The Timeless Library

59. Seasonal

The Librarian's eyes fly open and she breaks into a cold sweat, as if jolting awake from a nightmare. So much for her escape.

Thriller stories are usually rather terrifying, but on normal days she could find comfort in the routine that follows. She would do her cleanup, sort the books, maybe make herself another coffee if the stories had been especially impactful. Her quiet, solitary home served as her comfort and her solace...

But not today. After all, she can no longer be certain that she is the Library's only occupant.

And yet, in the time since diving into the Thriller stories, the sound had left and not returned. Was the mysterious creature finally gone? Or had the sounds perhaps been a figment of her imagination after all?

Nevertheless, the Librarian decides to err on the side of caution. Cleanup has to be done, and her work has to continue, but she does so in a state of perpetual worry. Ready to bolt at any moment, she binds her stories with wide eyes, searching every corner of the room. Her steps are no longer rhythmic and confident as she carries the books to the shelf: she walks slowly at first, checking every hallway, then makes a mad dash to her destination, making it hard for the little robot to follow. She only spares a glance at the Thriller shelf while hurriedly placing the books, opting to keep her eyes firmly on the door.

Then she's done, and she finds that she has to make an effort to keep her breathing under control. This makes her fear what would happen if she keeps going like this, if the next stories she writes amplify her negative emotions even further. Just how much can she handle before completely freezing up? And what, then, will happen if she gives up on her work? Will she cease to exist? Will the Library cease with her?

"LET'S GET TO WORK :)"

The little robot bumps into her feet, letting out a worried beep; that single gesture helps her shake the thoughts away and regain some composure. She must not let fear control her. The stories are her answer, and her very definition: and while they may end it all, they may also give her a fresh start. She just needs to know where to look, and who knows their way around the Library better than the Librarian?

She needs something gentle, soothing, positive, overwhelmingly so. She needs stories where the focus is placed solely upon the goodness of humanity. She needs low stakes and happy endings.

Comedy, perhaps? She searches every corner of the room, but there is no delivery to be found. Comedy deliveries are rare, she admits to herself, as it is hard to come across several stories that are purely of that genre; instead, comedic elements usually end up bundled into another genre altogether. Often they end up in Romance or Slice of Life, or even...

She clasps her hands in front of her, at last finding her answer. Seasonal!

Families gathering around a dinner table, setting aside their differences for a day. The heartwarming "holiday spirit" that comes around at the end of every year, without fail. The glee of watching time pass on New Year's Eve: a feeling she has written about so often but has yet to experience for herself. That should be enough to soothe her soul.

Wasting no time, she hurries over to Seasonal and (thankfully) finds a delivery waiting for her.

A stick of butter, a Santa hat, some fireworks: very promising stories, indeed.