Chapter 2 – The Spell Breaks After Midnight

Sleeping Beauty was not woken by a kiss from her true love. She was forcefully poked and prodded until she finally said enough was enough and got out of bed.

"Bobby, if you poke me one more time I'm going to let the monster out of the closet," I grumbled. My eyes were not open yet, but I could tell that the morning would not be my friend today.

"You're squashing Sir Snugglesalot," he yelled. With one strong tug, his stuffed bear was released from under my head and let my skull drop onto the hard mattress. A small curse escaped my lips as the pain from a night of drinking over took my senses.

"Anna!" Sarah said with a breathless whisper. "You're not supposed to say that word."

"I know, dear. I apologize." I guess this was as good a time as any to start my morning. Heaving myself out of bed, I made my way to my decrepit kitchen to make breakfast. Unfortunately there was less food in the cupboards today than there was yesterday when they were already empty. My stomach growled in response to the sight. I'll borrow some money today and see if I can get an advance on my paycheck. I may be able to survive for a day or two without a decent meal, but I wasn't about to let these angels starve.

"Knock, knock, darlings." My fairy grandmother could hear hunger pains from a mile away. Mary let herself into my apartment, the smell of cornbread wafting through the rooms. "I was just a bundle of energy this morning and decided to bake. Would you kids like a few?"

Sarah and Bobby's noses pulled them into the kitchen. The sparkle in their eyes when they saw the cornbread broke my heart. I had been neglecting these two. If it wasn't for Mary I wouldn't be able to survive this. I was turning into the Evil Witch. I didn't want to be her.

While the kids munched happily, I pulled Mary aside.

"I won't need you to babysit tonight, I'm going to stay home." I told her. She watched Bobby during the day while I was at work and Sarah was at school.

"That's wonderful, dear. I'm sure Harry will be happy to hear it also." I knew neither one of them approved of my nights at the Blind Tiger. At least Harry knew why I went there. I had a sinking suspicion that Mary thought I was turning into my mother. I just wanted to feel a sense of justice. Last night, the situation I was putting myself in suddenly became dangerous. Harry had warned me to be carefully. I couldn't allow myself to drop my defenses again.

Mary offered to get Sarah ready for school so I could go have a little time to myself. I did not want to tell her why I needed to leave for work early. If she knew how poor we were at the moment, her maternal instinct would kick in full swing. I grabbed my umbrella and soon ventured out onto the street.

To me, the cracks on the sidewalks were the breadcrumbs that lead me home. I've traveled these routes enough to have memorized each one, and knowing which ones to avoid getting my heels caught in. However, last night, I felt like those little kids in the woods being tempted by the house made of sweets. I could understand a little more how the Evil Witch was tempted by those evil potions. They went down quite easily after a few. My breadcrumb cracks disappeared with each stumbled step home, and the danger of the wilderness awaited me in a dark alley.

Focus, Anna. There is a job at hand. I have to go seek the Great Wizard and ask for a loan, just enough to get the kids through the week. They need something else in their stomach besides cornbread.

Soon, my beloved cracked sidewalks transformed into the hardwood floors of the Carnegie Library. The yellow brick road that would lead me to the Director's office was a dull brown today. When it was sunny, this hall looked like gold. My hand shook as I reached up and knocked.

"Come in!" He shouted. In true irony, he was wearing a green tie today. I kept the chuckle to myself, not wishing to explain why I found his attire amusing this morning.

"Good morning, Mr. Harrison, do you have a moment?"

"Sit down, Ms. Brady, I always have time for you." We had an odd working relationship. He was a relatively young Director, and had been the key frontrunner as a potential suitor for me. Being the good Southern Belle I am, I would always politely turn down his requests. I had a family to worry about and a murderer to catch. I did not have time to date. I was also a hopeless romantic, and never felt like he was The One. Luckily, he was a gentlemen and never tried to take advantage of the situation.

"What can I help you with?" He asked, giving me a wide grin. I could only imagine what was going through his head. I have never come to him directly like this before.

