanor had offered to volunteer every day in the morning, her hours with the kids were spent primarily on reading books, painting, drawing and doing manual arts. She loved it there, she felt good by giving something to her community without getting anything in return other than a 'Thank You', the words of appreciation by those kid's parents were more than enough for her. 

The work she did there enriched her soul, brighten her days and made her have something to look forward to. It made people depend on her as much as she depended on others, it was a mutual responsibility. It was a gift that kept giving.

The amount of fantasy and fiction Eleanor has read her whole life has had it's impact on her and, now more than ever, she desired to bring a little of that written magic into the real world. Most people read so they can escape their reality, but Eleanor was different. Her reality, her thoughts, her ideas and who she is could easily be found within her book collection. It could be found in a dusty shelf, in a few random pages written by random strangers. She read, not to escape, but to find herself.