The Stranger
The rain pounds at the windows of 221 B Baker Street with a steady thrum. Cars pass quietly down on the street, leaving nothing but the sound of a swish as the tires speed through the thin layer of water on the asphalt. A figure stands by the window, observing the quiet world below, which is devoid of living things save for the occasional pigeon or plant. The people of London have retreated into their homes with their loved ones, waiting out the storm with their loved ones by their warm fires and their bright televisions. But this figure standing in the window of 221 B Baker Street is alone, his housekeeper on holiday. Sherlock Holmes is alone.
But not quite.
Suddenly he strides to the door and throws it open, observing a huddled figure at his doorstep as he expected. The girl is unconscious. He leans down and wraps his arms under her shoulders, hoisting her up and dragging her into the living room. Placing her one the couch, he strips off her wet clothing, leaving enough on for her to stay covered, and then throws a blanket over her shivering body. She is poor. Her all of her worldly are carried in the bag she has with her. He places that bag at the foot of the couch and leaves her to sleep.
While in the kitchen, preparing tea and soup for his unexpected house guest, Sherlock hears the sound of shifting blankets. He moves back into the living room with tea and soup in hand. The girl has sat up and is rubbing her eyes. Sherlock places the soup on the table and pushes the tea into her hand.
"How are you feeling?" Sherlock asks the girl.
" 'mfine" the girl mumbles quietly. She sips on the tea slowly and her cheeks begin to regain their color almost instantly.
"I am Sherlock Holmes. What is your name if I may ask?" With the utterance of his name the girls back stiffens, and she slowly raises her head. Her eyes wide with amazement, she replies
"Em."
Sherlock is confused, a rare occurrence these days. Her arrival at his house is clearly an accident, so she is not a client. He has always been in the papers, but he is only recognizable by face for very few. So why is this girl so amazed by the name of Sherlock Holmes?
"Well, you're in luck, my dear Em, I currently lack in a flat mate, so I have a room for you to stay for a bit. You clearly do not have the means to harm me or a place to stay, so I invite you to stay here."
"…John…" she says quietly.
"Pardon?" Sherlock interjects. Em starts and waves her hands apologetically, "Oh nothing." Sherlock stares at her intently for a moment, then nods slightly.
"So will you accept my offer?" he asks. Em nods and sips at her tea. Sherlock smiles and stands
"The room you may stay in is at the top of the stairs to the left. I've made some soup for you, it's at the end-table." Sherlock turns and leaves the room without another word.
As the week moves forward, Sherlock, as Sherlock does, begins to observe.
Em is quiet when being spoken to. She avoids eye contact and mumbles or whispers as communication, assumedly because of her stay in a stranger's home. Yet she seems to know the name of Sherlock Holmes, and this stranger named John.
While she believes she is by herself, Em pulls out her backpack and sifts through it. You would think that a poor girl would keep food or clothing with her, yet her only bag is full of books. There is one in particular that she pulls out continuously. Bound in blue leather the color of the sky and decorated with a golden trim. Each time she pulls it out the letters of the cover are never clear. One day Sherlock goes through her backpack while Em is busy, but the blue book is not there. There are many other books, though, Peter Pan, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Odyssey, and more. Each are brilliantly bound, similarly to the mysterious blue book that seems to be a secret that only Em is privy to.
There are strange occurrences that Sherlock observes as well. While perusing the bookshelves, Em comes across the deerstalker the Sherlock stuffed between the books the month before. She holds it with a look of amazement, and then begins to laugh loudly and boisterously, with a look of joy on her face.
"The Sherlock Holmes hat…" she says as she puts it delicately back between the books she found it in.
The strangest occurrence of all is when Sherlock finds Em looking at a current case file. Admittedly he is stumped, yet when he finds Em perusing the files she looks at them with glee. Sherlock coughs lightly, and Em jumps away.
"Those are confidential." Sherlock says simply. Em stands still for a moment, then walks quickly out of the room. As she passes Sherlock, she pauses.
"If brother has green ladder, arrest brother." she says quietly. Then she leaves.
The next day Em is gone. Sherlock misses her somewhat, he enjoyed his time with the little houseguest. He walks into the living room to once again watch the silent world. As he walks past the couch, he stops and looks down. There is a package wrapped in newspaper. The note on top reads
Destroy this when you have finished - Em
Sherlock holds the package in his hands and sits. He carefully unwraps the paper. It is the blue book. He turns it in his hands, finally able to see what the cover says,
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes