The Experience of Being Alive

Chapter Fifteen

Binny wandered the hallway. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't really care. She saw the wooden door that led to Misselthewaite Manor but kept walking. Was her father really more interested in driving the stupid Batmobile than in finding her mother? Than in spending time with her?

Binny saw the Special Requisitions Desk. Two was there fulfilling requisitions for various after dinner locations that people wanted to visit. No doubt many of them were serving up some interesting desserts. Binny had missed dinner again. She wasn't entirely sure it really mattered. She wasn't sure anything mattered.

Binny travelled through the crowd for a while, walking aimlessly only to notice the Special Requisitions Desk making another appearance on the inner side of the circle. The crowd in front of it was totally different, but it was still Two fulfilling requests. Binny knew that the hallway that surrounded the library was circular, but could she have really completed the circuit that quickly?

And then the door to Misselthwaite Manor showed up once again in the outer wall. If she had traveled in a circle wouldn't the wooden door have appeared before the Special Request desk like it had the first time? And if there were two Special Request desks, how was Two staffing both at once? Binny shook her head. It was starting to hurt.

And then, a voice, a young girl's voice cut through the crowd noise, "Trust me Matilda, they're edible."

It sounded like Cassie. Binny's annoying younger sister, would now be the absolute best face Binny could spot in this crowd. Binny followed the sound of the conversation.

Another voice, also a young girl, answered, "But they're musical instruments as well?"

The first voice responded, "You would think after all those books you've read, you would have read this one."

Binny had almost reached the voices.

"I'm not sure how I missed it."

The girls were younger than Binny, and neither of them were Cassie. Binny stopped short just before almost running the two of them over.

The first girl said, "Oh my. We almost had a bit of a kerfuffle."

Binny said, "I'm sorry. My fault. I thought one of you was my sister."

"This is my long lost dead little sister." Kerfuffle girl pointed at the smaller girl next to her.

"Hi. I'm not really her dead little sister. Her name was Clare Matilda. My name is just Matilda."

Thoroughly confused Binny made a small waving motion with her hand. "I'm Binny. Hey."

Both girls were younger than Binny. Matilda looked to be the younger of the pair. But it was hard to tell as Matilda was so well spoken, she sounded older. Both spoke with British accents.

"I'm Maisie. Nice to make your acquaintance."

"You too."

"We're going to Skrumshus Limited for sweets. Would you like to join us?" Maisie offered.

"Neither of these girls were Cassie. And they were younger than Binny, but what really did she have to lose. She had no plans, no parents, no real goals of any kind. "Why not head to Scrumptious Limited for 'sweets'." Binny thought it was cute the way Maisie had referred to candy.

"It's not 'scrumptious', it's skrumshus." Matilda sounded out the words. "See?" Matilda pointed at the letters spelled out on the metal door in the wall. The door was set in brick and looked heavy.

"Oh. OK." Binny said.

When Binny didn't seem to recognize the name, Maisie chimed in, "You've been here before, right?"