"If it wouldn't be too much of a problem, I was wondering if I could get an advance on my payment this week. I have a few extra bills to pay, and need the money early."

This apparently was not what he was expecting. The smile disappeared quickly, and was replaced by disappointment and seriousness.

"Are you still spending your money at the Blind Tiger?"

"Pardon me, sir," I acted insulted, "but I have never spent a dime on illegal moonshine." Others just buy it for me, I thought solemnly. My family's history was public knowledge in this town. They all thought I was ending up just like her.

"I apologize, I did not mean to offend. Do you just need this week's?" He turned to the safe behind his desk, blushing a little. I guess guilt made him jump quickly.

"Yes, that will be plenty."

The meeting with Mr. Harrison had gone surprisingly well. Of all the scenarios I played through before hand, I had never imagined it would be that easy. Tonight, I will cook a decent dinner for all of us, even Mary and Harry. After all, without them, we wouldn't be able to survive. I was humming a tune to myself as I stacked returned books back on the shelves. My mood had been uplifted enough that I had forgotten all about my attacker, until a smooth voice drew my attention.

"Excuse me, could you point me in the direction of your…" I looked up with a smile, but my eyes were met with red irises. My heart stopped beating as last night replayed in slow motion.

"You!" I gasped, letting the books tumble through my fingertips. The loud crash in the almost silent library brought me back to the present. A shush was hissed my way from a fellow librarian. How embarrassing. I looked around before crouching down to pick the books off the floor.

"You're a librarian?" He laughed, taking the book that I was reaching for. The tone in which these words were uttered angered me. I stood up and glared at him. At this moment, we were on an even battlefield. He may be a gorgeous demonic angel, but I knew I could be just as intimidating.

"Yes, I am. A girl has to make a living, doesn't she?" I huffed. Who is he to judge me? He doesn't know anything about me. I wanted to give him hell. Forget the rule of silence, this man was not going to insult my livelihood and get away with it. But he did, because I was quickly blindsided by a racing banshee.

"Anna! You will not believe what I just heard!" My arms were in vices and spun me away from my savior in a white shirt and trousers. My eyes refocused on my friend, Dorothy. She was still in last night's clothes, no doubt that she had not spent time in her own bed. He was still standing beside us, watching in amusement. I wondered if he was going to just keep standing there and listen to our conversation. As if he could read my mind, he bowed his head and moved to the other end of the stacks.

"I just ran into the writer from the Daily Observer, and you would not believe what he told me," she gushed in excitement. She was talking so fast, I could barely keep up. Or, perhaps, I was just distracted by this man visiting me at work.

"What is it Dorothy? I need to get back to work." I was still watching him, trying to figure out his story. His outfit was very simple, a man couldn't go wrong with black and white. His hair was a mess, a permanent field of cowlicks. He stood like a tree, tall and straight, no signs of slouching. He reached for a book, but it didn't seem like he was actually reading the words.

"Ray Scott was just found washed up in Hope Creek." She raised her hands to her mouth, as if she couldn't believe the words herself. What was she talking about? How is this any importance to me? I wanted to find out more about this man that is a few feet away, not some guy that I didn't recognize.

"Who is Ray Scott?" I asked slowly, trying to feign interest.

"The man that was buying you drinks all night." With each word, the scene grew a little brighter. A rough looking man sitting next to me at the table. He kept getting closer, but I wasn't paying any attention. Callused hands on my hips, eyes looking for a suitable spot. Dirt and blood and flesh in my mouth. I turned my head towards the young boy. He wasn't a man, by any means. He couldn't have. He's a piano player. Though he did look intimidating last night.

"Did he say what happened?" My interest was piqued now. What did this boy do?

"The police said there was alcohol in his blood. He lives down by the creek. They are theorizing that he took a walk, fell, hit his head, and fell in." Dorothy told me.

"So it was just an accident?" How quick I was to assume this piano player had something to do with his death. Though it seemed highly coincidental for him to now be dead.

