The walk home was tiring, and extremely hard to keep up pace. It would've been easier if she had just walked straight there, but being the unforgettable mind that she is, stopped by at the library before settling down in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
The door to the town's library was heavy, a waft of warm air surrounding her as leather shoe met carpet. She wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, but knew that when she found it, she'd know.
The comforting scent of decade old books filled her nostrils, and Barbara felt properly at ease for the first time that day. Books meant that when you were reading, nothing else mattered. You are in a different world while you're focused on the pages, and it's almost like true reality pauses.
Taking a few steps onward, Barb greeted the librarian through politeness with a smile and ducked her head for the rest of the way. Social time isn't what she came looking for, so communicating is what she avoided.
Coming up to a shelving unit full of newspapers, Holland unconsciously found her fingers flicking through the section marked 'G'.
She didn't know why she couldn't drop it, or why she just had to find out more, but she did somehow. It's like when you find a subject you just can't stop thinking about, and when the process of the obsession is finally over, you end up knowing way more than one person should ever know.
All printed paper from the last twenty years sat together in the boxes, decaying slowly until the edges were yellow and frayed. Barbara thought it was an insane amount to keep, and the pure space they took up on the library floor confirmed the stupidity. She shouldn't complain though, because what if one of them helped?
The most obvious topic under government was stories of child abuse, kidnappings and experiments on said children- all seemingly to do with the same man: Martin Brenner.
Maybe he was a core suspect in a possible chemical leak? Did the lab have anything to do with it? She had no idea, but thought it sensible to gather as much information as one girl humanly could.
Rolls and rolls of tied up newspapers stacked under her arm as she waddled over to the counter, dumping the contents onto the wooden surface as she reached it. The librarian looked at the girl, a slightly shocked expression tainting her features.
"Miss Holland," the woman spoke, having already known her name from the various times before. "Looks like you'll be busy! What're you going to use all of these for?"
Barbara blinked, fumbling inside her satchel for the thin white library card. "Oh, erm, just a school project."
The woman smiled. "And how long would you like on these?"
The youngest Holland sighed, slumping slightly in thought. "Erh-"
But before she could decide, an offer was made.
"Oh, don't worry sweet, I trust you'll bring them back eventually."
Barbara smiled, passing over her library card to be scanned. The pressure of a time limit was gone, which meant that no rushing was needed. She had as much time as she wanted to read in-between each line, figuring out top-secret government knowledge on the way. She knew she wouldn't be able to achieve such things realistically, but it gave her an extra jab of motivation.
"Thankyou."
The librarian helped stack papers upon papers on Barb's extended arms, securing them tightly so that they wouldn't fall. Once geared, one last Thankyou was made and Barbara was out of there. Time to study.
-
Turning, back against the door, Barbara used her elbow to pressurise the door handle, leaning on it to open a gap big enough for her. Walking backwards into her home, Mrs Holland appeared in the hallway.
"Oh, hiya darling-" words seized. The woman in-front of her was visibly confused, and it was quite comical. She would've normally laughed at this strange encounter, but not anymore.
"What's all of this for?" Her mom widened her arms to take some of the load.
Keeping with the same excuse, Barbara kicked off her shoes, leaving the laces still tied up in a knot. "School project."
It was a good thing that her parents weren't vivid admirers of the school system, so naturally didn't question it.
"Right, okay." The older Holland nodded, assuming that she should follow her daughter up the stairs to transport the goods.
Stairs groaned as the two slumped up, making their way slowly into Barbara's room. Neither one of her parents had been inside her space for a good while, so her mom understandingly seemed quite shocked when she was met with dozens of papers already.
Deeming no need for questions, her mother simply smiled as she left her daughter to study her new sources. "Let me know if you need anything."
Barbara sighed out a slow breath as the door was shut and she was alone with her thoughts once again.
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قصص الهواةA child at the age of fifteen shouldn't be worrying herself over such things, knowing that they could do no harm, but Barbara Holland enjoyed it. She loved the unknown, just as much as she feared it, and it was almost routine at this point in her li...
