Careful with the tea

Part 5

We had our meal in a small room, food was poor, still lot. But I had no appetite. Strange it was, but since we drank the heavily guarded drink of Hatter, I didn't wish to eat.

Seeing him, he was in the same boat. He just picked his tray, steering at the wall. I sat as long as I could and politeness requested, then jumped up immediately.

„Thank you. But I cannot sit on my butt any longer." I smiled apologizing at Owl. „Shall we?"

She smiled back.

„Of course."

We started toward the very heart of the building. Took downstairs in a beautifully decorated staircase. Hatter followed, but only after she commanded him. Listening to his heart he'd rather run straight back to his Tea House. I wished I could've known why.

Anyway, when Owl showed me, what I exactly had to do, I too wanted to run away myself.

The building was a library once in the past, as whole tiles of books were lying from ceiling to floor in the center hall. However, in this case rooms, stairs and corridors have been built from books.

And among these books people lived.

I jumped back from dismay.

„Refugees like you." Owl said. „The luckier ones can return home soon... Just as we try to help you as well... But many of them have already forgotten who they are... They have no idea where they've been kidnapped, where they lived, if they had a family... They have nowhere else to go. Now this is their home."

„And we help them." Hatter added, who seemed to give up his dumbness promise, and even cut off from the distance between us. He was standing only a few feet away in the corridor.

„What should I do?" I asked in a faint voice. In some rooms I could see sick and wounded people too. The situation was clear. I had to take a deep breath, as courage left me for a second. But I wanted this, so I will do it.

I nodded.

Owl stroke my hair almost with love, and as I looked at Hatter, I could see acknowledgement in his eyes too.

The once glorious Great Library was only a shadow of itself. But the books served a more noble purpose by giving shelter. As Owl and I paid a visit at the most recently arrived, the weight of the numerous volumes stressed upon me even more. My eyes caught some titles, and my memories of novels and poems crushed against me, one after another.

At the end I felt dizzy again because of the massive amount of words swirling around in my head.

„It'll pass soon." Owl patted my arm, and I started to feel better like she said.

Right until then, when we got to the sick ones.

I always hated hospitals. Always had the feeling that Sickness grabbed and infected me in there. This feeling took me here too. I couldn't deny, I was only one of them. I managed to feel better among my peers.

Owl took care of them just like her own children. Not too many wounds to treat – only small scratches like mine, which cured very quick.

The souls needed a much more serious treatment.

Feeling defenceless, loneliness and homesick had an effect on the strongest ones too after a few days. Only a few, the strongest could get themselves out of this swamp alone.

On the first day I felt powerless. I had no idea what I could do for them. Then I figured it out, it's enough if we just talk. About home, the dog or the stupid neighbours, whatever. Our chats calmed them down, and me too.

Owl gave me a room that night, not far from hers. I had not much stuff with me. Eventually nothing, only what I wore. I lost my bag back home, when those bastards got me...

When I remembered home, I got deeply miserable. Lucky, Owl has left me by then. Better for me, no-one else saw...