Hidden

(LVII.)

The girl tossed her hair back, and placed a hand on her left hip. "I have to say that this is a criminal act hidden under institutional diplomacy. I don't agree to this, but I'll only pay so you don't think I'm a 'penny wort'. At least, I can see where the school gets part of its funding."

Maria flicked up a brow in question. "Penny wort?"

"My own version of 'churchrat'," she explained while retrieving her purse from her handbag. "So, card or cheque?" She flashed a gold card between her fingers.

"Cash." She opened the book to check off the books in the 'Borrowed' column. Then, opened another and waited so she could fill in the section for paid fines.

Jess frowned at the woman's answer. "I only have what I can give." She exchanged the card for a chequebook she carried about some days. "Four grand, you say?" She tore off the top sheet, ignoring Maria's hard stare, and even took a pen from the penholder on the table without asking for permission. After filling in the cheque and signing it, she handed it to her.

"There. Tell Polka I had no cash." She turned to leave, while speaking. But stopped to add, "Or I'll tell him myself when I stop by his office to ask him why he extorts money from students through the library."

Maria watched her walk towards the shelves. She shook her head, sighing deeply. After clearing off Jess' debts, she closed the book and put it back in a drawer.

Jess stopped at the same shelf where she'd taken the other two books from. Her eyes scanned the words on the spines. Plain-looking books. Dull covers. Ordinary words with deep meanings. Strong energies oozing out of them.

This brought to remembrance something that had happened when she was eleven.

She had been struggling with hydrokinesis, and already given up. While staring glumly at a pond in the garden behind their beach house in Delaware, Ken had come up to her side. She was sitting on a smooth rock serving as a stool; he was standing beside her. They stared at each other's reflections.

"Why can't I get it right?" she'd whispered. "Why can't I control water?"

He'd remained silent, not answering.

She'd looked up at his face. Not in the reflection. "I'm not as powerful as you are, am I?"

Without looking down at her, still staring at her reflection, he'd said, "Everything has energy, Jessie. No matter how big, no matter how little. Even people have energy. It's the basis of aura reading. You can feel it."

Her gaze returned to the clear surface of the fishless pond. "But I can't feel anything."

"You can. You let your emotions bother you. Fear is what is stopping you from reaching out to the energy in that water. Conquer your fear, then you will feel the power." A firm but gentle hand on her shoulder. "Feel the energy. Use it, control it."

Worry filled her eyes. "What if I never learn?"

"You will." A warm smile. "With time."

Back in the present, Jess closed her eyes and took one deep breath. Focus. Everything has energy. Even these books.

She got a very strong sensation on the left side. Her arm reached forward, her fingers grasped the spine of a book and pulled it out. She opened her eyes. And read the title.

Marmara's Tales.

Curious, she flipped through the pages. A number of diagrams flew by. Good. Pictures to help her understand what she read.

Something told her Mrs Castellanos would be very hesitant to let her have this book. Then, she asked herself, Why did they let them stay here if they are afraid of these books falling into the wrong hands? Not that she was an evil person, but the librarian felt she wasn't fit to read any.