A Calendar of Tales: July

Way back in 2013, I was inspired by Neil Gaiman's A Calendar of Tales to write my own tales using the same inspirational quotes. I did not read his stories before I wrote mine, but I did read them after, and they are all awesome.

 “What is the most unusual thing you have ever seen in July?”

“…an igloo made of books.”

“It's too cold in here, can you please turn down the air conditioning?” Aurora held onto the edge of the counter and on her tippy-toes she was able to see the top.

“No. And shhhh. You're in a library.” The reference librarian was a skinny old lady who had one of those weird voices that was both low and high pitched at the same time. “Don't you belong in the children's section?”

“I read all those books already,” Aurora said. “And I like how it smells better in here.”

The reference librarian frowned at her. “Where's your mother?”

“She's dead,” Aurora said.

The reference librarian frowned even more deeply. “And your father?”

“Is across the lobby at City Hall. I'm not allowed in there anymore.”

The librarian looked a little frightened. “Why not?”

“I don't know. My daddy says it's because I'm too cheerful.” She giggled. “Can you believe it?”

“Yes.” The librarian's whole face was a frown, now. “That, at least, I'll believe. I'll need you to go to the children's section now.”

“Why?”

“Because this area is meant for quiet studiers, not cheerful...little girls.”

Aurora nodded. “That makes sense. But can you turn down the air conditioning? It's too cold.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

Aurora fumed. Her face darkened. “That's not an answer,” she said. “That's not even an excuse!”

“If you don't go to the children's section right now, I will tell your father how you've been misbehaving.”

“I haven't been misbehaving.”

“You've been lying to me.”

“I have not.”

“You told me you've read all the books in the children's section.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “I wasn't lying, I was exaggerating. I've read MOST of the books in the children's section. And some in the young adult, but I have to have my daddy here for that. He likes to make sure they're age appropriate. Anyway, I'll go back there, I just want to know why you won't turn down the air conditioning.”

“That's enough. I'll call building security to remove you if you don't go now.”

“Is that really easier than answering my question?”

The librarian reached for the phone.

Aurora gave her a dark look and ran down the stairs to the children's section. There was nobody else down here. No one to talk to. There were a few books she wouldn't mind reading, if she felt like reading at all, which she didn't. She wished Daddy would have let her go to the water spray park down the block, but he said he wanted her out of the sun on such a hot day.

It wasn't a hot day down here in the children's section. It was a cold day. A snow day. Aurora tried to make a visible breath, but couldn't see it. It was too bad she didn't have a blanket, maybe she could have made a tunnel between two of the huge bookcases. She didn't think she could roof it over with books.

She went out on the big carpeted circle area. There were two child-sized soft chairs there. Aurora pushed them around until they were back to back, with a gap between them. She hunted for just the right book, a hardcover with big, wide pages, but not too thick. She found it; it was a book full of maps.

She put the perfect book on the chairs as a bridge and crawled into her impromptu fort. It was all right, but very simple. She thought about how she could improve it.

Jack went down the stairs to the children's section of the library. He was hoping (but not seriously expecting) to find Aurora curled up peacefully reading.

What he found instead was even more amazing. It could only be described as an igloo made of books. The shelves nearby were quite bare. Jack made a soft sound of appreciation and Aurora stuck her head out the entrance. “Daddy!” she squealed and ran to his arms. He swooped her up and twirled her.

“Hey, Baby,” he said, giving her a tight squeeze.

“Look what I made, Daddy!”

“You made that all by yourself?”

“Yep!”

“It's amazing. Here.” He put her down and brought out his phone and took a picture of it. “Now it's saved forever.”

“Hooray!”

Jack crouched down in front of her. “Now...Rora. When you built this, did you think at all about who would put all those the books back on the shelves?”

Aurora's face fell. She looked back at the igloo, then put her face in her father's chest. “Oh, no,” she said. Her eyes filled up with tears.

“No, no, it's all right,” he said. “Let's you and me put them back, all right?”

“But I don't remember where they all go!”

“That's okay. I'll show you how to know where they go, all right?”

Aurora sniffed. “All right.”