The Light Room

Brought together by a book.

The Light Room

 

                Nora was looking for one book: The Origins of Much Sadness. She had wanted to read the book for a long time but every time she came to the library, it wasn’t in the right spot. She finally just put the book on hold so that she would finally get it.

                She looked through the holds shelf for her name and finally The Origins of Much Sadness was there. When she opened the book, a note card fell out. Nora picked it up and read the little pink note card.

 

                ‘Natalie’s favorite book. If found, return to the back page of this book.’

 

                Nora didn’t know what to make of it, so she went to the librarian’s desk to show her.

                “Oh, Natalie,” the librarian said. “She marks books like that. And that particular book has been off and on missing for about three months. That’s probably why you couldn’t find it.”

                “Oh,” Nora said. “Who is Natalie?”

                “Natalie is a 16-year-old who comes in here every day,” the librarian explained. “Ever since she was 10 and could come by herself, she’s been here. Her parents work out of town a lot and her nanny pretty much lets her run free wherever. I’d rather her be here than anywhere else though.”

                “Yea, really,” Nora said. “Ok. Well, thanks. I’m going to find a quiet spot to read in.”

                Nora went upstairs to the second level in the library and all of a sudden, memories of her teen years that were spent reading and writing books and love letters to her husband came streaming back to her. She chose a spot in a rocking chair and began reading the book.

                The book was a tragic story of a group of girls whose lives change forever when one of the girls disappeared and is found murdered. It traced the remaining 4 girls through their adult lives and how this terrifying event affects each of them personally. It was a book that Nora could relate very closely to, having lost two of her dearest friends earlier that summer.

                Once she was halfway through the book, she thought about the place in the library where not many people ever went. There was a light room at the top of the library, mostly because the library was originally a lighthouse when Nora was a little girl. She tried to remember where the door was to go up to the light room and found another pink note card in front of a door. She opened the door and found the stairs that lead up to the light room where she and her friends used to go to read and play when they were younger.

                She kept climbing the stairs until she could look out the top of the lighthouse and see the ocean all around.

                “Hi,” a young girl’s voice said. It caught Nora off guard. She turned around and a girl with short black hair was looking at her.

                “Oh I’m sorry,” Nora said. “I didn’t know anyone was up here. I haven’t been up here in years.”

                “Yes, I know,” the girl said. “Only people I have seen up here since I was 10 have been people looking for the hard to find archive section. That’s the next door down there. No stairs there. Oh and the librarian. She always knows I’m up here. It’s kind of my special spot.”

                “Well,” Nora said, sitting down in the cushioned bench next to the girl, who was in a corner on the floor. “This is where my friends and I used to hang out when I was younger. Probably around your age and younger. Back when the library was first built. And before that.”

                “That is so cool,” the girl said. “Then maybe you can tell me about this book.” The girl got up from her spot and went over to a loose board in the bench. She lifted up the cushion and pulled out a green notebook. “This notebook has apparently been in here for a long time. It was a story that a group of friends wrote when they were 12 years old. Each one of them wrote a chapter and then the others followed too. It is a great story. I have read it many times since I found it when I was 10.”

                “Oh my goodness,” Nora said, looking at the book. She picked up the book and a picture of the four girls who had written the story fell right out. “I was wondering what happened to this book.”

                “You know about it?” the girl said.

                “Yes,” she said. “I helped write it. This is me.” Nora pointed to the shortest, most excited looking little 5 year old in the whole picture. “These were my best friends.”

                “Were? You mean you guys aren’t friends anymore?” the girl said, curiously.

                “Well, two of them died earlier this summer,” Nora said, pointing the two in the middle. “Me and Maxine are still best friends though, but it’s not the same as it was with all four of us.”

                “That reminds me of my favorite book,” the girl said. “The Origin of Much Sadness.”      

                “I know,” Nora said. “And you must be Natalie.”

                “Yes,” she said. “I guess you put the book on hold.”

                “Yes, I’ve been wanting to read it but I could never find it,” Nora said. “I’m Nora by the way. The librarian told me a little bit about you when I showed her the note card.”

                “Oh, yeah,” Natalie said. “Yup, there are pink note cards all over the place. That’s just what I do.”

                “That’s cool,” Nora said. “Well, it’s actually time for me to get going. Are you here every day?”

                “Yes, for the most part,” Natalie said. “No friends, no life, no parents, might as well.”

                “Ok,” Nora said. “Well, I’ll be back tomorrow to return the book, so maybe I’ll talk to you again.”

                “Ok,” Natalie said. “It’s nice to meet you Nora.”

                “You too Natalie,” Nora said, walking down the stairs, with the image of the smiling 16-year-old girl engraved in her memory.

                “Hello Nora,” the librarian said walking past her. “I see you found Natalie.”

                “Yes,” Nora said. “And I’m glad that I did.”

Author's Note

Prelude to an upcoming story. Is it a good start?

Reviews

[Marie]

Yes it's a good start. I like it, because I like books.