What they saw was no one.
Turning they found Drake's shrinking spine, all the way across the courtyard.
Drake sprinted down a passage, turning twice to get to the library before, dropping to his knees in front of the librarian.
He couldn't place a name but knew she was one of the strict ones. At one point she must have been gorgeous, but time had faded once divine looks and left a simple beauty maintained by makeup. She was tiny, wearing a simple black dress which, although Drake couldn't see behind the counter, most certainly covered her ankles.
"Senpai! When the whole 'people disappearing and reappearing'…" Drake had forgotten whether or not the whole event had been given a name, "..thing happened did the school keep a list of missing students?"
She was startled but not angry, naturally. If any human in existence had walked through those doors, they'd know of her obsession with the disappearances. She was a forum queen. Evident in the abundance of newspaper clippings, lining the walls.
All as informative as a brick wall. Which, according to her own lips, was 'the exact opposite of what the media was supposed to be doing'
He had to bite back the smirk. She immediately fumbled for what he could guess was the list.
She paused and looked to Drake, measuring him up, searching and getting what she wanted.
His desperation, slow building over hours, said enough to make her pick up the pace.
He was hit with the urge to check his forehead for the words:
I'm about to shock you.
"It's somewhere here." She slowed and squinted. "Why? Were you one of them? Do you know what happened?"
Drake considered the truth. It'd take too long but a lie would take too much energy. Anyway he wasn't sure if he understood.
"I can't be sure. That's why I need to see another person who was taken!"
The gambit failed; her eyes widened.
"Taken? Taken by what, or who?" She demanded, leaning in.
She'd stopped looking, choosing to simply stare. It shouldn't have been intimidating, but it was. They were eye to eye, which was impossible…
…oh…
The woman was literally on the counter!
"Kaguya-Senpai! The list Please!" He pleaded.
The urgency sent her back to the floor and looking.
"Yamamoto Jin?"
"Not here." Drake said rolling his eyes and bouncing on his heels.
"Um… Paige Stevens?"
He didn't have to answer. It was getting obvious, she wasn't giving anything he didn't know. It got her more excited.
"Chanwook Date?"
"That's me!" Drake yelled, exasperated at her open smile, she'd wet herself soon.
People paid for that expression.
"…hmm... let's see..." she carried on searching slowly, shooting glances perpetually.
He was seconds away from snatching the list.
"Nakemaru Kakashie?"
She stopped when Drake froze.
"Who?"
His knowledge of the school's students was limited but such a name? It was odd for him not to know.
"Kakashie, I think he goes by some mean nick name. He's a large child he's always with…"
"Nickname? Large? Of course!"
Drake shot out of the library and down the corridors. Leaving the librarian with her list of names and half a story.
The Ebook is already available for purchase. Just Google it.
Up Next:
Yamamoto Jin