Back Of Beyond Bookstore Novels & Stories

Andrea was away at art school most of the time, and our 'sisterly' moments were rare, making her plea even more manipulative. Brent's face darkened with disapproval. "Andrea is bending over backward here, and you're gonna play hardball?" Fiona pulled Andrea into a protective embrace, sparing me not even a glance. "Only Andrea would bother to include you. What kind of dead-end job drags you away on a birthday?" My career wasn't flashy. I ran an online clothing boutique. In the early days, I'd rise before dawn to source inventory, often standing at my stall until dusk without a single sale.

I took a deep breath, hung up the phone, and tossed my Luna badge onto the council table. "You all heard it. I'm done. Go ask your precious Eva if she can be Luna instead. I won't serve in this position any longer." I turned and walked out, leaving the Elders staring at one another in silence. It was only after stepping outside the council room that I felt like I could breathe again. I placed the miscarriage report on the dining table. Then, I picked up my suitcase and walked to the door. The person my father had sent was already waiting right on time. I would never see Liam again.

Not long after, Kenneth's company declared bankruptcy, and I divorced him. His precious Emily tried to play the victim online, crafting an image of a naive girl deceived by a scumbag. Unfortunately for her, from the moment she went live, netizens showed no mercy. She did not even last a week before being cursed off the platform and forced to shut down her account. Kenneth tried to find me several times afterward, but I had sold the house and gone overseas with a hefty sum of money to continue my studies and pursue my life goals. Three years later, I returned home to start a business with substantial capital. Only then did I hear from mutual friends that Kenneth had been buried in debt for ye

"Alright. I’ll tell you everything. But not here. Give me until tomorrow night. I need to show you." Show me? I didn’t sleep much that night. --- The next evening, Nathan took me on a drive. We ended up outside a quaint little bookstore tucked between an abandoned cafe and a laundromat. A sign above the door read Warren's Books & Vinyl. Inside, the scent of old paper and pinewood welcomed us. The woman behind the counter looked up, then gasped. "Nathan Hart. As I live and breathe." Nathan smiled softly. "Hey, Julia."

Sitting in a quiet countryside courtyard, he let the soft spring breeze calm his nerves. Soon, he felt more at ease. Around him, groups of people chatted and posed for photos by the bridge. As he walked past, an old woman approached him. "Would you like a photo?" William wasn't interested in pictures, but he was curious about the ones displayed as souvenirs. The woman gave him a strange look, as if she thought he was a bit odd. "I'm sorry, sir. These are customer photos. We can't sell them." Even though it was just a picture of someone's back.

We arrive to a very pretty coffee shop named Beehive, with an even bigger bookstore next to it. "Wait! This is Dean's bookstore," I gasp when my two functioning brain cells finally connect. Madison nods and takes a seat at one of the little tables outside, "Wait, wait, let me take a look." I walk to the bookstore and look in wonder, it's even bigger and fancier than he described. I don't walk into the bookstore, I just look from the outside like a creep. I can see big posters of a Tundra Magazine, one of them is a huge poster of my mom looking like a goodess, with her blonde hair blowing and her white gown looking like it was painted onto her body.

The halls were wide and echoing, lit by tall windows and sconces that flickered with cold blue fire. We exited through a stone archway and came to a long balcony that overlooked the entire packland. Terraces dipped into training fields. Further out: the village, modest homes, smoke curling from chimneys, children darting like shadows. Beyond that, a forest so dense it looked like spilled ink across the horizon. I didn’t realize someone else had joined us until Elena curtsied. “My lady,” said a deep voice behind me. “A pleasure.” I turned. The Beta.

Greta and Gabby made their way to Page Turner’s Bookstore just down the street from the Blue Moon Inn. Once inside the warmth of the large shop, Greta was surprised to see a bright modern shop, which included not only a metaphysical section, but my children’s section, too. With soft upbeat music playing in the background, it didn’t take long to find the shopkeeper chatting away to a rather wild looking dog by a fireplace.

The shops here were mostly closed for the season, their windows boarded up against the harsh coastal storms. I was running out of breath, and the heavy footfalls behind me were closing the distance. Just as a wave of despair threatened to pull me under, I saw a faint, warm amber glow spilling out onto the sidewalk up ahead. It was a shop, wedged tightly between a closed bakery and an abandoned hardware store. A weathered wooden sign hung above the door, swaying and creaking in the wind, with the inscription: Bonny & Co. Antiquities and Bound Pages.

"Marcus, you're unbelievable! I never want to see you again!" I got into my car crying and drove away. I went to a bar alone, pouring bottle after bottle down my throat while my tears kept flowing. When I was nearly unconscious from drinking, Henry came to find me. "Why did you drink so much?" I clung to his arm, sobbing uncontrollably. "I've already decided to give up, so why does it still hurt so much!" He gently stroked my hair and said, "Georgina, stop looking back. Look forward—maybe happiness is waiting for you there."