to love and be loved by me.

oxfordshire.

the eeriness of the deep empty sky somehow brought you peace. dimly lit lights lining the sidewalks were the only things able to illuminate the asphalt of the empty street you were walking on. the cold air was crisp and blew through your hair ever so gently, almost making sure it wouldn't harm the natural soft curls. a drop of a cold liquid landed on your forehead before more of the substance fell from the skies. it was raining, and although you loved the smell of early morning showers, you had decided not to stay outside. the building nearest to you was a private property, so you settled for the pitch black library on the other side of the road. though the library appeared to not have been inhabited for hundreds of years, the grand doors were unlocked. you stepped foot inside of the building and walked towards the tall bookcases, noticing the one in the corner furthest from the entrance was dimly lit. the soft lighting was like the moon compared to the rest of the room. the bookshelf had created something similar to a half wall, making sure whatever sat next to it was not visible from the rest of the room. you peeked behind the bookcase; a simple lantern sat on the floor, next to the man sitting against the corner of the wall reading. the man didn't seem to take your attendance into consideration, he simply turned the page once more.

"I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea, But we loved with a love that was more than love— I and my Annabel Lee— With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me."

the man whispered, his voice soft and smooth. you're face settled softly, confusion being one of the many things you were feeling.

"The book in the pocket of your cardigan."

he explained, not looking up at you.
you knew what he was saying, it was obvious, you had just been oblivious that you had put your copy of
'Annabel Lee' in your front pocket rather than in your bag. although you know knew the answer to one of your questions, you still had many more.
the questions would go un-answered; the sky had started to lighten and you had things you needed to do and places you needed to go. you gave one last look at the young man, except this time he looked up from the old page of the story he was reading, his soft brown eyes meeting yours for merely a second. while making your way to the door, you picked up the book from in your pocket and notice it had been replaced with a first-edition copy. you turned your head around, only to notice that the lantern was no longer lit, and the man was no where to be seen. you stood in awe before finally exiting the building, taking down the name of your newly-favorited library.