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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 16:26:55 GMT -5
Maddie stepped through the doorway cautiously, not knowing what to do- but still felt that pulse inside her head tell her to keep going forward. She wore a black silk feeling vest that was overtop of a black and white striped t-shirt and a pair of jeans, well, for now at least; and she felt oddly out of place when she looked through the door.
No. She can't let fear get in the way.
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Jan 28, 2009 16:49:44 GMT -5
People stared at Maddie for passing moments, it was noticeable that the women were wearing dresses, that and almost all of them were being accompanied by someone else, it seemed like perhaps the kind of place where women had some kind of escort, it was actually the way things were done around here. There were stores that people walked in and out of but none of the people were Efram. The entire place was amazing and expansive, overhead wasn't a sky, it was a ceiling, they must have been inside a building, or even more amazing a thought- there was another city overhead. The air was warm and sticky but nobody seemed to pay any mind to it, women stood on the sidewalk selling little bundles of flowers to people walking about and it seemed like they were all going through another normal day.
Meanwhile...
A young man ran into the library, nearly out of breath and he wheezed for air as he made his way to the front desk, tapping the little bell with his hand to call a librarian. The young man wasn't a fighter from how he looked and he was young, perhaps only in his late teens or early twenties. He we dressed in the same kind of clothing that seemed to be the normal thing in this place and he had a worried expression on his face as he moved some of the curled brown hair out of his face and placing a pair of glasses on the bridge of his nose. He looked like quite the model gentleman.
"I'm sorry! I'll be there in a moment, we're a bit understaffed right now because that bastard mute decided he was going to go off on holiday without telling anyo-" A young woman with a mess of black hair tied up from her face paused as she looked towards the young man, "Efram! Now where the hell did you go off to? It's been nearly forever!" She rushed over to Efram and hugged him, a broad smile on her face. She was a woman of medium stature and a sunburned face, her eyes were a dark brown, almost black and they shimmered with joy when she hugged Efram, "Now there's lots of work for you to do, I was making the bot do your stuff for you but it doesn't know the shelves as well as you, we have lots of things you need to stock. Get to it, okay? You can tell me about your adventures later!" She smiled, handing Efram a stack of books and sending him off to work.
Efram didn't seem to mind, he just carried the tomes off into the expanse of bookshelves that towered in the library like skyscrapers in New York City, there were ladders even so you could reach the topmost books and Efram set to work putting each book in it's proper place, a bit of a smile on his face to be back to his normal life though he was sad, you know, over everything he left behind as well.
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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 17:11:51 GMT -5
Maddie was shaking, but she didn't notice even in the hot temperatures through the other side of the doorway, and walked around the streets to look around and see what was the best place to look- she could read just fine....but there was a whirl in her head that made her dizzy from that crying. Her stomach tightened in fear and going along the course of relaxing again from getting it upset as she ran not long before. The young woman went along the walkways, looking at the signs above the stores. Efram once mentioned something about libraries to her, though it was a few months back. He said he liked it there, kind of. Maybe the library was a good place to start......
The eighteen or nineteen year old wound around the bends and through the stores and alleyways, looking for anything that had the marking of a library. It was hot, and at that point, she didn't care how she looked, if people stared at her, or anything else. Maddie was going to find him. She would find him. It wasn't getting any cooler, and the young woman gave in to the heat and sat on a large set of steps to rest a moment.
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Jan 28, 2009 17:26:12 GMT -5
A young man, not much more than a boy ran down the steps, a shouting voice came from the top of the steps, "Get out of here! We don't need any of that!" The woman's voice was loud and obviously she had no fear of everyone hearing her shouting and that was when a book flew through the air, hitting the young man on the back of the head, "You've already ruined that one so you can keep it!" she added, a frown on her face, "Nasty!" she dusted off her hands and went back inside, her black hair hanging in a messy bun as her dark brown eyes looked around the building. Well, there was the library.
The young woman made her way back to the main desk, sitting down in a chair and stamping something or other on the inside cover of books, going through them methodically before glancing up towards the top of one of the bookshelves, knowing instinctively that her friend was in that direction, "Oh, you don't even want to know this time, trust me" She laughed a bit, shrugging before getting back to work. Ah, never a dull moment, was there? She was awfully loud to be working in a library.
