Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore Novels & Stories

Lena woke up the morning after a little earlier than usual. The sun was just rising itself above the horizon, casting long shadows on the empty street. The bookstore in early morning light seemed to be otherworldly — serene, serene, like a cathedral. She liked it best at this hour. No customers yet, no distractions. Just her, the scent of paper and ink, and the gentle thrum of old stories ready to be read aloud again. She pushed the front door open and stepped inside, savoring the creak of wood beneath her boots.

“Is this the office that Suzanna was talking about?” My heart was racing because I hadn’t really shared this space with anyone other than Krista. Mr. Penn was the first one actually inside since Krista’s father helped us get the chaise in. I know he probably didn’t know but I felt extremely exposed in front of him. “This is…where I keep my books.” He hummed, reaching up and grabbing a book. “Why keep them here?”

Joy had called it obscene. Samuel had tried to pocket a ruby the size of his fist. Fiero had raised one brow, and that had been the end of that. Bunker 036 was worse. A hidden library. No index, no lights. Every book bound in symbols that changed when viewed from different angles. Miriam had stood there for hours, unmoving, eyes flicking across glyphs no one else could translate. She’d marked it silently. No one questioned her. Bunker 038 had been a letdown, a so-called time machine that turned out to be a hollow set piece, possibly a distraction.

I pushed open the store door. It must have been a poor day for the crystals and the Crookshollow ghost tour brochures, because the shop was completely deserted. From somewhere behind, a small bell rang. The place looked exactly as I remembered it—small tables and dark mahogany bookshelves lined the dimly lit space, filled with candles, crystal, and odd books. I coughed as a wave of sweet-smelling incense hit my nostrils. Clara slipped in from the back of the shop, carrying a stack of books that was almost as tall as she was. Her kind face broke into a smile when she saw us.

11:54 11:55 11:56 11:59 12:00 Once the clock stroked 12, a shiver ran down my spine ,my body was aching for a release and he wasn’t in sight yet. I heaved a sigh,as the clock stroked 12:20 a few minutes later. The library had a few people in it but nevertheless I decided to go round placing books back where they were meant to be. I took off my jacket and started going round, placing books back, I got to the back row of the library , it didn’t have a enough light, so people hardly sat there to read, there was a book on one of the tables. It was a Novel by Ana huang famous author for the twisted series, it was Twisted hate and the open page was one the steamy hate sex scenes between Jules and

He wouldn't be here before the sun heating profusely, standing straight on head, just a few minutes before lunch. "Sir, One of the gang from sunset city has been spotted at the middle of the night. Coming sharp at twelve midnight and leave exactly on three on the morning." Like a horse track, he started without letting a gap to breathe in between the words. At the midst of half panicking, and half struggling against words and his aching lungs who desperate for air after those run he made, he doesn't notice from the dark room filled with mahogany woods smell and something minty in the air, two shining eyes like the cat's eyes in the dark staring back to him, ready to attack. The many stack of

CHAPTER 1 — THE LATE RETURN I really shouldn’t have been there after closing time. The sign on the door already read “Closed” in elegant gold letters, and the lights inside Marcus Vale’s bookstore were dimmed to that soft amber glow he always left on for the night. I stood outside for a full minute, debating whether to just slip the book through the mail slot and run. But the book was rare — a 1923 first edition of The Great Gatsby with handwritten notes in the margins, and I couldn’t risk damaging it.

asked Mrs Tepes. "We were invited by the owners. "said Mrs Smith 'How am I going to get information about Phoenix with her hanging around.' Thought Emma. A group of cameramen entered the bookstore. They surrounded a bulky man with curly brown hair who sat on the wooden chair near the door. Mr Walter stood near him. "Good evening everyone! I welcome you all, to the grand opening of this bookstore. Thank you for coming here. We have a very special guest today here with us. This is Mr Luca Alexandro, the famous paranormal investigator. He chose our store to release his first book."

I stayed until my body had stopped producing warmth, and then I dragged myself up the opposite bank and lay on the grass for a moment with my face turned to the sky. The stars were very clear. I got up. Time to heal in the human way. __________________ The shop sat at the edge of a small road. From the looks of it, it was a place that sold everything without organising any of it. It had a single white light above the door that drew moths in lazy circles. A man sat behind the counter reading something, unbothered by the odd hour. A 24 hour store. How convenient. He looked up when I came in. Slowly, his eyes narrowed, moving from my face to the soaked shirt in my hands and then he put the pape