DISCLAIMER if I owned Legion there would have been a character like this in there. If different views on religion offend you the back button is in the top left hand corner.
A lone woman walked quietly through the library, making sure all the visitors were gone before locking up and heading home for the night. It had been a long day with many classes from the nearby schools coming and going an absolute nightmare for her and the others to say the least.
Hurrying through the different sections, she hoped the rain would slow down when it was time to go to her car. Something caught her attention as she passed the last shelf in the children's area and she stopped for a moment, hearing what sounded like a quiet sob coming from one of the corners.
"Hello? Is someone there? I'm sorry but we're closing." When she didn't receive a reply she began slowly walking forward, gripping the cross that hung from the chain around her neck.
As she passed the low bookshelves and toys where she found a young girl with soft brown hair sitting curled up weeping. Silently she moved to kneel by her on the floor.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She asked as she gently put her hand on the child's shoulder. The little girl's head shot up to look at the woman with red rimmed violet eyes that held fear in them.
Rubbing the young one's arm the librarian tried to remember if she had seen her with one of the groups of students that had visited that day, but she looked to be about twelve or thirteen and the classes that had visited were mainly kindergarteners.
Looking her over, she took in the girl's ragged appearance; her hair looked unwashed and frazzled, her eyes had dark bags as if she hadn't slept well, the clothes she ware were torn and stained but she appeared to be unharmed.
Suddenly the child started trying push back further into the corner, shaking and curling into a tighter ball; the fear growing in her eyes.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." The librarian hurriedly said to try and calm the little girl. Soon a loud rumble came from her stomach. The girl's checks became tinted pink with embarrassment.
"Stay here. I'll be right back." The woman said remembering her partially eaten ham and cheese sandwich she had left in the break room. Moving quickly to get it from the back, hoping the little girl wouldn't bolt the moment she was out of sight. When she returned she was happy to find the child had stayed.
"Here. It's not much but it's something." She said, handing the leftovers to the young one. Watching her to make sure she didn't eat too fast the librarian once again started rub slow and steady circles on the girl's back to try and give some comfort.
"Do you mind telling me your name?" She asked after little girl had finished. For a second all the child did was stare at her, seeming to have frozen in place and then large tears began to fall down her checks.
"I-I don't have one." Came out through loud sobs. Pulling through her shock the older woman drew the younger one close trying to reassure her. Blurred by her tears the little one's eyes were drawn to the gleam of the librarian's cross, slowly she reached out and touched it; the woman was startled for a moment but a smile soon came to her face as an idea struck her.
"How about you come home with me? So I can help you choose a name. I know a very good book that can help." The little girl looked surprised at the suggestion then confused.
"What kind of book?" She asked curious, all trace of sadness and fear gone. The librarian paused for a minute trying to think of the best way to describe the bible she had at her home.
"Well it's related to my necklace. It's a very complicated book; sometimes it tells exactly what you need and other times it makes you wait a little before you understand what it means." The woman had a considerate expression as she tried to explain it. A few minutes passed as she waited for an answer; the little girl looked deep in thought during that time, until once again she looked at older woman next to her and nodded.
Locking up and leaving the library, they headed to the woman's house. When they had gotten there the librarian cooked a small dinner of meat and potatoes for the both of them, when they had finished the girl went into the living room to sit while the older one walked up stairs to get the bible from the night stand next to her bed. When she returned she began by telling the story of Ester, then stories of Ruth, Abigale, David, and finally the story of Jesus and the twelve apostles.
It was well past midnight when she was done reading, closing the warn cover of her bible, noting her thoughtful look, she asked the young girl quietly if she had picked a name, when all she received a shake of the girl's head she went to put the bible back beside her bed. Coming back down after she got out an extra toothbrush and found some clean clothes for the child to sleep in.
"How about you get some sleep and then pick?" The little girl nodded and followed silently behind the older woman to the bathroom. Showing her where everything was, the librarian went back to her bedroom to get ready for bed herself. Soon after she sat in bed thinking of the strange child she had found when a young face came in to the room with an unsure look.
"What's on your mind?" She asked softly when she saw the worry in the child's face.
"Where do I sleep?" The muted question made her pause for moment.
"In here with me if you want." When she gave her answer the girl hurried the other side of the bed and climbed onto it, settled beside her under the blankets. However after a while the little girl showed no signs of going to sleep.
"Would you like me to sing you to sleep?" The girl looked taken aback by the query but recovered quickly.
"Yes please." She said in a small voice, once again looking hesitantly at the older woman.
Debating what song to sing, the librarian's eyes drifted over to the night stand, to the book that lay on it; before she knew it, she had started a hymn she had loved since childhood.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see…
Her voice was clear and strong as she sang the old melody, she saw the little girl's eyes widen for a brief moment before she smiled as she snuggled deeper into the bed and there, warm and safe for the first time in however long she fell asleep.
When the young one woke up the next morning it was the smell of blueberry pancakes, sausage and eggs. She hastily put on the over sized sun dress left at the end of the bed and hurried down stairs to the kitchen, quickly sitting down at the table. The older woman turned from stove when she heard a chair being moved.
"How do you like your eggs?" Picking two eggs out the carton the older one asked as she cracked them open and moved to flip the pancakes over.
"Scrambled." The girl said with eagerness.
"And how many pancakes do you want?" She asked while she whisking the eggs in small skillet on the lit burner.
"Two please." Unfolding the newspaper the little one gave the response as she looked at the comic section.
"Milk or orange juice?" Asking as she pulled out a glass and set it on the table.
"Orange juice." She absentmindedly replied as looked at the paper, the woman reached for the jug and poured some into the glass.
Picking up the skillet the librarian scraped the little yellow pile out on to a plate, then grabbing a piece of sausage and two pancakes she placed the plate on the table in front of the girl and then moved back to the stove to cook her own eggs.
She sat down with her own plate and glass of milk and they began to eat in silence. After they had finished the older woman took the dishes to clean. When she turned back from putting them in to the dish washer she found the girl looking up at her with a bright smile.
"I think I know what name I'd like to be called."
She chose the name Grace and little did she know how much the name would become a light in the dark of the world.
What the heck? How did a prologue that was supposed to be 400 words turn into this monster? .
anyways I saw the movie and was disappointed that there isn't more fandom for it so I figured the remedy was to add some of my own hope you like it. :) Faasnu