The Lone Bow Tie

Prelude

Nova walked into the city on one dreary October morning. Her short red-brown hair fluttered in the bread-scented air. Her green bag slid off her shoulder and landed heavily on the toe of her red converse trainers. Nova picked of the bag (which was full of hardcover books), shook her foot to numb the pain, and ran to the small bookshop where she worked every day.

"Late again, Nova," called Mr Harbringer from somewhere far upstairs. "What is it with you?"

"Oh, the Central line is always slow in the morning," she replied. In reality, the tube was nearly always on time, even in the morning rush.  Nova always stopped by the coffee shop down the street to write a chapter of her novel before work, and sometimes, or all the time, she lost track of the passing time.

"Whatever. Just come upstairs and restock the science fiction. We'll be opening at half-past nine."

Nova marched up the narrow wood stairs defiantly and picked up a cardboard box of shiny, thick paperbacks. She trotted up another flight of stairs that creaked with every footstep, until she reached the science fiction section on the third floor. She loaded the tall shelves with Adams, Bradbury, and Gaiman until her arm hurt from reaching up so high. Nova thought she was done when she noticed a thin book with its title in an unreadable font. She saw that the author, however, was called A. Williams. Who is this? Nova wondered. She thought that she had read nearly every science fiction novel and short story known to man. She picked up the book and turned it over carefully in her small hands. But before she could read the back cover, she dropped it.

The book landed on the wooden floors with a soft flump. It opened somewhere round the middle with the spine facing up at Nova's curious visage. Nova bent down to pick up the book, and noticed that something had fallen out from in between the tightly bound pages.

It was a single red bow tie.