Sister Honey

Sister Honey

GOTHIC: characterized by a gloomy setting, grotesque, mysterious, or violent events, and an atmosphere of degeneration and decay.

CHAPTER ONE-DISCOVERED
"well i think you will like Sister Honey...she will help you make up your mind"

She emerged from another desolate row of novels, tugging the squeaky book cart, systemallyally replacing each borrowed then returned copy to its rightful place. Sometimes she stooped low, sometimes she arched high; other times she bit at her unpainted thumb nail, contemplating something so mundane as how a book should be properly shelved. This city's public library has become Joey's homey dwelling, a comfy high back chair making it so easy to watch her as he pretends to read from one of her precious books each night. The books she treats like her own children, tending and nurturing with such tender hands. She barely blesses him with a blink from her milk chocolate eyes hidden beneath pearl rimmed glasses. Her ignorance silently enrages him; he's been completely infatuated for days.
Ben was the only to ask, "why her?" Of course, he preferred the taste of ghostly raven haired beauties that haunted the downtown clubs. The librarian, however, glowed with a naturally bronzed complexion; her layers of rich, golden tendrils oozing slowly down her back. Thus, coining her the sweet nickname, Sister Honey. The others instinctively knew why she had become their ringmaster's folly. well-spoken, well-tailored, and definitely well formed; her very existence was Heaven on Earth.

It was the ringmaster's idea to use pretty Erc as bait. His unruly dark hair and shy demeanor won over even the most finicky female. Tonight, while Joey slumped behind another novel, Eric easily approached Sister Honey. She was served a small steaming espresso from the convenient coffee bar located in the lobby of the library. Eric slid beside her, pointing at the cer ser spiced lips were carefully placed upon.
"I'll have what she's having," he muttered to the teen serving coffee. "And I'd like to pay for both."
The stranger's generosity piqued Sister Honey's curiosity immediately. Her eyeglasses slid down her peaked nose as she gazed at the exquisite young man. A sincere smile lit her face. "What a chivalrous gesture," she remarked, flashing her employee id badge dangling around her neck, "but I get free coffee around here." She punctuated her statement with a wink, turning briskly on black patent leather heels.
He rushed to slow her, abandoning his ordered brew. "If I can't buy you coffee, can I buy you a drink after work?"
Sipping cautiously, she peered from beneath the tiny panes of glass over her dancing eyes. "I don't even know you," she replied.
Eric's confident, close lipped grin flirted with her restless libido. The intense lock of eyes lasted longer than simple friendly eye contact. "Would you like to know me?"
It has been ages since i've been on a date, she reminded herself. But her small town caution inhibited her once again. "I apologize, but i must decline the tempting offer," her eyes darted to the hard marble floor. "I just accepted this position as the head librarian, and I can't afford to be distracted right now."
Eric feigned disappointment, shrugging, but internally he was angry enough to combust. "Well, if i can't take you away from your job for one night, can you at least show me where to locate a particular book?"
A pleased smile spread her lips apart, revealing perfectly aligned teeth. "Absolutely! What's the title?"
He quickly pulled the only title that surfaced. "Uh, The Birthmark...by..."
Sister Honey's face lit up with recognition. "Oh yes, The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne!"
Eric, dumbfounded, nodded. "Yeah, sure."
She lead him nicely by the forearm, of course, knowing the exact location of the book. "Okay, well, that is part of his short stories collection, so let me take you to where we keep classic literature..."

"You blew it, man!" Ben guffawed, knocking harshly into his cohort's black-sleeved arm. The group of madmen formed a perfect circle in the darkest patch of parking lot as the library cleared for closing.
"She'll be eating from the palm of my hand before the night's through," Eric sneered.
The ringmaster sensed otherwise. He nodded, assured, toward the fourth and final member of the team, W13, but his stare ensnared every individual. "If by chance she is not, we'll switch to plan B...our Invisible Man."
W13's maniacal eyes glinted, a cavernous chuckle echoing from his throat. "Right on, brother." The four broke the circle to assume their staged positions, awaiting Sister Honey.

Hours passed before she entered the employee parking lot. Of course, she had refused security assistance to her vehicle. She'd been dipping into big city living one fin at a time; tonight she dived right in, mindless of the sharks circling for the attack.
Adjusting her briefcase, she found her keys easily, without digging, but dropped them at his feet. Her breath drew sharply inward; he had stepped out of nowhere right into her path. Her body iced, freezing her to the pavement. The attractive stranger...
Squatting without losing her nervous eyes, Eric swept the keys into his black gloved palm. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"
She laughed skittishly, battling strands of windblown hair from her mouth. "Yes, actually, you did startle me. Why are you lurking around the library afterhours?"
Her question gave him much amusement, he smiled warmly. "I'm not lurking around...I was waiting for you."
"Why?" She questioned.
The beautiful patron held the recently borrowed book in view. "Well, I changed my mind about the book. It's not my kind of reading. And i wanted to see if maybe you changed your mind as well."
"Changed my mind about...what?" she stammered. The dark glint in his mesmerizing eyes diasedased her greatly. She backed from him as he neared her, his eyes never leaving her frumpled mouth.
"About that drink," he muttered, his lips so close to devouring hers...oh, one taste...
Awkwardly, she stumbled on chunky heels, ducking away from his intrusive presence. "Excuse me," she gaped increduously. "I have not changed my mind about that drink, and as for the book..you can slip it into the return drop box at the front of the building."
Eric's persistency wavered, fuming in defeat as she trotted quickly to the safety and warmth of her car. She stopped long enough to brush the dissheveled autumn leaves covering her windshield, keeping a watchful eye on the retreating bizarre, beautiful male. How perturbing, she trembled.
Her thoughts raced on the drive home, speedily analyzing the strange incidents of the evening. The nerve of him! she ranted aloud. Next to her, the invisible entity smiled, satisfied that while Eric failed, he had succeeded.

end of chapter one