Misery Looms

Chapter 16 - Back to The Beginning P.t 3

Another flash of lightning curled around the sharp edges of a store devoid of customers and thunder crashed outside. Ed stood on the doormat, the rain slowly dripped off boots and his jacket and hair were a bit damp, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a clap of his hands.

Movement from the darkened corner behind the cashier desk caught Ed's attention. A door that most likely led to the back swung open. The owner, a middle-aged man dressed in simple brown slacks with a white button-up and black and white peppered hair, stepped out of the back room. Two buckets swung at his side and with each step, the rags that clung to the metal siding threatened to fall to the hardwood floor.

The owner hadn't glanced in Ed's direction. It seemed like he hadn't realized there was someone else confined within the four walls. However, with the storm raging outside the owner must have thought no one would dare venture outside thus had no customers to worry about.

Ed was about to make his presence known and ask if he needed any help with the leaks that threatened to ruin the shop. However, before Ed could usher a word the owner hustled up the set of stairs that were behind the cashier desk.

Maybe he should follow. Ed thought, but quickly decided against it.

Even though fixing the leaks would help pass the time. The owner would be back down soon potentially to get more supplies and that's when Ed would ask.

In the meantime, Ed had to find something to do. He didn't have to glance out the window to know that the storm was still upon Central. The echoes of rain that stuck the roof and siding made background music within the silent room and the wind whistling down the chimney made it clear enough.

Ed could brace the storm and show up on the hotel welcome mat soaked to the bone in rainwater, shivering slightly from the cold, but then Al would have a fit saying he should have waited out the storm.

Al would have a fit no matter what Ed did.

Ed didn't even want to entertain the thought of getting sick and how many days he would have to spend in bed, lying around when there was information in the library waiting to be found. Then there was the fact that Al wouldn't let him go for another late night walk, Al would even hold him down if need be, but things could turn dangerous if that was to happen.

However, there was another course of action that could be taken. The military headquarters were only a few miles from here, closer than the hotel. He could run there, still, he would be showing up soaking wet, but at least he could get someone to drive him to the hotel if he bugged them long enough that was. However, there was still the risk of catching a cold.

He sighed, it looked like he was saying here until the storm let up a bit, which wasn't so bad at least there were books here to entertain him for a while.

There had been moments when Al and he had ventured into this small bookstore mostly in a mad dash to get reading material for one of their long and spontaneous train rides. However, even since Ed first stepped into the store he had wanted to come back and take a moment to look around to see the fine details the place had to offer.

It looked like the opportunity had arrived. Ed glanced around the store once more and tried to take in the smaller details. Like the line of dust-covered toy cars that occupied a shelf behind the long wooden cashier desk. Or how the sides of each bookcase had small hand done carvings in them depicting animals and monsters, flowers and vines.

Or how some shelves were overflowing with books, paperbacks being bent due to getting caught within the small space while other shelves laid barren with a couple of books lying randomly on the dust-filled surfaces.