The Unicorn in the Library

The woman standing at the counter reminded me of Jessica, approximately the same age, with the same curly hair. I had known Jessica when she visited the library during her high school years. Editor of the school magazine and an avid researcher. This woman wasn’t Jessica but she was requesting something Jessica wrote and since I was working at the circulation counter, it became my request to fulfill.

It’s really unbelievable that I’m searching for Jessica’s articles in the alcoves of the library.

The magazine had only existed for the last three years of her high school career. The kids tried to keep it going after she graduated but Jessica held the magic to its success. Her artistic and editorial skills gave the magazine pizazz. In the twenty something years since she graduated, I’ve never seen another student with her passion.

The woman at the counter requested to see a copy of one of the magazines, flashes of Jessica standing at that same counter rushed my thoughts. Jessica often had requests for information stored on Microfiche which only the librarians could get access too. Her magazines weren’t on Microfiche, they were stored in a box in the library’s basement.

We store all the high school’s archives in here-but I right now, I cannot find that series of magazines. Unicorn, with a Q in place of the c, was a strange spelling but I knew I had seen it many times.

I had just started working here at the library when my own kids began school. One of Jessica’s friends babysat often for me. Regardless, going down memory lane isn’t serving me right now to find this Uniqorn in the library.

I returned to the counter empty handed. “I’m sorry, I can’t locate them. I can call you when I do. I am going to keep searching but don’t want to hold you up.” I told the woman at the counter.

She handed me her business card, Cora Wang, investigative reporter. “Sure, call me but I will be in the library for another hour, so I will stop by before I leave.”

“OK.” I told her. I tucked the card in my pocket and wondered what would an investigative reporter want with Jessica’s magazines?

Jessica’s murder was solved three years ago, after almost twenty of it being an unsolved crime. I don’t even want to think about those years, or her death anymore. I want it behind me but the truth is, I too am curious about what she wrote back then.

I returned to the second floor basement of the library and continued running my hands over dusty boxes and files. Books aren’t stacked here like in the first floor basement archives, but labels on the boxes are in chronological date order. Which is why when I searched the High School year of Jessica’s, I was surprised not to find them.

Opening that box again, I committed myself to search slower. One of the library volunteers quietly tapped me on my shoulder, “Can I help you find anything?”

Mrs. Laurel was a sweet, fragile, book loving woman who volunteered to keep order of the inventory in the archives. She worked three hours each morning. “Keeps me sane to have a routine.” She told me.

“Oh Hi Mrs. Laurel, I’m looking for some magazines call the Uniqorn from the eighties.”

She thought for a moment, “Unicorn with a Q?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

“Wait here.” She said.

She came back with a thick manila envelope. “There are five in here. I had them in the waiting to put back area because Jessica’s mom had returned half of them last week. She still has the others.”

“Mrs. Laurel, you are an angel.”

I dashed to the elevator hoping I hadn’t missed Cora Wang leaving.

In the short ride up the two flights, I opened the envelope, pulled out a copy. There it was “the Uniqorn” published by Jessica Briggs.

The elevator door opened and I walked effortlessly to my desk while reading the first article I found written by Jessica.

The title was WRIITNG FOR GRAPHIC NOVELS by Jessica Briggs. I started reading it....Though I cannot write a work worth anyone reading, I found my superpower to tell stories visually. My mind can map the format of a magazine with the graphics and the text however I cannot fill both spaces. Describing the art in written form is difficult for me. I have interviews many authors who report to me the opposite, as they are not able to draw. I can provide graphics which often can get misinterpreted so when writing a graphic novel, sometimes the writing must come first. When I draw imagines, the story unfolds visually which is why writing for a graphic novel requires both an artist and a writer.

Cora returned to the desk as I was reading.

“Any luck?” she asked.

I smiled, “Yup, and this is it. I was just reading her article about writing graphic novels.”

Cora looked at the magazine, “Did she do the cover art?”

I flipped to the inside page where the list of contributors were recognized. Her name was in several areas giving her credit for two other articles, all the graphics including the cover art, and as the editor.

“Yes.” I nodded, admiring the cartoon drawing of a round purple uniqorn.

“She certainly was talented.” Cora replied, taking the entire envelope from me. “Can I take these over the weekend?”

I nodded as I scanned her library card and processed the borrowing. Cora waited patiently. I handed her all the material including her library card and for a moment, I was handing them to Jessica. Her hair, her mannerism, her smile, it was like Jessica was thanking me just had she had done so many times when I retrieved items from the archives for her.

As quickly as Cora walked away, I slipped away for a bathroom break. I silently shed tears as the imaginary and real imagines of Jessica’s life and death flashed in my mind’s eye. Drying my eyes, a mother and a little girl entered the bathroom, the little girl had a unicorn headband on. I couldn’t help but smile.