Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Today, her gray hair was pulled into a bun high on her head, and she was wearing a simple black cardigan over her black dress with black boots and totally random pink socks that came up to her knobby knees.
“Uh, sure, I guess.” I swept past her in a hurry as the bell overhead clanged, announcing my arrival.
“Hey, Sarah.” I grinned as she handed me a muffin and winked. “Is there a reason we have a visitor outside again?” I lowered my voice.
She frowned, and then realization dawned on her pretty face. “You mean Mrs. Old Lady Eris?”
“Old Lady?” I repeated.
“It’s better than her other nickname,” Malcom said from his spot in front of the fire.
“Which is?” I asked.
“Crone,” they said in unison.
I let out a gasp. “Guys, that’s horrible!”
“What’s even worse…” Sarah smiled. “She responds to it and doesn’t seem to mind.”
“She’s older than the town itself.” Malcom stretched out his long legs, then thrust his arms overhead. “Says so herself.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the door; at this angle, I could see the rocking back and forth like she didn’t have a care in the world.
“She was kinda rude to me at the inn,” I said more to myself than anyone. And at the bookstore last time, but maybe she was just… lonely?
“Makes sense.” Sarah started stacking up some books on the counter next to me. “She takes her food very seriously; used to be a world-renowned chef or something like that.”
My interest piqued. “Is that why the food at the inn is so good?”
Malcom made his way over to join us and mindlessly started stacking books along with Sarah. “Actually, the rumor mill says she puts spells in her food to make it taste that good, but that’s just town folklore.”
“Spells,” I repeated, my curiosity getting the best of me, especially after looking at that spell book last night.
Benjamin couldn’t see anything in the book.
I could.
And to make matters weirder, I remembered all the spells I’d read by heart, able to conjure them up with a simple snap of my fingers.
But how?
“Hey!” Sarah waved in front of my face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I worried my lower lip. “I just had a really weird dream last night. It felt real. Actually, since I got here, I’ve been having weird dreams.”
Sarah didn’t look up. “Oh?”
My eyes narrowed. “You don’t sound surprised.”
“Because…” Malcom handed me a stack of books and pointed to the table behind me. “She’s not. None of us are. You’ve been hanging out at the mansion with Benjamin. Who wouldn’t have nightmares?” He shuddered. “Place gives me the creeps. I’m telling you that library eats people.”
I burst out laughing. “The library is perfectly friendly.” I stopped laughing and frowned down at the stack of books in my hands. Why was I suddenly referring to it as a sentient being?
“Ah, she’s realizing what she said.” Malcom laughed. “It happens to everyone who stays too long. Trust us, you’ll get over it. Leave town once you find your mom or figure out what happened, then you’ll take all the wonderful memories of Orca Cove with you.”
I froze. “Who told you all of that?”
His cheeks reddened. “I own a computer. I know how to read local news and how to do background searches, and I was bored; sue me.”
“I’m not sure when I’m leaving. My mom’s still missing.” I had to figure out what was going on with my brain first, then try to solve a disappearance that even the local cops didn’t seem to be interested in. I hated feeling like I was going crazy.
Malcom shrugged. “Even if you decided to attempt to become famous by writing an article on this town, you wouldn’t be the first. Lots of reporters come during the festival hoping to see the…” He snapped his fingers twice. “What was it last year? Oh yes, the human sacrifices in the forest—”
“The blood-sucking,” Sarah piped in, “was the year before—”
“And let’s not forget about the werewolf sightings two years ago. Those were my favorite. We had so many die-hard Twilight fans visiting after their trip to Forks that we had to temporarily close down some of the stores because of the fireside.”
“Werewolves?” I tested the word. “I don’t think I’ve heard that rumor.” I kept it to myself that I hadn’t actually heard of a lot of the things they were talking about. Chills ran up and down my spine as I listened.
“They’re real,” Sarah said with wide eyes. “I saw one once in the forest, scariest thing I’ve ever seen, walked right by me and jogged into the woods like he wasn’t bigger than a bear.”
“I call bullshit.” Malcom grinned. “Was that when you were dabbling in pot?”
“Shut up!” She smacked him with a book. “Mom doesn’t know about that!”
“And I rest my case.” He winked. “You saw a wolf or a dog or maybe even a bear. You did not, nor will you ever, see a werewolf. Sorry, princess.”