Baited, Chapter 1

The autumn evening felt bitterly cold against Cassie's cheeks as she blew a hot kiss of breath into her cupped hands. She quickly rubbed them together before pulling the silky purple scarf over her mouth to shield her lips from the chilling air that surrounded her as she walked into town. Frost lined the curbs of the streets, crunching loudly beneath the soles of her worn-out trainers, a piece of loose lace tangled around her feet. She tucked her hands deep within the pockets of her cotton cream jacket, its long ends flapping violently in the uncontrollable wintery winds. She passed along the row of coffee shops and boutique stores that were set in a long line opposite a small dog park on the other side of the road. She usually passed through it on her way to and from work but the chaotic rush of the Christmas spirit brought more than the usual air of excitement.  

It brought jobs.

Cassie knew that during the brink of the holiday season, the busy rush of customers brought news of the occasional seasonal job. And with her fixed-term of employment coming to an end at bobby's fast food place, she figured that it couldn't hurt to start looking again. She really wasn't looking forward to searching for yet another part-time job after it had taken her so long to get this one. Luckily, she now had some experience behind her and she hoped that this would at least be in her favour. Her eyes strolled passed the large glass window displays, frequently stopping to glance over at the bright advertisements that were plastered across the front of the shops. She sighed wearily, discovering that the inviting notices were merely all either announcements of the local fete or the odd discount offer. None of it was of any use to her. Not even the bargains that still stocked far too expensive merchandise for her to buy. She really needed to find a new job, fast! She carried on. It didn't take her long to reach the very edge of town to the buildings that were stained with the smell of salt from the nearby docks. It was considered to be quite a 'hotspot' for hangouts with the occasional juvenile fight or the rare gang brawl. It wasn't particularly an area that most wanted to venture on a regular basis and even Cassie had had initial reservations when her friend had offered her a job at the local library. It was part-time, every other day except for weekends so the hours weren't all that great. Still, the lure of actual money was just too much to resist and after a while, her fears of the hovering gangs had almost vanished. Now they rarely bothered her and the cold nights proved far too much for their hot heads! They didn't dare to stick around in the cold for too long anymore. It was at least one worry off of her mind.

Reaching the ancient, degrading building that was the library, she struggled to open the ice coated doors. She banged her fist against it, calling out to her colleague from the outside. When no answer sounded from within, she pulled at the door handle with both of her hands, the cold friction burning against her palm. Eventually it gave way to her strength, knocking her just off of the street curb and onto the chewing gum tarnished road. Catching a bemused giggle in her throat, she headed inside, the doors slamming shut behind her as the wind swept through the open doorway. Creepy but she was used to that! Cassie stepped into the dimly lit hall entrance, wiping her shoes across the bristles of the welcome mat. She gazed up at the smashed light bulb that lay above her head, inadvertently stepped onto the bits of fallen glass. She could only perceive coldness as she trudged further into the room. A shiver passed down her spine and she momentarily stifled a sneeze. The inside of the library was no warmer than the teeth-chattering coldness outside and the hairs on her arms stood on end, prickling her skin with goose-bumps. She didn't really expect anything different from a building that had somehow managed to withstand two world wars and now stood simply collecting dust for the remainder of its days. It wouldn't be long before the owner cut her losses of it. Despite the overwhelming coldness that caused her whole body to quake, she sought comfort in knowing that the large bookshelves would protect her from the ceaseless breeze of the frost-biting air that blew through the cracked window at the back of the building. No matter how much they had tried to block it, the wind remained defiant and burst through any blockade set in its path. In the end, it just wasn't worth the hassle and now they had grown almost tolerant of their unsettling surroundings.