Bird

viii

My job at the library is more than I could wish for even though the pay isn't a handsome fat check, it's enough for the bills and some food. It helps that the house belongs to my grandmother so we don't have to worry about rent.

It's almost time to close so I go round taking the books everyone was using and leave them on the tables. Our library isn't that big and only a few people bother to come and read a few highschool students and a few senior citizens.

I go around with the cart and grab the books,only a few people are present and when they begin seeing me collecting the books some begin to pack up and leave.

It's been two weeks since I started working here and I'm now used to the looks everyone is giving me.Maria and Vicky have managed to ruin my name as far as the ear could hear. But the rumors do not affect me one bit.

After I finish putting the books back where they belong,I begin turning some of the lights off.I check the office to see if the head librarian is here. There are times he falls asleep,he is almost never here but to avoid the time I locked him in and had to drive back again.

My phone vibrated and it was a message from Polly telling me to grab some drinks on my way home. Today is movie night,we do this every Thursday night.

"Going home Ms Bird?", Garry the security guard asked.

" Yep. Have a nice night Garry",I say and smile,most people in town may hate me because of the rumors that have been circulating but it's a few people like Garry that have known me for a long time that are still nice to me.

It was a little cold as I walked to the truck in the parking lot,I struggled with keys as always.

"If this were a horror movie I'd be dead by now",I said and chuckled to myself.

" Good evening beautiful",a voice said, scaring the life out of me.

" Bernard what the hell!",I snapped, placing a hand on my violently beating heart that threatened to burst out of my chest.

"I didn't mean to scare you Bird",he gently said, taking his Sheriff's hat off.

" What do you want!"I asked, holding the little pepper spray in my bag tightly in my hand.

"I wanted to see you",he says and takes out a bouquet of flowers he hid behind him "I know things didn't go well last time when we met,I wanted to apologize",he said. I contemplated whether to ignore him and get into my car but I didn't want to turn my back away from a man like him.

"I don't need your apology Bernard and the person that deserves those flowers isn't me but your lovely wife at home",I said, jamming the key into the keyhole and trying to open the door of the truck.

"Why do you have to bring up that bitch at a time like this!", He yelled, making me flinch.
" I'm sorry I didn't mean to tell you",he apologized after seeing how scared I was. " I'll leave her ",he said taking a step closer to me " I have enough savings to cover us for the rest of our lives even if it's not enough I'll take care of you and you won't have anything to worry about,let's run away together come with me my Bird my beautiful ballerina",he says reaching out his hand to touch my cheek. You mean all the bribes you've taken over the years,I wanted to say.

"I have loved you since the moment I saw you",he says " I know no one would understand so I waited until you were a little bit older",

This man must be crazy. He was transferred here when I was only eleven years old.

"You're sick to have thoughts about a child,you need help Bernard",

" No I love you, I've loved you for so long, don't you get it,all I've ever wanted in this life is you",he said wrapping his arms around " I've dreamt about having you since the day I saw you,the taste of your lips,to touch your skin and how it feels to be inside of you",he says and the door finally opens I take out the bottle of pepper spray in my other hand and spray it in his eyes.

"Ahhh!", He screamed "you little bitch!",

I hooked my leg in his and tripped him, making him fall to the ground, opened the door and started the engine, speeding out of that parking lot.

I didn't say anything to my grandmother when she asked what was wrong after I got home. Polly looked at me suspiciously but didn't say anything.

"It was Bernard wasn't it?", She asked as we were cleaning the dishes.

"Yes ,how do you know?",

"I saw him buying flowers today in town when I went for my late check up,so I figured he was buying them for you even though I wasn't really sure",she says.

Tomorrow I'm sending a complaint to the city, it's getting too much. I'm not a scared young teenager anymore.