Covered in Tears | Part 1

November 13th — 1923

Fifty gasps fell over the library as the door shut leaving the aisles dark. The sun had already set, and the fantasy section was as alive as ever as the fairies stepped out of their books taking in the fresh air.

Sophie dangled her legs over the side of the shelf while her love stood behind her inspecting her hurt wing.

“Stop! That’s the part I said not to touch.”

His name was Jay, and he and Sophie both belonged to the romance novel that stood to their left.

“Don’t forget it’s cold out there everyone. Be sure to change into the proper attire, if necessary,” said Liam from across the room. Liam closed his wings around his front and was in winter clothes when he opened them.

Sophia and Jay rolled their eyes because he tended to be a bit bossy, given he was king of the fairies in his novel.

“Are you coming out?” Jay asked.

Sophia watched the others changing and flying off their shelves toward the back of the library while her wing ached. “Sure,” she nodded with hesitation.

“We can walk,” Jay reassured her.

After changing their clothes, Sophia took Jay’s hand and they landed on the floor. Everyone else was almost already to the back door, which led to a bathroom with a window.

It took several minutes, but Sophia and Jay also made their way through the door, into the bathroom, to the window. Looking at the glass, old dirt was caked in the corners, and it seemed to have not been opened for quite some time.

Letting go of Sophia’s hand, Jay placed both of his on the glass, and it disappeared until they were through. They looked down at the grass and garden behind the library, and Jay supported Sophia as they fluttered down. They could see the others already mingling and eating with the field fairies.

The field fairies stood two inches taller than the fiction fairies, seven in total, but they were not intimidating. They welcomed their neighbors who spent the entire day trapped inside the covers of books and shared their dinners and stories of the day. Unfortunately, the fiction fairies only had their individual stories to tell, so they preferred to listen rather than repeat themselves.

Reaching the flowers, a field fairy greeted them. “Jay and Sophia! Don’t wait a minute longer! Come on in and have some tea.”

“Yes, please,” said another. “Sophia, where is your sister? I know there is a book that follows you too love birds.”

“Annaliese?” Sophia questioned.

“Yes, who else?” the fairy replied, a pint in his right hand and sandwich in his left.

“She is with a student. She was checked out of the library on Monday.”

The fairy stopped looking at Sophia and looked at his colleagues around his table. “Hopefully, she’s back soon. There’s nothing fictional about her gents.” They all laughed, not looking at Sophia again.

Sophia was furious and opened her mouth to jinx him, but Jay stepped in front of her. “He won’t even remember it tomorrow. Look at him! We only have so much time. Let’s not waste it.”

Taking a deep breath, she agreed and walked through the garden admiring the soft glow that covered it. Of course, it only materialized at night regardless of season, spells originally set in place by the field fairies years ago. Seeing their friends in the corner sitting at a table behind a line of roses, Sophia ran for a hug, ignoring the pain she was in. Their typical lighthearted chatter replaced the tension, and they did their best to drink enough to forget how suffocating the book covers can feel.

“My fellow fiction fairies,” Liam called several hours later. “You will do well to listen to me. It’s almost dawn. We should go back before the library opens again.”

Now a bit intoxicated, Jay yelled, “You go back. We still have time, and I’m not keen on jumping back in the book cover just yet.” Sophia smiled in agreement, ready to admit she had had far too much to drink.

Liam narrowed his eyes at the group after only two fiction fairies rose to follow him. In his typical superior manner, he bowed and said, “Good luck to you.”

The chatter resumed as if nothing had been said, and Sophia rested her head on Jay’s shoulder. Twirling her blue locks between her fingers, her eyes became heavy, and she decided to rest them momentarily.

Looking down at her sweet cheeks, Jay felt resting before the walk back was a good idea. After all, it’s not the same as flying back. No one at the table said anything but continued to eat.

After a little more time had passed, a yellow light covered Sophia’s eyelids stirring her awake.

“Jay!” she yelled. “We must get back! The library is open. Look! It is well into the morning.”

Startled by the uncomfortable awakening, Jay quickly was equally as alarmed. They looked around and were surrounded with the withered November grass and silence with not one fairy in sight.

Rushing back into the library, Sophia and Jay slowly opened the back door and hoped no one saw. Looking around, they could see students at the front but did not hear anyone else.

Words were not needed. Sophia forgot all about the pain, and they ran as fast as they could to the fantasy aisle. Out of breath when they arrived, they noticed an abandoned notebook on the floor, so it was clear someone had already been there today. However, they could not be seen, or they would vanish along with their book, forever forgotten.

Suddenly, they heard little footsteps coming.

“A student,” Sophia panted with hardly any breath left. She still gave Jay a stern look. “Go. Fly up. You will make it if you fly.”

Jay refused. “No! I won’t leave you. I will never leave you.”

The footsteps were drawing closer.

Sophia shoved him forward. “Go! I bet this student won’t even come to our aisle. I’ll hide in that notebook until they pass and meet you in the book. Go now!”

Without another word, Jay nodded and fly off leaving Sophia at the bottom of the shelves looking up as his wings appeared to grow smaller.

The sound of the footsteps reaching the corner brought Sophia’s eyes to the notebook. Jumping forward into the pages, Sophia froze against the back cover hoping to not be seen. Before she could catch her breath, she felt gravity tilt. Her fears were confirmed. A student had her in their hands.

Streaks under her eyes appeared in the illustration she had formed, as she cried knowing she would never see her love again.