Page 2 of One Last Wish

“I don’t mind going with you.”Ugh!Why wouldn’t he give up already!?

“Yeah, I’ll let you know.” Rolling my eyes, I moved out of his view and picked up a small stack of books that were ready to be shelved.

Bookends was the most beautiful book shop, near the corner of Cherry Street in Manhattan, New York. It had been a church in a previous life, which gave the bookshop its magical appearance. There were three floors full of tall oak bookshelves. The grand, red carpeted staircase to the upper floor was something straight from a fantasy book. It was one of the reasons I’d suggested moving the entire fantasy genre up there. The stunning, spiral wood carvings up the staircase had the appearance of a twisted forest. It needed to be polished monthly, but it was a job that I enjoyed, to be honest. The carved balusters had a twisted leaf pattern, but the handrail was smooth. On the top floor, the staircase split in two, and the most beautiful stained glass skylight made the light stream in a prism of colours against the books and space below. I could never quite work out the picture, but to me it looked like a multicoloured sun with hundreds of beams exploding from it. There was a basement level that got pretty damp at times. Perks of opening a shop in an old church in New York, I guess. Travel and self help books were mostly kept down there, along with our break room. The ground floor was the largest space, with all its hidden corners and reading nooks behind the large, towering pillars. There was even a secret room behind one of the book shelves. We kept the rare and expensive books there, under lock and key.

When I first set foot in this place for my interview, it strangely felt like home. Malcolm offered me a job within minutes, and four years later, I was still here.

“Did you need a hand with those?” Theo asked as he peered around the corner of the shelf I was stacking on the ground floor, making me jump.I was going to punch him one day!I hated it when he stalked me like that.

“No, I’m good. Thanks, Theo. I kinda want to be left on my own.”

“Oh, okay. I wasn’t sure if you needed a hand?” He sounded so hopeful.

“Nope!” I replied, popping the ‘P.’ Finally, he got the message and left me alone.

I couldn’t understand what he saw in me. Or why countless men tried to hit on me, for that matter. I had the appearance of a dying woman. No, hear me out, I’mnotexaggerating. My skin was as white as ice, and not in a cuteSnow Whiteway. It appeared more greyish and unhealthy, like the skin tone you have when you’re ill. My skin was alwayscold,too! My father told me I’d had this weird virus as a kid and never fully recovered from it. My hair was silver—well,grey, but I like to say silver because it sounds better—and it had this amazing shine when the sun hit it. That was probably because of the virus, too. It had literally suckedallthe colour from me. My body was the best thing I had going for me. I was lean, but curvy in all the right places. It was probably the main reason I got attention from guys. My amber eyes may have been unique, but against my ice cold skin, yeah...I often looked like I'd just come out of the morgue.Why is this girl so hard on herself, I hear you all ask. Well, with a name likeAlora Windwood, are you surprised? Who even calls their kidAlorathese days?

I would never amount to anything. I’d probably be working at Bookends until the day I died. No one, except my father, had ever cared about me. Okay, guyslikedme, because I was different from most girls, but they only wanted one thing: my body. Once they got that, I became a fading memory. Not that I minded. When it came to sex, one night stands were perfect for me. It was even better if the guy didn’t talk much! A hookup down the back of an alley or in a public toilet worked pretty well. I never brought a guy home with me. I hated all that small chat in the morning. The fake promise of seeing each other again. Why couldn’t people be honest, and say,‘Yeah, thanks for the fuck. I don’t want to see you again. I’ll see you around!’Life would be so much easier if people were honest and true to themselves.

Every day at work, I saw people come into the bookshop, disappointment deep in their eyes. They hated their nine to five job, the daily grind, but did nothing to improve it. Sure, they’d buy a book to escape in for a short while, but that was it. My life was pretty pathetic, too, so I couldn't judge them. I was doing exactly the same thing.

I was existing,notliving, and fucking sick of it! I wondered what it would feel like to be erased from existence or fall into one of my fantasy books. No one would even notice that I’d gone anyway! Theo would find a new crush, one that he actually stood a chance with. Evelyn would easily find a new roommate. I’d fade from their memory within weeks, and finally be at peace.Anywherewas better than right here.

