Author Games: Circle

Task Seven | Camden Fisher

Ilex purpurea; Holly is a symbol of healing and hope.

*

The library was cold in the morning. Cold and empty. He was alone with the books, the librarian, and a young woman who had fallen asleep on a tome the size of a smallish pedestal. Drool glued the side of her open mouth to the thin page beneath her, making Camden screw up his eyebrows in slight disapproval. He knew the book, but not the girl. It was a good book too, detailing the events of the history of South America starting all the way back with the Bering Land Bridge and continuing in extensive detail through the incidents leading to the present day.

It was the same book he'd nearly whacked over his father's head three years prior.

"Can I help you?" Camden nearly launched himself five feet in the air at the library assistant's question. Of course he hadn't heard her approach. Of course not. He clutched the spine of the book he was holding a bit tighter, as though that could protect him from any and all future surprises.

"N-No," he managed, "just looking."

Nadia sighed. "Camden. The library technically isn't even open yet, and you're here 'just looking', again." She took in his haggard appearance - the sloppiness of his hair, the dark bags lining his eyes, the sickly pallor of his skin. "You know I wasn't asking about the books. When was the last time you ate?"

Camden chewed at his bottom lip, pondering for a moment. "Um... yesterday? I think it was yesterday. S-Sorry."

Sighing, Nadia glanced at her watch. "Hey. Let's go get coffee."

"Um... I'm okay. Thanks. But - I, well. I'm not hungry."

"I wasn't suggesting food. I was suggesting coffee." Nadia gently tugged the book out of his hands and placed it back on the shelf. "Come on."

Camden didn't actually order coffee when they arrived at the small outdoor café. Steam rose almost delicately from Nadia's peppermint latte, and she curled her hands around the sides to keep in the heat. Camden's breath puffed white and his hands trembled, but he was feeling jittery enough without the extra caffeine in his system.

"So, let's talk," Nadia said. "How's Jay? That's your boyfriend's name, right?"

"Yes. Jay." Even saying the name brought a small smile to Camden's face. "Yes, he's fine. F-Far away, but fine."

"Good, good. And your mom?"

Violet had been wracked with guilt the days following the break-in. But even she hadn't expected how much it would affect Camden for the years to come. Therapy sessions had been booked, and through them he'd begun to realize it wasn't the break-in himself that had shaken him up so. It was the fact that his father had escaped. It was the fact that somewhere, Gil Robinson was on the loose and had managed to avoid authorities for a scary amount of time. Which meant, in Camden's mind, that the authorities weren't truly looking.

Nadia leaned forward slightly, concern etching her face. "Camden?"

"M-My mom is fine too. They're all fine."

The concern didn't leave her face. "That's good. Listen, Camden. I'm worried about you. You haven't been sleeping much, or eating much, or... anything. I know I've only known you a few months, but I do want to help, if I can."

"I'm okay," Camden said, with as much optimism as he could afford. The basic ring tone of his phone spared him from any further awkwardness and he answered it on the third ring without checking the Caller ID. "Hello?"

"Camden."

He let out a small breath of relief before realizing how tense his mother's voice was. "M-Mom, it's me. What's wrong?"