Once Upon A Time

☆Prologue☆

***This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locale are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.***

I entered the small bookshop half an hour earlier than usual. Kate was standing behind the counter serving an extremely pompous looking lady. A young girl who I assume to be her daughter was in the fiction area browsing through books.

"That'll be twelve dollars ninety-five, thanks. Y'all have a good day now."

The mother thanked Kate before calling the girl away from the fiction area.

"You're early today, Eliza." Kate said, taking the books the lady didn't buy and putting them back on their respective shelves.

"Yeah, mom dropped me off on her way to work." I replied, silently wishing I had my own car. She responded with an 'oh' already concentrating more on today's work than she was on our conversation.

"There's a new shipment out back, be a doll and catalogue them for me while I sort this out?" She asked, motioning toward a man just entering the shop.

I wasn't surprised when I saw who it was.

Everyday day he came in, and every time Kate had some job or another that needed done out back that would take me at least an hour to complete. It had been happening the entire summer that I had worked at 'Paisen Books'. To say I was suspicious was an understatement.

I walked through to the back room, shutting the door on my way. There was 5 boxes full of books that needed catalogued. That was at least 200 books..

I started scanning them into the system and before long I was halfway done.

I had about 50 left to do when I heard it. A low growl coming from the front room.. At first I ignored it, until it started getting louder and louder.

I stood up and walked towards the door back to the front of the shop when an ear-piercing scream emitted from the other side.

I barged through the door to see that Kate was lying on the ground with a knife in her side. Looking up, I saw the man running out the door, a large old looking book in his arms.

"Hey! Hey, you! Get back here! What've you done?" I screamed at him, getting up to chase him out the door.

"Eliza.. Don't worry about him."

I turned and saw Kate standing up, her shirt bloodstained, the knife in her hand. A dark shape then jumped from the back room and ran out the door. In pursuit of the man?

"Kate, sit down. We need to get you to a hospital!" I was full on panicking now. Pacing between Kate and the door. "What was that? Why did he stab you? Why aren't you bleeding anymore?!" The last question I shouted, after noticing that Kate had pulled up her top and was watching as the stab wound slowing started closing over, as if it had never been there.

I stared in horror, completely confused by what was happening.

"What are you...?" I whispered, backing away from her.

"Eliza," she said, walking toward me. "It's time you learnt a few things about my world."