EPISODE EIGHTEEN

Dia talked a lot in her sleep, muttering nonsense words about the Harvest Goddess, but she never really awoken. Kurt was getting increasingly worried, but Gina and Alex treated it as if the most normal thing in the world, and never responded to any of his concerns.

And the Purple Girl (the nickname he'd given Jamie) had an uncanny way of looking like she was sleeping when Kurt swore that she'd been staring right at him a moment before. It was a little eerie, but he did his best to ignore it.

Jamie talked a lot to herself, too. Or at least that's what Kurt assumed she was doing. Sometimes, the way she talked, it was like she was actually talking to someone. And her words were similar to Dia's. Both were talking about the Harvest Goddess…

But what did it all mean?

He thought back to how he'd found Dia at the Library. What was she even doing there? It had been luck that he'd passed the Library on his search for her after he'd discovered her missing at the Sanatorium.

There were too many questions, and he couldn't get up enough nerve to ask anyone. He glanced back at Jamie, who was 'sleeping' again. Maybe she'd know what was going on.

---

The person obviously knew their way around, because Katie could barely see anything in the darkness.

For a moment, Katie recognized the path back towards Calloway Café, and felt a rush of relief, but suddenly the person turned quickly in the opposite direction, pulling Katie along.

They soon reached a building Katie couldn't recognize and as the person fumbled with the keys to unlock the door, Katie squinted in attempt to read the sign.

"L…Li…Lib…" she said, straining to see, but then she was tugged inside, the door shut and locked behind her.

The person let go of her arm and Katie stumbled forward but managed to keep her balance.

"Who are you? And where are am I?" she asked, looking around. There were shelves and shelves of books. "Oh! This is a Library!" she exclaimed before the person could answer. "But why…?"

"It's the only safe place," the person said, taking a seat behind the counter. Katie took the time to study the girl. She had shoulder-length dark hair, cut completely straight along the bottom and wore a plain gray dress.

"Er, okay…but who are you?" Katie asked, unable to recognize the girl.

"Maria. I'm the 'Library girl' Eve was talking about. You're Katie," she said, matter-of-factly. Although her voice was flat, she looked very upset

"Yes. But…what happened back there? I mean," Katie started, pausing to look around, as if someone were hiding in the Library. "…you don't believe in the Harvest Goddess? You aren't one of them?"

Maria laughed a little, not sounding very happy. "You mean like Eve and Nina? No. But I still believe in her. It's a long story." She seemed to get even more upset when she said Nina's name.

"Oh." Katie felt uncomfortable now, and looked down at her feet.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to try to run you out of the village like Eve."

"But…what can we do about this? What's going to happen to us?" She watched Maria cross the room, going down one of the aisles of shelves, and felt inclined to follow her. "We can't stay here forever."

"I know," Maria said, stooping down and picking up what looked to be an old storybook. "But too many people are drinking too many Sodas right now. I'm sure that it'll blow over tomorrow. I think."

"Wait, so I have to stay here tonight?"

"Unless you want to walk home alone in the dark in a village where more than half the people think that you are trying to destroy their Goddess."

"Oh, right. Well then. I think I'll stay here if you don't mind."

Maria didn't answer at first; she was examining the book. "…Of course," she said, nodding a little and then going back to the book.

---

Kurt had finally been ushered from the Sanatorium at 10:30PM ("Way past closing time; visiting hours were over a long time ago," he heard Gina mutter as he left), but was right back at the Sanatorium's doorstep the next morning, having convinced Woody to give him another day off.

Alex and Gina seemed reluctant to admit him, but after Martha had talked quietly with them, they'd relented and let him in to see Dia.

She was the same as before: still sleeping, still seemingly lifeless, and still deathly pale.

But Jamie was awake for once, sitting up in her bed despite Gina's protests and looking very irritable. Now was his chance, although the look on Jamie's face wasn't exactly encouraging.

He took a deep breath. "Jamie," he started, and the purple girl's head snapped over to look at him. Great, he thought, already feeling a little intimidated. He wasn't exactly the best conversationalist in Flower Bud.

"What?" she said coldly after few moments when Kurt didn't continue.

"Uh," he said, trying to gather his thoughts. "I wanted to know something."

"What?" she said again, sounding like she was getting aggravated at him already.

"Uh, I-I, I," he stammered, feeling intimidated. "I wanted to know what you knew about the Harvest Goddess."

Jamie's eyes narrowed. "What?" she said yet again.

"Well, I…why is she stone? I mean, why would she turn into a statue?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable. He'd never known exactly how he felt when it came to his beliefs about the Harvest Goddess, but he knew that something was definitely wrong.

"Hah," Jamie said unsmilingly. "Why don't you go look up magic books like your girlfriend did?"

"You mean…that's what she was doing at the Library?"

The Purple Girl shrugged stubbornly and lied back against her pillows, turning so her back was to Kurt. He knew that this meant that he wouldn't get any more information out of her for now.

But he knew enough for now, and that it was time to go to the Library.

---

Katie awoke to a loud rapping sound coming from the door of the Library. She sat up from her place on the floor, looking around, bewildered. But she soon remembered it all. "Ugh," she muttered, almost forgetting the rapping sound until she saw Maria cross the room to the door.

"Wait! What are you doing?" Katie whispered nervously. "Maybe you shouldn't open it."

"No, I need to talk to her," Maria said, sliding the key in the lock. Katie looked up at the window and could see Nina's worried face.

"Oh." She didn't really understand why Maria would want to open it to Nina of all people; she'd been the one to start the rumors about Katie and Maria, according to Eve. But she watched as Maria open the door. Nina immediately walked in and began talking.

"---because I had no idea that she would do something like that, she's stupid, I'd explained that I hadn't meant it, I had drank a lot of Sodas that night, and I wasn't thinking straight, but she shouldn't have said anything, because none of it's true, and oh my Goddess Maria I'm so sorry," she said, all in one breath. Maria's eyes narrowed.

"Look at what you've done, Nina. Katie and I had to hide in the Library all night because of you and Eve."

"I know, I know! I'm so sorry," Nina said again, looking desperate. "I already told Eve and everyone else the mistake, and um, well, most of them believe me. I'm really sorry. You, too, Katie," she added, looking over at Katie who was still sitting on the floor in a heap of blankets that had been her makeshift bed.

"I guess it's okay…but it's also my fault," Katie admitted, standing up. "I said that I hated the Harvest Goddess---but I didn't mean it, of course," she said hastily before Nina could say anything. "If I had kept my mouth shut, I wouldn't have gotten us into trouble."

Nina sighed. "Yeah, but it's mostly my fault. Oh, and Carl's looking for you. You disappeared last night without saying anything, so he's worried…"

"Oh, I completely forgot about Carl!" She looked at Maria and Nina. "I gotta go. I'll see you guys some other time. Bye!"

"Wait, Katie! I didn't tell you that---" Nina started, but Katie was already out the door and running towards the Calloway Café before Nina could say another word.

---