Bookstore

Every morning Edelynn would rise up early and head down to the bookstore for the shift. She had been working for this bookstore for months now and recently had received some anonymous sweet letters. She thought that it must be sent by some admirers in her class.

People in Medith didn't enjoy buying books in bookstores anymore after the fancy library was built recently. Once she was asked to work in the new library after one of the founders came into the bookstore to search for books; it was a great opportunity for her but she turned it down. She loved the bookstore, not merely the bookstore itself, but the atmosphere inside. Quiet, narrow, old, and those primitive warm lights that costed Mr. Daniel 20 bucks each, were the best things to enjoy. These lovely elements couldn't be found in the new library. In the new library, she saw only bright cold lights; heard only chattering and laughter; everything was so new that they took away the oldness from the books. It wasn't a pleasurable visiting.

"Morning Edelynn," Daniel's hoarse voice startled Edelynn when she opened the door, "sorry girl...I'm kinda sick today..." He gave out a muffle cough with his palm covering his mouth. He coughed with shaky shoulders and hunched back, his brows contracted and his eyes were shut tight.

"Are you sure you're alright, Mr. Daniel?" asked Edelynn.

"I'm afraid you have to..." he burst out another cough, "...watch the bookstore for me today." He slowly dug out his worn, leather bag under the counter, and filled it up with some books with tags on and some pens that were left by the customers.

"No problem, take care, Mr. Daniel." Edelynn watched him left the bookstore with stumble steps at the door. Guess I'll have my own space again. She closed the door and made her way to the counter.

What's this? A piece of paper was lying underneath her foot, a stained torn, little piece of paper. What's on it? Curious, she picked it up trying not to break it and brought it under a light.

"Time is precious and time is you. –J..." A message like honey sweetened Edelynn's heart, like a wicked trap trapped her soul. The name, she assumed, got smudged under her shoe earlier. It must be Mr. Daniel's when he left the door. I guess I should give it to him tomorrow when he's back...Without putting any thoughts about the paper, she left it on the counter, pull out a book that she's been reading for days, sat behind the counter and immediately sunk into the book.

Time had gone by, Edelynn had been sitting behind the counter with her book for a day. No customers came by, only mail deliveryman dropped by, and it was perfectly fine for her. She liked the silence, she liked to be alone...except there was a young man who's now opening the door, and rung the bell on the door that disturbed the silence.

Cold seeped into the bookstore like a fierce blade, thrust itself into Edelynn's warm relaxed body. She gave out a chill and released a sigh. I want my peaceful reading moment... Putting away her book on the counter, she straightened up her back, raised her coat collar, and looked over the counter. There stood a young man in his long black down parka, sprinkled with some snow that was starting to melt on his parka and his hair. He shook the snow off from his clothes and hair, and walked himself up to the counter.

"Welcome," she said tonelessly, "anything that you want in particular?"

"Yes, time please." He replied in his thick, fruity voice while pointing at the counter.

"Excuse me, sir, we're a bookstore not a philosophy school," she tapped her fingers repeatedly on the counter, "anyway, call me when you need anything." She moved back to her little chair and allowed herself to forget everything around her but her book.

The young man stood there without any intension of moving away, just fixed his eyes on her while his hand hovering on the paper that's been covered earlier by the book.

"I was finding my time, and now I found it," he leaned his body over the counter, allowing his puffy parka covered all the space, "right here." His huge figure blocked off some lights, which made Edelynn frowned. She rose up her head and met his eyes, there's something unusual she found, something she couldn't explain but did flutter her heart. The beating in her chest went absurdly fast, those butterflies in side her came all of a sudden like a hurricane hit her mercilessly. I feel like I'm going to have nausea. She swallowed hard and turned her head away from the man.

"What do you mean by... you found time?" she asked with her quiet, trembling voice. She felt her blood had all rushed up to her face. Her chin was touching her chest and her fingers kept swirling and twisting her shirt-tipped.

"I found time, and time is you," the young man straightened back and locked his eyes on her, holding the piece of paper with the message's written on, "you have my message, don't you?"

"Time is precious and time is you...?" Noticing the paper in the young man's hand, she forgot those unnatural sensations, "you're J!"

The young man didn't reply but gave her a gentle smile. The glance in his eyes was flooded with sweetness, which aroused Edelynn's odd feelings again. What was that smiling for? What was that sweetness in those deep eyes? A sudden moistness from her lips cut her train of thoughts, the coldness and the strangeness that she's experiencing now was making her confused.

"Can't you still not remember?" the young man pulled himself away and looked into her eyes, with a nice boat-curved smile.

Memories flashed back into Edelynn's mind like a lightning bolt: There's one fine man went against the current – he visited the bookstore every evening while others dwelled in the new library. He never bought any books in the bookstore; always hide himself in a corner with piles of books. He never stayed long, half hour or so he would leave. For this reason, Edelynn ignored him – in fact not noticed at all – since he never made any noise except when the bell on the door got rung from the door opening and closing. Occasionally he would have a little conversation with Mr. Daniel, asking some trivial questions about the bookstore and about her...About me...?

"Edelynn!" a figure crashed into the bookstore along with the icy wind. Mr. Daniel had been sleeping for whole day, and hence, he forgot a very important thing to warn her – she had to be extra cautious today. He had been noticing a man who always came by in every evening and asked him about Edelynn. At first he thought it was just merely customer's curiosity, since there weren't a lot of girls like Edelynn would want to work in old bookstores, yet this man had been lingering around and watching at the bookstore lately . Especially this morning, when he was carrying his heavy, unbalanced body on his way to home, there stood the man not far away from the bookstore spying. Mr. Daniel didn't pay much attention to the man since he felt he was going to faint at anytime soon. But after the medicine and a long sleep, he realized the man who he had passed this morning was holding something shiny on his waist...

"No!" Mr. Daniel shouted with all his might when he crashed into the bookstore, there's the man he saw in the morning, who was now standing next to Edelynn with a sharp, shiny knife...

The next day of the early morning, people in Medith were shocked by the recent news: Yesterday evening there was a murder in a bookstore, located on street 3, Medith. One victim was found bleeding on the ground when polices came in. Edelynn, aged 18, was a worker of the bookstore. She was found with a knife thrust deep in her chest. The police had captured the murderer. He claimed himself was in love with the victim and so he had to kill her. According to the employer of the bookstore, Mr. Daniel, that the murderer had been following the victim recently and had asked about the victim's information. Mr. Daniel was first to arrived at the scene, he revealed that it was heartbreaking and he was remorseful.

"I had the chance to save her!" Mr. Daniel cried to the reporters, ignoring the eye piercing, bright flashing lights from the cameras, "but instead, I had to have this..." he gave out a loud cough, "goddamn cold!"

The young man walked passed Mr. Daniel with his hands chained at the back. He gave Mr. Daniel a smile and whispered to him. Others could not make up his words, all they knew was Mr. Daniel fell onto his knees and howled.

"Your cold came at the perfect time. Thanks, Mr. Daniel."