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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 17:43:41 GMT -5
Maddie looked over her shoulder, a humid breeze hitting her face. The library! She got up and went inside, her pen and notebook paper ready. She was loud for a librarian, and she could see the woman who was just yelling at that little boy.
Not exactly in place like everyone else, like the rows and rows of books that were inside this place- Maddie went up to the woman at the desk and wrote to her 'I'm looking for a friend of mine. His name is Efram, do you know him? Or, do you know if he's been here?' Her face was one that told the receptionist woman that she was more than a little lost....she needed a bit of help.
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Jan 28, 2009 17:59:10 GMT -5
The woman looked at the note, her brown eyes reading it before doing a quick look from the note to Maddie, then from Maddie to the note. "Well then..." She said with a broad smile, "I had no clue he was picking up little cute things like you!" She smiled, "Efram! Someone's here to see you!" she shouted, grabbing Maddie by the sleeve and running off through the library to find Efram. She was obviously very happy to have someone that was here for Efram, maybe a bit too enthusiastic actually.
There was a heavy thud and then the sound of running, obviously this wasn't something Efram thought was a very good idea. He wasn't seen and instead there was a pile of books that had to be put away, Efram was no longer there looking over them and busily putting them in their place.
"Efram! It's just a girl!" The woman said, annoyance heavy in her voice due to Efram's behavior.
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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 18:02:52 GMT -5
'Tell him it's Maddie.....' she scribbed legibly in a painc before taking a few fast paces, not to be rude, but also to keep on his tail- hoping he heard and would stop.
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Jan 28, 2009 18:17:27 GMT -5
"She says her name's Maddie!" she shouted, obviously used to having to chase Efram around the library with a girl in tow, "You two should definately go out! You both talk the same!" She joked, but she stumbled when a bunch of books fell to the ground in front of her and Efram poked his head through the space in the bookshelf. His light brown eyes looked at Maddie with a confused expression, and it was weird seeing him with glasses on and why he needs them was a mystery to anyone but he still wore them so there must have been a purpose for it.
The young woman stood up, brushing herself off and her hand shot for Efram's collar and she dragged him through the hole in the bookshelf. Efram didn't seem the least bit pleased and there was a bit of flailing involved and Efram fell to the ground on the appropriate side of the towering shelf. He looked up at Maddie from the floor, still with that terribly confused look on his face, he then glanced at Maddie with a furious expression, he probably would have said something if he could, but of course he couldn't.
"Look, I had nothing to do with this, she's the one who came in here asking for you." She shrugged before grabbing Efram by the shoulders and turning him to face Maddie, "Now I'll leave you two love birds alone for a while. She said with a smile, "Right after I pick up this mess Efram's lovingly made." She began putting the books back on the shelf, Efram wasn't the kind of man to shove things off the shelves, it was kind of infuriating bu Hatty was willing to forgive her friend.
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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 18:29:37 GMT -5
'I don't understand why you're running, Efram. I don't know what's going on- and I was scared, okay? I'm sorry if you didn't want me to follow, but if there's something that's hurting you- emotionally or whatever the case is, I want to help. I know it's impossible for me to understand your writing- and it's obvious I'm not very good at charades......but you were crying, and I know what that means. I couldn't bare it-' her paper ran out and she yanked it off, handed it to him, and went onto the next page. 'I'll go back if you never want to see me again, I'll forget about everything. But I love you, Efram. I came here- through that house to find you......However, back there at the school; it wasn't fair- it wasn't right. What's going on? You're scaring me more than that house did.......'
Maddie wasn't going to lie, and she didn't stop shaking the whole time. Spiders....bloody hands....monsters and freakishly real puppets......those two doll people. It was a nightmare for her- but she knew that there was a better thing for her past all that, and she rooted her way through. She was icy to the touch even in the stifiling heat, her eyes were red and her cheeks were clamy. She looked sick- hurt- worried. The notebook in her hand was trembling just as bad as the rest of her.....Maddie was frightened beyond belief.
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Jan 28, 2009 19:03:06 GMT -5
Efram had a hurt expression on his face and he hugged Maddie, stroking her hair gently and holding her close in the hug before he stepped back, looking over her face with concern before giving a little sigh. He looked like he was unfathomly more unhappy over this whole ordeal than Maddie could have even hoped to be and he kissed her on the cheek. It was noticeable that when reading the notes he didn't even finish them, he didn't really have to in all honesty. Efram knelt down and began picking up some of the books though, looking away from Maddie so he could clean up the mess he had made, glancing up at her a few times with a pleading expression, wanting her to understand.
