2 A.M. #Wattys2017#specialawardwinner#iceaward2017

Chapter 7

Downpour slumped my pumps into the dark, fresh mud.I recollect Ella's beautiful dance with me and the disaster that struck later. El fainted in pain and my heart cried loud to bring back her happiness. Thoughts possessing my mind I see a graying yellow building right ahead embroidered with gloom. Now and then lightning was the only reader striking the door of library.

Stomping through the lush path I push the shaky handle. A very old librarian chewing nothing in particular greeted me with a smile. There was one other bright purple jacket hanging on the wooden hanger, which meant I had a companion. 

Carefully examining the reeking racks of books I felt my hope leap low. There were very few blocks of various genres. The whole lot was a rumble to search through. I pace with tense mind peering for right book. 

Last block of the library is faintly bright, it is indicated as block six in fading paint. Browsing untouched books for a minute or two I get hold of a right book. I lay my hand on nearly hand scripted title 'Earl: the untold tale', before I pull it off, another set of long fingers grip it tight. I turn around to accuse the intruder and find myself flabbergasted.

"Ella?!", my eyes go wide in shock of the sight in front.

"I need that book.", it was a statement she made and I felt like abiding by it. But, I didn't want to compromise with respect to this book. I spoke up in my commanding tone,"I too need this book."

"I have been in this crap room for an hour now searching for the right book, and I am sure this is the right one. It has title starting from Ear as mentioned by Joy and is the only book with a black rose on it's cover!", with that she takes out a dry rose, looming it's blackness in the air. I don't catch the meaning of her words except Ear and my eyes are stuck on the rose lying dead still in her hand. A strange scare dehydrates my throat. 

" You are here to read about Earl mansion ?" I whisper befitting to my dry tone.

"Earl mansion? Joy sir died because of the abandoned place next to our school?", her mouth forms a perfect O deducing utter shock.

"Joy sir had been inside Earl? Jesus Chirst! Ella that place is a mystery of dead, people never enter it. Don't you have any knowledge about your own hometown? I am sorry about Joy Sir but, he did a bizzare mistake which led him to this end. El please don't get involved into this, don't get attracted to the magnet of death.", no no no, why is destiny bringing us back to same sail? At the loss of my love's soul I don't want to discover any damn truth. 

I dump the book on nearest reading table and start pulling El's sleeve ushering her towards exit. She struggles and barks on my face to let go but, my muscular hold is causing her to stay in sync with my pull. With a jerk of poor wooden floor she trips hard onto my back, I turn around swift enough to grab her waist and fall onto the floor with her in my arms. I hit the floor hard enough but, not enough to alert the librarian because the rain was crashing down outside. 

When my thoughts hovered into El's eyes boring into mine in shock, I am not able to control my urge of kissing her. I place a small peck on her bony cheeks to wave off her instantaneous fear, "Baby please let me drop you back home, you don't belong in this!", I whisper in her ear. She immediately makes her puppy face and starts pleading me as we walk back towards block six. I am left with no option with her last declaration, " Rohan you know nothing of my intentions, my life isn't yours anymore to take decisions for me. Joy was my best and favorite teacher. His loss is because of that place..", she sheds a tear or two pointing towards the old book and continues to speak, " I love you and I thank you for bearing me for three weeks, please let me read that book if you care a pinch for me?". I just nod and we settle on reading table with the book in question in front of us. 

I can't deduce why Ella is bought back into my life when I need to stay away from her, misfortune is her involvement in this. I somehow feel her life is at risk. At the least it's my responsibility to protect her from whatever it is that's happening in this town. But, she is stubborn and wants to unveil the truth of her teacher's MURDER. 

Perhaps we are into this because we were chosen to be or we might be making a pathetic decision laying our hands on untouchable stuff. Whatever may be the reason behind this coincidences I am sure I will save my love from any kind of misery. We have decided to read the book together, at least I allured her into agreeing on this one point. 

I squeeze her hand softly as she traces the cover picture of the book with intense thoughts. She turns towards me beholding a questioning expression, " are we in this together? ". 

" Don't doubt a least about it Ella, I am not letting you go through all this alone. I know for sure that this place, Earl and the town Rosefield is a morbid misery of ages. You and I have met for a reason sweetheart...", I cup her cheeks in my hand and look deep into her eyes," let's finish this off together".

I open the book and feel the atmosphere loose oxygen for a beat second. The brownish pages starts to turn with the hit of wind from nearby window, lights flicker and candles blaze there fumes. Power is cut as a cause of those vigorous flickerings. Having no time to waste I snatch the nearest candle and place it on the dent of the wood. I turn around to push my chair back for better composure, and find a blistered shock on El's face.

"What's wrong?", I ask her feeling my voice in tense.

"Ro the author of this book is my father, Richard Earlson!...", she points towards the bright black print of the cursive letters at the corner left hand side of the prologue page. A slight tremor tightens our bodies when the candle extinguishes into the darkness of the pitch black print, blazing the last line of the page, 'WRITTEN AT 2A.M.'