Crystal Compass Book 1: Part 2: July 2014 CampNano

She did not get too far out of the double doors, the book in hand, before one of the younger kids latched onto her hand and tugged on it. Twilight knelt down at the boy’s height, not recognising him. “Hiya sweety. Can I help?”

“Lost my mom.” The boy’s accent told her immediately that he was American, probably a tourist from one of the local holiday camps.

“Does she have a mobile on her?” Twilight asked, gesturing to her boss who had followed her out.

Miranda scurried over as the boy gave her a confused look. “A cellphone?” Twi clarified, “Or some way to contact her?” The boy thought for a few minutes, then nodded, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket and presenting it to the pair of librarians. Miranda took it from him, recognising the number as one belonging to the nearest of the Holiday camps. Golden Shores was the more upmarket of the four and was popular for foreign vacationers because of its various attractions, which included rock climbing, forest trails and scuba diving. “You stay with me hon and my boss will contact your mum, okay?” When the boy nodded, Twilight let out a soft sigh, “What’s your name?”

“Mikey.” The boy responded shyly, “Mikey Michaels.”

Twilight winced. She liked her nickname, but she could not help but wonder what the kid’s parents had been thinking to saddle their poor son with a name like that. Or, indeed, if they had been thinking at all. It was worse than her real name.

“My name’s Twilight.” She told Mikey, leading him towards Storyteller Corner, a tiny corner of the library that the children’s books were tucked away in where the floor was soft, the beanbags plushie and the children always happy to gather to hear someone read so they did not have to. “Stick with me and you’ll be fine. Promise.”

The boy still looked unsure, but he did not get a chance to say anything before Twilight called to the children, grinning as she did so. “Kids, I’ve got a new book for you all.”

Those were the magic words. Children seemed to appear from everywhere, pouring into Storyteller Corner and getting settled even before Twilight could get to her, rather much larger, beanbag. “Guys,” she looked around at the children as she took her seat, Mikey sitting by her side, “This is Mikey, he’s gotten lost, so we’re looking after him, okay?” She asked.

“Yes Miss Twilight.” The kids from the village chorused back at her, a couple of the more outgoing children dragged Mikey into their group.

“Don’t worry.” The older of the two told the frightened boy, “Miss Twilight’s a Sorceress.” Twilight tried to object, but another child started talking over her.

“Yeah, and she knows loads of awesome people, like Jack, and Santa!” The second kid piped up.

“But Santa’s not real.” Mikey looked confused as he glanced around, unable to understand what the other children were talking about. “Mom told me...”

“That’s ‘cause your mum don’t know nothin.” A third child spoke up, “Miss Twilight knows them all, we met Santa last Christmas. For real.”

“Now, kids!” Twilight called, raising her voice to be heard over the eruption of babbling that erupted from that. “Mikey doesn’t have to believe in anything he doesn’t want to and I’m not a Sorceress.” She tried.

“She is.” One of the kids whispered conspiratorially, “But she pretends she isn’t so the adults don’t find out.”

Mikey considered that for a few moments, then nodded and smiled back at the child before turning back to Twilight, waiting for her to begin.

The young woman smiled and shook her head. The children had decided she had to be a sorceress almost six months ago, when she had been spotted following Jack around as he brought winter into the village. She had not actually been doing much, besides catching up with her friend but that was not how the adult who had spotted her chasing the swirling ice and snow around town. The parent in question, Mrs Fairland, had tried to spread the rumour that she was a witch and Twilight still occasionally heard it muttered occasionally through the village.

However the children had decided that their favourite librarian could not be a witch. They were always wicked and evil in the stories, sometimes they even ate children, and Miss Twilight was their friend and the one who chased away the monsters. They had seen her do it.

Obviously, if she could scare away the monsters, she had magic but it had not been until one of the older village children, who had been reading the Belgarian Universe series who had brought up the idea of her being a ‘good’ Sorceress and no matter how much Twilight tried to deny it, they kept on believing it.

Still, as long as it helped them chase the monsters out from under their beds and out of their closets, she was not going to complain. Instead of wasting time, continuing to protest their belief, she started reading. She was halfway through the second chapter when a rather flustered pair of adults scurried into the building.

“Mom!” Mikey interrupted Twilight midword by yelling out and darting away from the group. His mother, a rather stressed looking blonde lady snatched him up in a tight hug, mumbling something as Miranda made her way over.

Twilight continued reading as her boss sorted the trio out, wincing along with the other children when Mikey’s father laid into the boy about wandering off and reminded him that he was lucky that the ‘nice librarian had time to look after him.’ They could still hear his father scolding him as the double doors swung shut behind them and they headed for a taxi that was parked up outside.

She was just finishing up her second chapter when the parents started arriving to collect the little monsters. Twilight tried not to be offended when several of them thanked Miranda for letting them leave their kids with her, but ignored her completely, despite the fact that they knew full well which librarian had babysat their children.  

She tidied up Storyteller Corner once the last of the children had been picked up before logging the book on the system and tucking it under the counter to continue tomorrow. “Are you alright if I go?” Twilight asked her boss, “I know I normally work till three on a Sunday but...”

“Go, shoo.” Miranda chuckled, having been warned about the necessity of her employee leaving early to go catch up with some friends for the revision session she was supposed to be doing, “I suppose, considering you brought a new Compass book in, I can let you off the last couple of hours.”

“Thank you.” The younger librarian grinned at her, darting out back and swiftly changing back into her bike wear before shooting out of the door. She slipped her earpiece into her ear as she started to unchain the bike, trying to ignore the fact Miranda was keeping an eye on her through the window as she asked, “Hello?”