"You know, I'm kind of pissed that I try for years to set you up with someone and then some stranger walks in off the street and you're so obviously in love." Harriet laughed, poking Efram on the nose, "I'll take care of your mess, you just watch over your guest, okay? If she messes up the books like that one kid then you're going to have to keep your sexual rendezvous to somewhere not the library, got it? It's okay though, I won't tell anyone." She gave Efram a wink as she held a single finger up over her lips.
Efram shook his head, taking off his glasses and cleaning the lenses nervously as he looked back at Maddie, shaking his head and then pointing to Harriet before pointing to his head and moving his finger in a circular motion, calling his friend insane. Efram's face was so bright red that someone would have to smile at that moment, it looked like someone had dyed his face with red koolaid or something of that sort.
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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 19:13:37 GMT -5
Maddie was at least relieved to know he loved her, and her efforts weren't a waste....to know he wasn't mad at her- that he was safe. She was trembling still in his arms- like she was delicate enough to break...about to break, and yet strong in will. She hugged him back and her eyes closed, holding back any tears that may want to come out- and also to take in as much of it as she could.
She had to let go of him though, and Maddie met Efram's gaze, seeing he wasn't happy about this at all- same as herself. She didn't understand why or what caused it, but at least seeing him was better than finding him like those two people in the house. When he called the other girl insane, a small smile went on her red face and her cheeks blushed a scarlet red, she looked as though she would laugh a little if she could. Her one shaking hand reached out for Efram's.
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Jan 28, 2009 19:46:51 GMT -5
"He calls me insane but that's just cuz I'm crazy about my little marmoset." Harriet smiled, patting Efram on the head and planting a little kiss on Efram's cheek adoringly before she picked up the last of the books and sliding them back on the shelf. And Harriet wondered why Efram never got a girlfriend, pffft!
Efram wiped the side of his face with his palm as if to wipe off his friend's kiss, looking apologetically to Maddie as he accepted her hand. A smile alighted on his face and he brought his face close to Maddie's, bursting with excitement and he motioned Maddie to follow and he started walking through the library, one hand still holding firmly onto Maddie's. Something had entered his mind and he had to make Maddie understand.
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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 19:52:08 GMT -5
Maddie flushed a deeper scarlet at what Harriet had done, seeing it as something to embarrass him- a friend as she had said, keeping her hand in his for as long as he wanted it there and made a look through her eyes that said she understood that the other girl wasn't a girlfriend- only a friend of his.
She followed him with that same small smile as the sight of his smile made her get just a little excited too. He wanted her to see, and she followed.
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Post by Señor Sunday Friday on Jan 28, 2009 20:06:57 GMT -5
Efram lead Maddie through the maze of bookshelves, smiling the entire time as he lead Maddie to the reference section, eventually letting go of Maddie's hand and he pulled a massive book from the shelf, struggling to carry it but carrying it nonetheless and being painstakingly gentle with it he set it down on the table. His fingers ran over the cover and he closed his eyes for a few moments, his smile still present on his face, the book was massive and one could only hope that there was only an article in it that he wanted Maddie to read because actually reading the book could take weeks.
Efram opened it and inside were long columns and rows with the same symbols that Efram would write, it was a book to help one understand them, it was a book to learn it and learn the meanings of the symbols. He took out a slip of paper and wrote on it a small message, it couldn't have been more than two to four words long and he folded it in half, setting it down on the open book. He looked at Maddie with a smile on his face, hoping she at least understood that. It was an awful lot to learn though, it would take years of learning and letting Efram understand that might take longer because it was obvious he didn't understand that what he was asking was completely unreasonable.
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Post by Arual on Jan 28, 2009 20:16:09 GMT -5
'You want me to read this?' a note said on the first line. It was huge, she was crazy! She would do it. 'And figure out the message you gave me. Right? I can do that.' She had stepped up to the book as he asked her to- though silently. She could look through it- not exactly study the text all right now- or- could she? She had a photographic memory, so why not?
Maddie, before doing anything further, kissed Efram on the cheek and hoped his hand would fall back with hers.
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