like a whirlwind | open

[jacqueline]

Dust mites drifted through the air between shelves, settling themselves on any flat surface they could find. The wooden planks, the bindings of the books, the glossy oak tables... They floated unseen and unheard. The only things to give them away were the lights above the girl's head.

The library was a beautiful place, though underrated by the majority of college students unless they needed a book for an assignment. Long-paned windows stretched across the far wall, from which you could see a great portion of the grounds. And rows of shelves and tables consumed the rest of the area. As if a silencing charm had been placed on all of its inhabitants, a deathly quiet hung in the air, save for a few muffled whispers and the crinkle of turning paper. As for Jacqueline? Well, she loved just about everything about it. From the way it looked to the way it smelled (like book glue, paper, and wood finish) to the quiet and even to the way it made her feel. Really, at ease. It was like life was set in slow motion here. And no one could put her down in a silent library... It was, in all definitions of the word, safe.

Jacqueline had wandered in and placed all of her materials (none of which she really needed to read a book) at one of the many tables, and now she picked herself up to wander around the aisles. There weren't many students here, but it was early morning, which meant the rest of her peers were probably still asleep or were wandering into the Dining Hall to eat their breakfast. The best time to visit the library, she thought. When it was at its quietest, and there were less students around to snoop on what you happened to be reading. As it was, however, Jacqueline would not be reading any of her usual stuff. Today was dedicated purely to schoolwork, which was quite a lot less exciting. But, she was a procrastinator, and she needed to get this done sooner rather than later, otherwise it never would be.

Finding the necessary books to begin her work, Jacqueline stumbled back to her table and let her armload fall on top of it with a satisfied grin. She then pulled her chair out and plopped down, pulling her knees up to her chest and letting her heels hang off the seat. That was the thing about Jacqueline. She could never find it in herself to sit properly. But, it was a library. A comfortable place, so she might as well be comfortably positioned. Pulling her things closer and organizing them accordingly, she began her work with a deep sigh. Time to get busy.

[kate]

Katelynn De Ravin had woken up at the same time every morning and usually it was before her alarm clock sounded. It wasn't of her own free will, either. Instead, it was to the cries of her seven in a half month old daughter, Zoey. Her morning then proceeded as it usually did as she changed Zoey's diaper, fed her, changed her into some day clothes, and then got dressed herself as Zoey watched from the play pen she had put in her bedroom and would later move to any of the other rooms she would be in later on. She then would get their coats on, get Zoey in her car seat, and drive to the college. Every now and then, she would look in the review mirror to check to make sure that Zoey was doing alright. The problem with rear-facing car seats is that you can't see your child's face, but she was sure that her daughter was okay, because she was babbling. She smiled at the sound and then returned her attention to the task of driving safely.

When they finally arrived at the college, she parked near the entrance that led to the library, put the gear into park, and turned off the ignition. Removing her keys from the ignition, she got her backpack/diaper bag from the seat beside her, got out of the car, and opened the backseat door on her side of the car. After putting her backpack on her back, she got the car seat, closed the doors, and went into the college. While she did this, she looked down at her baby girl and smiled at her. As they grew closer to the library, Kate cooed to her daughter, "Now, Zoey has to keep her voice down just a bit while we're in the library. I won't be long in here, okay, baby girl?" After saying this, she entered the library and went over to a table near the back.

Once she reached it, she set Zoey and her car seat on the desk, sat down in the seat, and took her backpack off of her back. She took out the notebook she had been using the previous night to write an essay for one of the classes she took at the college as a part-time student and began to work on it. Every now and then, she would rock the car seat back and forth gently and hand Zoey a toy to play with before returning to her essay. She silently prayed that Zoey wouldn't cry out any time soon due to being hungry or needing her diaper changed. That had happened in the library before and the librarian hadn't taken kindly to the disturbance. Don't worry about it, she thought to herself as she went back to concentrating on her essay.