Once upon a time...
Alexandria Richards walked through the library, her feet softly skimming the tiles, as she gazed over the books that sat upon the shelves like multi-colored, polished, priceless gems in their thin, plastic covers.
Standing near the front door, a man followed Alex's movements silently as he listened to her muttering the titles of books under her breath.
Her demeanor told him that she was enjoying the search for a new story to curl up with. He had figured out long ago that Alex never came for a specific book. She was always willing to try something new, especially if it was outlandish and obviously fictional, like dragons and space-aliens.
Just like every other week, Alex found a book that caught her eye, and she walked up to the counter where Belle, the librarian, was waiting for her to check out her newest addition to the countless stories she had already explored.
As Alex walked towards the door, the man spoke to her for the first time, other than the occasional "Hi."
"Miss, I was wondering if I could have a quick word with you?"
Alex looked at him with an expression of open friendliness, one that the man hadn't seen from anyone but Belle. "Of course."
"I've noticed you here on more than one occasion, and I was wondering if I could interest you in a quick lunch at Granny's. I would pay for everything, of course," the man said, not unkindly.
Alex looked him up and down. She had seen him around town before. He appeared to be quite a bit older than August, but he spoke in a calm and confident manner. She decided that accepting a lunch from the man would be the polite thing to do.
"Yes, sir, I would like that," she replied. "My name is Alex."
"My name is Rumpelstiltskin."