For The Love Of Books

I am Joanna. I have no kids, no friends and I love to read. I work at a library just outside of Washington D.C. Today when I went to work everything was out of place. Books were thrown everywhere, shelves were knocked down and the power didn't work. The only thing that was where I left it was a book on my desk, a little girl and her mom returned it a couple weeks ago but it was damaged so I decided to leave it on my desk. "read it" I heard a voice say but there was no one there. I was all alone. I decided since I had nothing better to do, I would listen to the deep voice and read the book. (10 chapters later). It was closing time and for some reason nobody came to the library today. When I got home I had the sudden urge to drink, to smash things against the wall, to steal a boat and sail away but at the same time a sudden urge to find true love. I decided to keep reading the book. I thought that the words written on the pages might calm my nerves but instead they strengthened my need for such things. I needed a break. I decided to go to the library. It was where everything started to go wrong, maybe it would be the place where everything was fixed. When I got to the library, there was a man. He was tall and had light blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Suddenly, I dropped. It was like I lost all control of my body. He came and picked me up. His soft hands, grasping my back so that I wouldn't slip. He called my name but his face was blurry, I couldn't recognize his voice but all of a sudden I felt his lips touch mine. Time stopped. Everything felt normal and then I collapsed. Now, I lay in my bed wondering what happened. Do I love him? Was I asleep? How could this happen? Quickly, I got out of bed and ran as fast as I could to the library but he wasn't there. I could feel tears running down my face. I heard the slightest creek of the door. As I turned around I saw him, I heard his voice, he was walking towards me. I ran into his arms but he pushed me away. He said he didn't know who I was and I tried to explain, I felt my heart beating faster and faster. Then slowly I asked him, do you love me? He didn't reply. I explained how it felt like we knew each other and that I dreamed about him and then he said "What is love if not a way of expressing a common emotion. For a kiss is delightful and it warms us, it comforts when a hug embraces us" It sounded so familiar. It was from the book though he stated that he had never read it. I told him that I wanted to show him something, that he needed to see it. I brought him to the park where kids played, I brought him to a restaurant where we ordered food and then I asked him if he had a nice day. He said yes slowly before he leaned in and kissed me. As he ran away I asked him for his name. He didn't hear me. I needed a drink. I was seeing his face everywhere that I went and I heard his voice in my head. I finally got back home and when I did, I saw him sitting there on the floor, like he was waiting for me. He said he loved me. That he never wanted to leave me and that if I truly loved him I would kill him. He wanted his pain to end. He said that I had three days to decide and then he left. I needed to read but the book was gone. I fell asleep. The next morning I went to find him. There he was at the place where we first met, a big sign was up on the door and it said "Will You Marry Me?" I said yes and to my surprise there was our wedding all prepared inside the library. Everyone was there, it was all decorated, and my dress was gorgeous. We got married. After the wedding, he told me that I still had to kill him. I decided I would but I wanted his last days to be the best. We did everything together. On the third day, I stabbed him. I buried his body in the cemetery near the library. The next day when I went to the library, there he was and he was crying saying that I didn't do it right. He was still alive so I tried it again. I shot him and then buried his body. Later that day after my lunch break, he walked through the open library doors and told me that I clearly didn't love him. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how I could prove my love for him. I decided I would try ONE more time. I put poison in his food and then I buried him. It had been two days and I hadn't seen him then he showed up at my apartment and handed me the book and said read it. I took it. I finished the book like he requested. I never saw him again until 9 months later when I gave birth to a pair of twins. I named them Carter and Penelope after the main character in the book that I read when I found true love.  People might ask what happened to him or if I truly loved him but as he would say “What is love if not a way of expressing a common emotion. For a kiss is delightful and it warms us, it comforts when a hug embraces us”