Annihilation by Odessa McNiel (red white royal blue txt) 📖

office, surrounded by the familiar, musty book smell and the soft, jazzy ambiance that she had come to adore.

She turned her attention to the boxes that were stacked up next to her desk. They were books that she’d brought out from the back of the store yesterday. It was time to restock the shelves, she’d decided, unfortunately. She’d been working on the project off and on since yesterday but had eventually tired of it after three continuous hours of alphabetizing and rearranging the shelves.

Melanie grabbed a few books at random from one of the boxes, read the name of the author and the title of the first one- “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Bessie Smith, and proceeded to the shelves of classics along the left wall. She shoved the thick book between the other abundant Smiths. She was glad that she had the forethought of pricing all of the books in storage ahead of time so that the only thing she had to do was shelf them. She couldn’t even imagine how crazy she’d go if she had to figure out a price for the hundreds of books she’d shelved already.

As she started in on the second book’s title, she heard a heavy thud sound from one of the aisles. Melanie immediately remembered the man she’d let in a few minutes before and set down the books in her hands. She looked down the aisles in search of the man, just to make sure he was okay. The aisles were empty except for a single book lying on the floor by the nonfiction titles. It was balanced between the two covers with its spine sticking up, its pages facedown on the floor and slightly crinkled.

She scoffed at the man’s lacking ability to pick up after himself as she grabbed the book. Melanie didn’t recognize the title when she scanned for the author’s name but reshelved it anyways. She did, however, notice a small package on the floor. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was an envelope addressed to her. There was no return address, but the old fashioned, red wax seal on the back made her stomach flip end over end. She would know the symbol anywhere, and it frightened her.

Melanie lifted the wax from the envelope and opened it. Inside, there was a note. She read it:

 

Melanie-

I know it’s sudden, but I had to contact you. I also know that seeing the seal will probably terrify you, as well it should. They’re coming for you, Mel. The Association knows. If they find you, they WILL kill you. However, there is a way we can help. Meet us at the train station at midnight tonight, and burn this.

 

The note wasn’t signed, but there was only person who’d address her as Mel instead of her full name. She still couldn’t believe it had been five years.

Imprint

Publication Date: 07-30-2014

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