Before Time Runs Out

Chapter 4

Carmelita had unlocked and pushed the grand doors open to the library, and it took Ethel's breath away at what she saw. Books, new and old, on shelves that stretched to the high vaulted ceiling. It was a two-level room, with a rotunda going around the walls with a pair of spiral stairs that stretched upwards in the corner. There was a sliding ladder connected to a rod on the top of the bookshelves, each one being lined by a bar for easy access to the books that laid within the shelves. There was a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, its fragments glimmering in the light. There were some ruby-colored velvet sofas and armchairs scattered around the room, yet all centering around a stone fireplace, similar to the rest of the rooms in the house. Off to the side of the sitting area, there was a large grand piano, with beautiful white glimmering keys. Ethel pulled one of the books hastily off the shelf, studying the cover of it and running her fingers across it. Hardcover. No one owned hardcover books unless they were a gift or passed down through the family.

"It's twelfth night, by Shakespeare, in case you were wondering."

Ethel did not look up at Carmelita's statement, opening the book and slowly flipping through the pages. There were small annotations on certain pages, with beautiful handwriting. It was as if she had tuned everything else out and was only focusing on what was in front of her eyes at that moment. Her handwriting was slanted right and was insignificant compared to regular handwriting. She recognized it.

"You bought my coffee at the cafe the other day," Carmelita looked at her in surprise before looking down at the book. "Your handwriting in this matches the one on the note that was taped to my cup."

"You got all of that simply from a book annotation?" Carmelita slowly took the book out of Ethel's hands, studying what she had read. Ethel stood next to her, hovering close to her shoulder.

"Why did you buy my coffee?" Ethel look up at Carmelita, and she looked back at the same time. Carmelita slowly closed the book, setting it down on a nearby shelf, sighing as she averted her eyes from Ethel's gaze.

"I just don't think beautiful women should have to pay for something that should be free to them," Carmelita's playful smile came back quickly as she quickly cupped Ethel's cheeks in her hands. "Besides, I think your beauty is enough of a payment to others. Especially that smile that you give, the real one and not the one you put on for show." Ethel's cheeks turned beet red as she stood there without a clue of how to respond until a maid knocked on the doorframe and brought in a tray of tea. Carmelita removed her hands from Ethel's face, slowly sitting her down in an armchair across from yet another coffee table.

 How many did this woman have in her house?

 Carmelita poured a cup of tea with some sugar and handed it to Ethel. She recognized the smell of it but was not truly sure of what was in it. Carmelita poured her cup, taking an occasional sip while watching Ethel out of the corner of her eye. She had noticed how she had gotten tired throughout the day, which was a part of the aftermath of the drugs that had been in her system. Ethel finished her cup and was careful when sitting the fine China teacup down on the coffee table, one of her dark braids sliding over her shoulder. Carmelita noticed her messily done braids and sat down her cup before beckoning her over. She grabbed her hand and sat her down, crossing one leg under the other, while the right one hung over the edge of the sofa, as she slowly undid Ethel's dark curls with her fingers.

"Maybe I should start calling you Rapunzel with all this hair you have on your head," Carmelita let out a small chuckle, feeling the length of her hair as she gingerly untangled it with her fingers. "Even when I was a child, I never had hair as long as yours. How did you get it like this?" Carmelita sectioned Ethel's hair as she spoke, deciding on a Dutch braid for now.