The old bookstore at the end of the street had been closed for years...until today...📚📚📚

The old bookstore at the end of the street had been closed for year...until today...

When Amber opened the bookshop she was petrified by the quantity of old books to be sorted out, her grandfather had left everything as it once was, the wooden stairs leading to the mezzanine full of dust, bookcases overflowing with ancient copies, perhaps even valuable ones, if her mother had told her about that place before perhaps by selling them she would have made a nice nest egg instead of going hungry and sleeping in the car. His life had not taken a good path lately, alcohol addiction, rehabilitation, difficulties in finding a job and above all a house with the very expensive rents in Chicago and no reference. Maybe that library could be a new starting point, if nothing else it was a roof over your head. He decided to go out and use the little change he had to buy discounted cleaning products, the place definitely needed a good cleaning. It took him three whole days to clean everything and stack the books which he then decided he would arrange by genre, some were moldy and he had to throw them away but others had wonderful covers full of details, magnificent.

Amber had never been an avid reader, she didn't dare imagine that anyone in her family was, her mother had been anything but educated, and she had never met her grandfather, not even knowing she had one. When the notary managed to track her down to talk to her about an inheritance she had sincerely hoped for some sum of money and not in an old dusty bookcase, but she couldn't complain, there was a very comfortable old sofa that was certainly better than sleeping in the car.

The only thing that bothered her was the presence, in all the nights that she had slept on the sofa when she woke up she had found books moved or open on certain sentences, many of which were full of motivation, at night it seemed that someone or something was moving between the shelves.

Leaving her with a quote in the morning, Amber didn't believe in the paranormal but she didn't believe she was crazy either, since she no longer drank she was decidedly lucid and in herself. So one night she decided to see who was visiting her, an old loyal customer? A bum with a passion for reading? She curled up on the sofa and pretended to be asleep, then the noises began, first soft, like a rustling, then a little louder, with her deep sleep accustomed to the noises of the street such light noises could never have woken her up. He slowly opened one eye, then the other, no one seemed to be there, but then I noticed a movement in a corner of the bookcase, someone definitely alive was moving a book and leafing through it avidly! "Who are you intruder?" he shouted, the person came forward it was a young, gaunt boy. "Sorry" he said contritely "This is my refuge, I didn't want to disturb you".

She stared at him and explained calmly that the bookshop was now hers and that if he wanted to come in he had to ring and not come sneaking in at night. He lowered his head and told her that it was the only place he considered home, that he had observed her and she seemed sad, which is why he had chosen some quotes for her. "Do you want to read this chapter?" he asked. Amber sat next to the boy and listened to his calm, hypnotic voice reading delightful fairy tales, I rest my head on his shoulder. "We'll talk about it again tomorrow okay?" she said, he nodded and continued reading. That voice lulled her to sleep and she thought that perhaps in that place and with that stranger she could find peace.

Translation with deepl

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