Can it be considered an apocalyptic society if you still have to work?

Lately, Agatha kept thinking about the lack of changes in the village. The Devil himself threatened to take the souls of the villagers, yet most insisted on denying the reality of the situation.  Six months passed since they accepted the deal and, during that time, several people met their deaths at hands of the demons.

What was she doing about it? Absolute nothing. She knew the fault was her own. Lorcan invited her to be part of the Protectors, to use her healing power on the people who need help but she said no. Her dislike for violence and her poor social skills caused her to consider the group of demon fighters a bad place to be. So, there she was, being a boring, normal librarian instead of enjoying the life that could end at any moment now.

Repetition can be good sometimes, as an autistic young woman Agatha found safety in routine. The familiar reduces the uncertainty and it was easier for her to avoid her anxiety when she knew what would happen. Still she could not appease the desire to be like the others and go out into the world.

"I should have a little bit of fun," complained Agatha while arranging the new romance books. It isn't like she disliked her job, she loved books and the opportunity to work with her best friend made it even better, but knowing that death is near changes everything. She couldn't stop doubting her choices, couldn't stop thinking she could have done better.

The silence inside the library only intensified her train of thought. Usually, Agatha remained in the reception area with her old friend, Demir, talking about anything and everything. But with that day's arrival of new books, she was forced to organize them.

"Need any help?" A familiar voice caught her attention.

Leaning against one of the shelves was Lorcan. He flashed her a smile as he tried to straighten his shoulder-length, light brown hair that had fallen victim to the last few winter winds.

He knew the library organization system and his height was a few centimeters above average, so she found no reason to deny the favor.

"Of course, my good Lord," answered the girl with a dramatic tone.

"The pleasure is mine, my Lady." Lorcan followed the game before taking one of the books in his hands. "You really need to stop questioning your entire life."

"You've been practicing your mind-reading skills." She faked surprise.

"You're not that hard to read, I don't need a mind-reading power to guess what you're thinking."

"Should I try new and exciting things? You know, make some interesting memories."  She couldn't meet Lorcan's hazel eyes, instead her gaze drifted to her friend's cheeks and focused on the small freckles.

"I already gave you my opinion. If you want to do something valuable then you should join us," Lorcan suggested again "We can help more people to survive, your healing power is perfect for that."

An uncomfortable silence followed the words of the young man. It was Agatha's signal that the conversation was over or at least it was the end of the topic.

She didn't have any particular problem with Lorcan. Quite the contrary, since Demir had introduced them four months prior, she had found him charming and sweet. But all of that would come to an end each time Lorcan mentioned the Protectors. The actual problem was Lorcan's persistence.

"No! That one belongs to the paranormal romance section." Agatha corrected her friend before he could place the book in the fantasy section.

"I thought the protagonist was some kind of fantastic creature."

"The protagonist is a werewolf, but there's no magic, no other creature and it's set in a normal town. If you take away the werewolf there's nothing out of the ordinary."

"I can always trust you when it comes to books."

"Only fictional books, I don't know much about encyclopedias."

"That's more of my area of expertise," commented Demir while approaching them.

He stood next to Agatha, the difference in height forcing the young woman to raise her head to see his face.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the reception?" She asked.

"Ms. White is taking over for a while."

"Wonderful! You can help us with the highest shelves."

"And if I don't want to do it? Can't you let your bestie rest for a minute?"

"I doubt she's asking," joked Lorcan.

Demir pretended to wipe away a tear. He looked at the books that were left in the cart and took one from the section that the young woman indicated.

"She has no mercy," he said to Lorcan. "Did your people hear about Mr. Peters and the crazy people from the church?"

"Unfortunately. They'll get hurt very soon if they don't stop. Can't believe that people consider they'll defeat the demons using holy water and prayers. The only thing they do is risk their lives and slow down our job." Anger contaminated the young man's voice.

The religious groups caused trouble from the beginning, facing the demons without knowing how to use their powers and interfering in the Protectors' actions.

"You're right, there's no way demons will be stopped with their stupid methods," confessed Demir as he brought his hand to his fade afro, fixing the hair as a habit "That doesn't mean I understand why you would join a group as the Protectors."

"Can't we forget about the Protectors for a minute?" Interrupted Agatha before her friend could answer, picking the skin of her thumbs with her nails. "I'll get back to the reception."

On Mondays, the traffic of people inside the library was lesser than on other days. Workers in charge of the reception spend most of the time reading their books, studying, or with their phones.

The three friends knew they would have time to catch up on the news or engross themselves in meaningless talks. That's exactly what they did until the front door opened and a young man they didn't recognize came inside.

The boys of the group ignored the newcomer but Agatha couldn't look away. The young man wasn't only attractive, he was captivating. Probably the most handsome man she had ever seen. How was it possible that she never met him before? Perfect black hair, mesmerizing green eyes, sharp cheekbones, killer smile. His muscled arms could be seen thanks to the short sleeve shirt he was wearing, both of them covered in tattoos.

Everything about him screamed trouble and that's exactly what Agatha needed to spice her bland life. She followed him with her eyes as he walked through the bookshelves.

"Hi, I'd like to take this book." Those simple words were enough for the young librarian to realize he also had a smooth voice.

Agatha made him a library card because that was his first time checking out a book and learned his name was Ellis. Her hands were shaking as she wrote, the feeling of his eyes locked on her face accelerated the beating of her heart.

She lifted her head with the intention of starting a conversation, yet the words she wanted to say ended up stuck inside her throat. None of the eloquent introductions came out of her mouth.

She finished her task in complete silence. Her thoughts were filled with regret while handing him the book.

"Thanks, doll, hope I see you around somewhere soon." Were Ellis' last words before winking in Agatha's direction and leaving the place.

The rest of the afternoon Agatha kept repeating the encounter with Ellis over and over in her head while she pretended to listen to her friends. After all, she was sure the conversation between those two revolved around their powers and how to use them.

Lorcan always insisted on putting his skill to help others and Demir preferred to use his power for his benefit. Luckily for the girl, Lorcan had to go back to the Protectors' headquarters for his turn on watch duty. After that, the environment became quieter.

When the time to close the library came, Agatha decided to stay a little more to revise the check-in list. Demir insisted on waiting for her, especially because the night was near and at that time demons tended to hunt villagers, but she convinced him to go back home and help his father.

Agatha ended up staying later than she expected in the beginning. The moment she left the library the clock marked 11:11 p.m, not a single soul seemed to be outside.

The walk to her apartment wasn't long, in normal circumstances, it would take fifteen minutes by foot. That night Agatha needed to be more careful, she was on constant alert, the simplest noise made her turn around afraid something could jump and attack her.

Only four blocks left, Agatha could feel the nervousness going away while she fastened her steps. The illumination provided by the street lights was enough to see where she was stepping, the rest of the environment belonged to the kingdom of darkness. A gust of wind hit her face, making her close her eyes for only one second.

The young woman thought that stopping for a moment wouldn't hurt her. She didn't count on the look that followed her. A shadow started chasing her, like a hunter it slithered towards its prey. A desperate cry exploited behind Agatha's figure, scared she turned her body agonizingly slowly. A tall and tenebrous silhouette stood in front of her.

In the next second, a strong force cornered against the floor.

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