That Novel Corner Novels & Stories

No touch of cement was there, at least not visible to the bare eyes. And inside was filled with tons of books. The bookshelves were touching the ceiling, and there was a wooden spiral staircase by which a book lover could read a book from the top of the shelf. There were many chairs-tables in one corner and lamps set over the head, indicating that the place was for those who want to read comfortably. The place was segregated with translucent glass, the word 'reader's corner' written in white bold letters on the glass walls did not escape Maze's eyes.

Getting out of the office later than anybody else because they kept piling files onto my desk, I go to my small apartment. It’s cozy, so I don’t care, and the best thing is that it has a little space with a bow window, making it really romantic. There is where I installed my cozy reading corner, with a chaise long and many colored pillows. I let my purse slide to the floor and as I slip out of my shoes about to take a book off the shelf and already wanting to change into my pjs as I always do, I halt in my movements. Looking down at the illuminated street, something clicks in me, causing a strange desire to stream through me.

--- Elsewhere… Nelly Couldn’t Finish the First Page Nelly sat in her room, sadness weighing heavily on her face. She felt as if Naomi had taken Adel from her completely. She stepped out, hesitant, and stopped at Naomi’s door. Her hand trembled as she reached for the handle… then slowly turned it. The room lit up. It was neatly arranged. On the table lay a book Naomi had been reading. She approached and picked it up. The title read: “Your Eyes Found Me – A Novel” She turned off the light and left.

Everything is going as it is planned, except for the fact that I did not had any chance to see the inner area of the school today. But that's okay, I'll see it tomorrow morning. I followed what the guard told me, and there it is: Thelma's Book Corner. I found you, finally. It looked exactly like a barn, painted with red and brown. There's also a hotdog stand in front of it. I entered the store, and I must say that the inside is much bigger than the outside. Was that even possible? Looking around, I saw that there's a lot of bookshelves around here, plus a bean bag area for the people who prefer to read their books here.

“This one weaves mystery and magic, but underneath, it’s a story about trust and power.” Her face softened. “I’ll take it.” As I wrapped the book, another man stepped in, younger, sharp-eyed, dressed in a rumpled suit. His gaze swept the shelves with a hunger I recognized all too well. “Looking for something… thrilling,” he said, voice low. I leaned forward slightly. “Try The Silent Corner, it’s about secrets that change everything.” He nodded, brows furrowed, then murmured, “Secrets change everything.” The bell jingled again. A teenager, headphones around his neck, glanced nervously at the counter. “Uh, do you have any fantasy? Like with dragons?”

A small machine by the corner. Nothing unusual at first glance. But her chest tightened slightly. That feeling again. Not pain. Not exactly. Just wrong. She took a small step forward. She saw a machine in the corner. It was not like other machines. This one was quiet. Too quiet. No blinking lights. No sound. Just there. Watching. Anna became scared “This is definitely a trap…” she said quietly. She held her chest again to feel her heart. It was still calm. From all that has been happening, she knew that this calm wouldn't last forever.

***** Ken's POV I tracked him to the bookshelf corner without making it obvious — not that anyone was watching this particular section, which was exactly why it had caught my attention the moment he stopped there. The outdated textbooks, the forgotten corner which had zero foot traffic. If you had wanted to find a space in this library where nobody was going to walk past you in the next ten minutes, this was it. I looked around once to confirm what I already suspected — we were completely alone over here. The nearest person was at least four rows of shelves away and facing the opposite direction.

Every corner is in black except the bed sheets and it makes the atmosphere appear gloomy and moody in an Emerson Ford style. There are shelves of books on one side and a desk next to the shelves. A smile climbs on my face as I look back to Emerson before looking back at the shelves – Ford never strikes me as a guy who enjoys reading and it comes as a surprise that he has books with him. I gnaw on my lips as I move from the bed and take quiet steps to the other side. I pick up a book and my eyes widen barely at the cover and the label. Looking through the shelves, the rest are novels too— both old and new. Who could have thought Emerson Ford read novels? Romance ones to be exact.

“Well, Zeke’s a nice enough guy but maybe not the sharpest needle in the haystack. One of many reasons we only briefly dated.” The two dug into their meals, and Brad had to admit to himself that Bias was right, the food was absolutely delicious. Spicy and flavorful. Bias was scarfing down his food as if he were going into hibernation soon. “Speaking of you being a famous writer,” Bias said when he finally came up for air, “after you left Book Lady yesterday, I picked up another one of your books.” “Really? Which one?” “The collection, Dark Corners. I read the first four stories before bed last night, and I have to say I really enjoyed them.”

Rhythms were woven into mornings. Light sliced in mornings, through mist-veiled, coldly filtered glass and streaming in bars of yellow across floors. The Corner Bakery bread was more in demand when Leya opened the window wide to let cool air in It wasn't done to excess. Old floorboards were groaning everywhere and the ceiling groaned whenever there was a gust of wind. But it was real. Not pretended. There was nothing there covered with plastic over rot and Leya was safe, finally, for the first time in a very, very long time.