The Daughter In the Corner

A Book Fairy

“Where have you been, Derrick?”

Derrick walked through the front door and was greeted by his mother.

“I went to see our new neighbors.”

“The Rogers? We are going together with your father later with some welcome gifts. Did you see anyone?”

Derrick smiled. “Just a funny little girl.

“Oh?” His mother smiled deviously at her son. “Looks like you’ll be visiting their estate more often.” Checking her diamond studded watch she tsked. “Go get your brother for lunch. He’s been holed up in the library for too long. Let’s give the Rogers a few hours to settle in before we go say hello.”

She glided across the hardwood floor and disappeared around the corner. Derrick sighed and bounded down the long hallway toward the library.

As usual, the heavy oak doors were wide open leading to a vast open space with floor-to-ceiling shelves and a painted dome with a single drop crystal chandelier. Derrick didn’t bother looking through all the shelves and just walked straight to the back of the library where he was bound to find his cat-like younger brother.

Sure enough, sitting in the corner of the room under a stream of warm sunlight, his younger brother was lying comfortably on a pile of cushions that he had taken from some surrounding chairs reading a book.

“Hey, Hunter! Mom says it’s time for lunch!”

Hunter grunted, his eyes never leaving the page.

Derrick scowled and walked closer. Looking at the pile of cushions he took one and yanked it out, toppling the tower of pillows with Hunter in the midst. The younger boy rolled with his book clutched to his chest and as he landed near his brother’s feet, he glared upwards.

With a drool tone, he asked, “What do you want?”

Derrick smiled and bent down to fix Hunter’s lopsided glasses. Grabbing his brother’s two hands he pulled him to his feet.

“Like I was saying. It’s time for lunch! Let’s go!”

Hunter sighed. “It’s not like lunch is going anywhere. Can’t you let me finish my book?”

Derrick laughed and dragged his younger brother by the hand. “No! We have new neighbors! We’re going back later to say hello. You have to come! We might get a new playmate!”

Hunter perked up at the thought. “Does he like books?”

Derrick pursed his lips and appeared pensive. “Hm, I don’t know. But she’s a city girl. I don’t think she’s been to these parts of the rural outback.”

Hunter curled his lips. “Oh… a girl.”

Derrick frowned and turned to his younger brother. “Don’t be like that. Let’s go say hello and be nice. She’s actually pretty cute; just like you!” He tapped his younger brother on the nose with the crook of his index finger. Then ran off laughing.

“Hey!” Hunter clutched his book under the crook of his arm and chased after Derrick.

***

Amara face-planted in the fresh bedcovers of her new room. ‘I don’t want to live anymore.’

She flailed her limbs and screamed into the soft bedding. How did she get so tongue-tied?! She grew up around good-looking men so Derrick was definitely not the first but when he saved her like a knight in shining armor, for once, she felt like a princess in a fairytale.

With another thump, she kicked the bed and sighed deeply.

What did he think of her? Did he think she was an i***t who was unable to talk in a coherent sentence? Maybe she should just suffocate herself.

No… that’s not it. Maybe she could just avoid him for the rest of her life.

No… she didn’t want that either.

She rolled to her back and stared at the white ceiling. “I hope we can be friends,” she whispered.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Amara jumped in surprise. “Yes?”

“Amara? Sweetie? Come on out for a bit! Our neighbors have come by to say hello.”

Amara froze with wide eyes. This was too soon for a second meeting; she hadn’t prepared her heart yet!

“I… I’m not feeling well,” she called out weakly.

The door opened and her mother walked in with a worried look. “What’s wrong, baby? Are you sick?”

“No… no… I’m just a bit tired,” Amara stammered.

Amanada placed a hand over Amara’s forehead. “Hm, you don’t feel hot. Maybe you should rest up here then. I’ll check up on you later. Let me know if you need anything, hm?”

Amara nodded and laid down obediently. She waited until her mother walked out of the room before she bounded to the windows to look out. There was a new car on their circle driveway but sadly she couldn’t see anyone. Slowly, she opened the door to her bedroom and peered out into the empty hallway.

Slipping out, she padded gently down the hallway and peered through the rails of the stairway.

“Welcome to the neighborhood! My name is George Sinclair and this is my wife, Nina, and our two boys, Derrick and Hunter!” A tall man boomed and shoved a gift basket into her father’s hands.

“Thank you,” Dustin replied, taking the gift basket with both hands. “My name is Dustin Roger and this is my wife, Amanda. My daughter, Amara isn’t feeling too well at the moment so she’s resting upstairs.”

Derrick looked upstairs and saw strands of brown hair disappear back into the railing. A smile bloomed across his face.

“Mr. Roger, would it be okay for me to walk around?”

Nina frowned at her son’s brazen request. “Derrick, manners!” she chided.

Amanda laughed, “It’s fine. Children always love to explore. Go ahead. Just be careful not to trip over any of the boxes, we’re still in the process of unpacking.”

Hunter, seeing his brother gain approval so quickly, also spoke up. “Do you have a library?”

Nina raised her brows in surprise at her normally well-behaved son. “Hunter! Not you too!”

Dustin laughed, “Yes. The first floor entrance is blocked by some boxes but there is another access from the second floor. Just go up and it’s on the left hand side down the hall. I can have one of the maids guide you.”

Derrick grabbed Hunter’s wrist and ran off. “No thank you, Mr. Roger! We can manage on our own.”

The two brothers ran up the staircase and found a dark empty hallway.

Hunter paused, intimidated by the sight. He was an avid horror story reader and this was the perfect setting for his ghost stories.

“Uh… maybe we should go back down.”

Derrick rolled his eyes and strode forward, looking left and right. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

Hunter sighed and followed his brother.

“That’s what they always say before the demon comes out…” he muttered under his breath.

As they walked, they came across an ornate set of wooden doors.

Derrick opened it and peered inside. “Hey! I found the library!”

“What? Really!?” Hunter quickened his steps and plastered against Derrick to look inside.

“Whoa! It’s just as big as the one we’ve got at home! They have a lot of books! I wonder if Mr. Roger will let me borrow some?”

“Pfft. Whatever. I’m going to continue looking for… er, exploring.” Derrick pushed his little brother off him and returned to the hallway.

Hunter walked reverently into the library and ran his fingers across the spines of the books.

“Ahhh,” he sighed slowly. “Hello, my friends.”

Suddenly there was a small squeak and Hunter jumped out of the way as a pile of books came toppling down next to him. Looking up, he found a girl clinging to the bookshelf like a frightened mouse.

“H-Help me!” she stuttered.

Hunter looked around frantically but couldn’t find anything. Out of desperation he grabbed onto the bookshelf and braced his body against it.

“Here! Step on my shoulders!”

Hunter grunted with effort when he felt a foot on the crown of his head and then another on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I got you. I am going to lower you down now,” he gasped. Slowly he went down to his knees and then he felt the load off his shoulders disappear as the girl jumped off and landed next to him.

“Oh my gosh! I thought I was going to die!” She plopped onto the floor and started to fan her face with her hands.

Hunter crouched on the floor on his hands and knees wheezing. “I’m about to die! How much do you wei—“ he cut off when he raised his head and his eyes landed on the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

‘She must be a book fairy…’ He concluded.