"Appears so. Why?" Dorothy raised an eyebrow at me. I started to get nervous that I would look suspicious to her. If you asked Harry or even my late father, I would be the top of the suspects list.

"Well, you know in these hard times. This area does have a high crime rate." I stole a quick glance at the piano boy, who was still reading the same book he picked up at the beginning of my conversation. I wonder if he realized it was upside down.

"Sugar, I need to get back to work," I told Dorothy quietly, eager to get back to my savior.

"Will you be at the Blind Tiger tonight?" she whispered. I shook my head, already having plans set.

"Not tonight, I'm going to stay in with the children." I told her, picturing what I was planning on doing with Sarah and Bobby.

"Alright dear, the crowd will miss you tonight. Is that…the piano guy?" I didn't realize that I was still watching him, and embarrassed that I was caught.

"Yes, it is." I answered simply.

"What's he doing here?"

"Checking out books, I guess." I shrugged, letting a smile play on my lips. Dorothy laughed a little before giving me a hug and walking out of the library. I waited for the door to shut behind her before facing the Piano Boy.

"I'm sorry about that," I apologized to him, trying to come up with the right words. "I want to thank you for helping me." There were so many things I wanted to say to him and ask him. What happened last night? How did he find me? Why were his eyes red? He was staring at me with a slight scowl. We could not talk here. There was a group of stacks in the back that were never frequented, a collection of psychology books that were outdated. I went to grab his hand, to drag him behind me so I could bombard him with questions, but I clenched air. I looked down swearing that I had seen his hand there a moment ago.

"Follow me," I whispered, turning on my heel and walking towards my chosen destination. I wanted to ask him so many things, each one running through my mind in a stampede. Once I knew we were out of sight and hearing distance I stopped abruptly. I half expected him to run into me, but he stood still as a statue a couple of feet from me.

"What did you do to Ray after you told me to run?" The first of many questions blurted from my lips before I really had time to think. I'm sure there was a better way I could have asked that without blatantly accusing him.

"I told him he shouldn't treat women that way, and sent him on his way." He answered without missing a beat. Obviously he had been practicing this answer, and very well knew who Ray was.

"You're not telling me the truth," my verbal barriers betraying me again. He paused this time, watching me curiously.

"Well, I may have punched him," his words made the edges of his mouth turn up slightly into a smile. However, I knew this was not the whole story. There was no happily ever after here.

"He was found dead this morning, apparently." My tone was still harsh, each word cutting like a knight's sword.

"If he was a better man, I would say that was a shame, but I'm afraid I can make no such sentiment."

The words were shocking, but I knew my eyes were sparkling with amusement. What a strange man, to talk so calmly when I was basically accusing him of murder.

"Yes, I would have to say the same thing." I paused, and looked into those brilliant red eyes. They looked darker today, like mud and blood swirled together. "Thank you again, you probably saved my life last night. I'm in your debt." Like a knight devoting his allegiance to a queen, I felt like I would never be able to repay him for what he had done.

"You owe me nothing. I was just doing my civic duty. So, can you point me in the direction of your newest additions?" He's really changing the subject to books? I could have been killed last night, which he stopped, and he wants to know where the new books are? He was acting as if it was no big deal to save a girl. A true knight in shining armor, proving his heroism one damsel at a time.

"They are up front, where you were looking, while I was speaking with Dorothy," I said slowly, eyeing him suspiciously. He wasn't reading the books. I bet he was eavesdropping. But he was so far away, he couldn't have heard anything. His eyes widened a bit. He knew he was caught.

"Oh yes, I was wondering if you had any other ones. I'm looking for something in particular." The smooth piano man grabbed a random book off the shelve and started, or should I say pretended, to read. After a few seconds, he flipped the book over to read the cover and put it back on the shelf without a word.

"Really, which author?" After all, I was a librarian, I should be able to help him find whatever he was looking for. Our eyes locked for only a few moments. Though his face was a stone, I could see conflicting emotions through those red orbs. Surprise. Shock. Pain. Love. While the last one registered in my mind, I heard him utter a quick goodbye before sprinting away.