I always considered that I had disliked myself so much because I technically killed my mother in childbirth. My father had always scolded me when I spoke those words out loud. Apparently, she had loved me from the moment I kicked in her stomach. She’d held me for a few short moments before dying, telling my father that my name was Alora, and that I was a precious jewel that needed protecting at all costs.Me...a precious jewel. It was hilarious to even consider it. I don’t know why I spent so much time thinking about them both. Neither of them were coming back. They were both dead, and I wasalone.

“Alora, can you lock up tonight?” my boss, Malcolm, asked as he wandered out from his office. He was a middle-aged man with a gut and receding hairline. His office was behind one of the eight pillars on the ground floor. “Mary has called in sick.”Again?

“Yeah, sure.” It wasn’t like I had anything to go home for. Another few hours of work meant extra money to spend on alcohol at the weekend. “I don’t mind cashing up if you want to head off early?”

The room I rented at Evelyn’s apartment Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass in Brooklyn was the perfect set up for me with work. All I had to do was walk over the bridge. It was only a few blocks from there.

“Great. Thanks. You could be Assistant Manager by next year if you keep up the good work.” Oh, what a joyous thought! At least I’d be around books, though. I’d be able to lock myself in Malcolm’s office when he wasn’t in and read all day. “Theo! There is a customer waiting to pay!” Malcolm yelled in his direction, making Theo jump.Ugh!Why was he staring at meagain? I’d moved toward the back shelves now, putting the last few books on display. Would that boy ever stop stalking me? Maybe I should take a fucking picture of myself for him? It would last longer! I’d be flipping the bird in it! A startled Theo rushed over to serve the customer, embarrassed that he'd been caught staring at me again. “You really need to be straight with him, Alora.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve tried! He doesn’tlisten! I’ve friend zoned hima hundred times! Maybe you need to give him less shifts with me?”

“I do try, but he always manages to swap to your shifts again. I have no idea how he does it.” Wow! It was worse than I thought.

“The lovesick fool!” I sighed.

“I’m sure Theo would have left this jobyearsago if you weren’t here.” That Ididbelieve. “If he becomes too much, I don’t mind having a word with him.”

“No! I can fight my own battles!” My tone was a little harsh, but I didn’t need protection from anyone. Malcolm stepped back, a little offended.Shit!Why did I always lash out? I could have apologised, but that wasn’t my style. Instead, I carried on shelving the last few books in my hands as Malcolm walked away.

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IMANAGED TO LOCK UPa few minutes early. Theo helped me cash the till. He was useful for something. I ignored his ramblings about a cool bar downtown that I should try with Evelyn and him.

“Did you want to go for a drink?” he asked, watching me put the alarm code in. “I was thinking it would be a nice way to end the day. We only have to have one. It’s my treat, too!”

Rolling my eyes where he wouldn’t see, I replied. “No, I’m heading home.” I didn’t give him a chance to reply. Putting my headphones in my ears, I turned and walked away, happy that we lived in different directions. I’d have probably moved if Theo lived anywhere near me.

My walk home was always peaceful. The streets were crammed with people, but when I had my music on, it drowned out all the hustle and bustle. I had a love of classical music, thanks to my father. Tonight, I had an epic movie score and began visualising scenes from the latest fantasy book I was reading. A normal human girl had fallen into a magic realm and was the key to breaking a cruel prince's curse. The sex scenes in it were pretty decent, too. I was about half way through, but was too tired to continue reading it tonight.

Before I knew it, I was home. Evelyn had left me a note saying she was out with her college friends and to eat the leftover pizza in the fridge.She mothered me too much!

That didn’t stop me from scanning the fridge. It was a pepperoni pizza, my favourite. I couldn’t let that go to waste. Heating it in the microwave and grabbing a can of soda, I wandered into my bedroom.

My room wasn’t much; I was a minimalist kind of person. I had a double bed, side table with a lamp and a small wardrobe. That was it. The walls were all white, with no pictures. It was a calming space. Pulling my laptop out from under my bed, I put something on in the background while I ate my food.

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