Azure [Finished]

1. The Old Lady

I look to the face and beg for the fourth time I see a little bit of doubt. No. She is so confident. ''She'' is a lady aged around 50 to 60 years from the library with glasses dating from the 80s. Her style type ''very very old ladies'' doesn't do good to her overall look. I sigh. This has no want. Her brown-red curly hair smell like old ladies. In general, the old lady smells like old ladies, acts like old ladies and dresses like old ladies. ''Okay, look. I know it sounds weird but it was true! Everything I said. You have to believe me!'' The last words I beg desperately. ''It was the book! I swear!'' It doesn't help. And I know nothing will help. The lady still looks at me like I'm a mad patient from the mental hospital 2 miles away. ''Listen. I know it seems odd. But let me tell the story at least,'' I say, confident now. I see hesitation on her face. ''Okay,'' she replies ''But you have to tell me everything that happened.'' While I have to keep in my laughter of her Jeremy Irons-lookalike-voice as an effect from her smoking, I heave a glad sigh. ''Deal,'' I answer and I begin to tell. ''It all started with when I came in..''

Yawn. I have to spend three hours here because of one teacher who acts like a moron with no brains. I wasn't the one talking! It didn't help. I walk into the dark library, where it always smells musty. Except me there is a mid-aged couple on my right and an old lady on my left. Mrs. McCarthy- the lady that runs the library- is bent sorting out some comic books. ''Oh hi sweetheart,'' she says when I close the door behind me. ''Hi,'' I reply nervously. Mrs. McCarthy is nice and very sweet, but sometimes she can be a little bit absently. Her help, an old lady with brown-red hair and very old glasses looks at me like I'm the devil himself. She doesn't like me. Ms. Greenville knows everything of everyone, has no problem with gossip and can set up the whole village against you. Tenbury, as our lovely village is called is small, with one primary school and one high school. 'Where everyone knows everyone' is a good way to describe our village. One supermarket, one church, one library and one shop where we can buy movies and CDs. Not the most amazing place to live- but certainly the calmest place to live. I ignore the staring of the old lady that is looking for some old book in the back, and the staring of Ms. Greenville and turn myself to Mrs. McCarthy. ''Hi Mrs. McCarthy. Mrs. Dean send me here. I have to make an essay about how silence benefits animals.'' Mrs. Dean was our vice-principal. She doesn't like me, doesn't like anyone and whenever she has the time to punish you she takes the opportunity. Our principal, Mr. Price on the other hand likes me and tries to keep me not bored. I'm smart, intelligent as Mr. Price likes to describe me, but I'm too bored. I don't learn for tests, never do my homework and whenever I have the chance to do something else I take the chance. Mr. Robinson advised me to go to college and look to which college I want to go. He's my science teacher and he has a lot of humor. Although I'm just 14 years old and turning 15- he thinks I have to get more challenge. One of the reasons I'm here now. I get send out very often because I never pay attention. Why should I? And the other reason I'm in this library is Mrs. Dean. ''Of course Anne, dear. Do you want a cookie?'' Mrs. McCarthy says. Despite the fact that most people call me Anne, because I prefer my middle name, Ashley is my first name. ''I'd love to!'' and a cheerful smile brightens my face. She always gives me cookies, and she also helps me with finding books for my essays. I look at the big clock hanging above the desk and ignore the vicious looks Ms. Greenville gives me. 12:14. The break starts in six minutes, and from that moment I have until 16:30 to work on my essay. Mrs. McCarthy hands me one of her Butterscotch cookies. They smell delicious, and carefully, to not spill any crumbs, I put one into my mouth. Delicious. Her cookies always smell like you've just put heaven into your mouth. ''Thanks Mrs. McCarthy!'' I say to her. ''Oh dear, I will see what I can do for your essay. I might have another book about animals..'' she replies to me vaguely while walking away to a bookcase in the back. Unfortunately, there are no laptops and computers in the library. But the books have helped me a lot in the past, and I know that if Mrs. McCarthy thinks she has a book about animals and silence there is definitely a book about animals and silence in the library. She walks back with two huge books in her hand, both as old as the skin on her face. ''Here you go. Remind me that I should replace the books about Wolves...'' while she looks to the wall with an absentee look in her eyes. While I walk to the little seat in the back I notice something. The seat has been moved, as well as some of the books in the bookcase next to it. ''Mrs. McCarthy, did you change anything next to the red fluffy seat in the back?'' I ask her. ''No, dear. Wait, my cake is burning!'' she replies, and she opens the door to the stairs. Odd. I shake the though off that someone has touched the books and chair and plunk down in the red fluffy chair. Wow. Book. Change. The books on my right are changed. I didn't imagine it! While I grab a book with '-By Tom Joe' from the bookshelf a shiver creeps over my back. I look up and see the dark eyes of the strange lady looking at me. While I try to ignore the woman, I open the book and start reading the first page. 'You only know your true self, if you can get out. Find evil. Destroy it-Azure'. Well that's strange. You only know your true self? Must be a mad man. I turn over the page, and start reading. Georgetown. Or as the villagers say: The town full of guns, rum and horses. 1873 AD, Sherriff Hank Dunhill, was just about to wake up when he Wait a minute. Where did the first sentence go? This can't be true. Can it? The weirdest thoughts take over my mind. They are all screaming for attention. It was the CIA! It was magic! I suddenly got dyslexia! And I don't imagine anything. All letters start crawling over the page, the book becomes bigger, bigger and I just hold my breath. I can't think of something, my mind is frozen. I want to scream for help but my lips won't move. Nothing moves. The last thing I look to are the dark eyes of the old lady, and I know I'm about to die.