The Girl and the Librarian

Fun's Over

The last two miles were torturous, and Sara honestly didn't think she could last much longer.  They had been at it for eight miles already. Sara had always felt very strong, but she quickly found that her legs were failing her, as the aching reached a nigh excruciating level. At that point, as much as she wanted to fight, there was no way that she could. She tried to beg for relief, but she didn't have the energy for it. She was cold, tired, and hungry.

"Flynn?" Sara weakly uttered. "I know I said I wanted to go and that you needed my help, but it goes both ways, man."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Carry me."

He stopped walking long enough to shoot her a wary gaze. "Not happening."

Her posture slumped, sinking into despair. She couldn't do it anymore. Her knees wouldn't let her. With a harsh, exhausted groan, she gathered up some strength and kept going. "Huh. Chivalry is dead."

Flynn rolled his eyes. "We're almost there!"

"Almost doesn't put a pep in my step."

Being out and about made her feel better, though. Seeing the sights of the city she barely saw much of any more was something she needed. She was happy for someone who was slowly losing herself — peeved and panicking, but happier than she'd ever been. Flynn was partly to thank for that.

Sara's eyes trailed from the pavement to Flynn, where they stayed. She knew something was off about him. Something too big to fix, yet too big to ignore. Sara was suspicious. She didn't like the future that was ahead of him. She had concerns. There was something troubling about this man. Something sinister.

"Are you feeling okay?" Sara asked, suddenly ill-at-ease.

He cast a brief glance to her before returning his focus in the direction ahead. "Yeah."

She didn't believe that for a second. Sara knew something was up. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said again, this time slightly going up in pitch. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Sara grabbed hold of his hand and stopped him dead in his tracks. She and Flynn both stared each other in the eye for a moment, and then she spoke. "You'll find it. It won't be easy but... you'll find it."

Though, that wasn't what she sensed. Not the only thing, at least. The problem was that she also sensed he didn't know and didn't want him to find out this way.

"Things never are easy," Flynn answered. "If it were, I wouldn't be a Librarian."

"Can't argue with that."

Flynn spotted the car rental building. They were just about there. "Thirty steps," he surmised. "We can make it."

"Then what?" she asked.

He chortled, full of enthusiasm. "I don't have a clue. Isn't it great?"

Sara arched an eyebrow. "Flynn, your definition of great is a lot different from mine."

Flynn took her by the hand and whisked her away with him, all the way to the building's front doors. He just about rammed into someone else in the queue. Despite the momentum he had going, he was able to stop himself before he did.

"Right," he murmured, then leaned in to her ear. "Let me do the talking," Flynn squinted his eyes, listening intently to something in the distance. "EC-One-Twenty-B."

Soon, Sara was mimicking his appearance, but instead of deep attentiveness, it was in confusion. "What are you on about now?"

"Helicopter. I can tell by the sound of the rotors."