Between the Bookshelves

“Well, I did some research on Mr. and Mrs. Russell, and they happen to work for a publishing company,” Vi started. “Hadley thinks the little stories I tell the kids could be a big hit if I keep working at it. He called me today because he knew I had some form of a manuscript,

“Hello, welcome to the West building. How may I help you.” A friendly woman asks looking at me.

It’s a warm Sunday afternoon at Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey and my bags are filled with clothes like I am filled with excitement. I close my eyes and imagine the coastal calmess of Barcelona, tounges releasing the Catalan language while I strolled in awe. Take a turn and suddenly it’s the bustling streets of Paris, Seine River bridges and towering landmarks all in the name of liberté, fraternité, et égalité.

“Excuse me?” She asks, and suddenly I remember my current guise. I am Paperman, and spiraling fast in on this victim that I shouldn’t be until I am someone else. I run a hand through my hair.

Reaching out slowly, she places one hand on the door handle, a million thoughts racing through her head, but with a look in her eyes that says only one thing.

She turns back to the door opens it and slides her body through the opening, she will be missed. The door closes, everything is silent

“Exhibit will have openings, I know the owner. Tell them Collin McGrady sent you.” She doesn’t realize Collin is standing behind her, until she hears his voice.

We’re adrift in a labyrinth of woven backstreets. A Stygian darkness settles over the pavement. Steam blows up from the gutter and soaks the world in a veil of white fog.

In order to find oneself it’s necessary to lose oneself. Being surrounded by nature can give a sense of being lost and there is comfort in that for me. Sometimes i begin to lose myself when I’m around other people too often or I get stuck in the daily grind of life. When the mind is jammed with information all the time it becomes difficult to remember what the end goal is, being alone allows me to bring everything back together. There are two types of feelings of being lost and they come from different locations, the ocean and the mountains. Being lost in the mountains gives the feeling of vastness and the realization that people are so small compared to the rest of the world. There are points when I’m out hiking I decide to sit down, take

Taking a chance he opens the door, peaking out to plan the quickest route to the door. There’s no one about, meaning his mother had hopefully fled the scene. Quickly he does the same, slipping through the small gap he’s created and rushing across the small flat towards the door, opening it and closing it quietly behind him.

“tiptoes to the door and opens it, walks out. Curtains close behind her and spotlight shines on her.

“Hi. I’m Jen and I’m the librarian.” She paused and nervously pushed up one of her shirt sleeves revealing the tattoo sleeve hidden underneath it. She quickly pushed her sleeve back down and continued, “I’m going to talk about legal research and the role of

“Well, you better figure it out because she’s in town. I told her that you would meet her at the hotel she’s staying at.”

It is now the fall of my second year in Paris. I was sent here for a reason I have not yet been able to fathom.

It’s 7:30am, I step outside onto my apartment balcony. Cars are zooming down the over crowded streets, staunch buildings towering over me blocking the greeny lush hills far away. People rapidly walking down the sidewalk. In front of my eyes are shimmery silver and navy colours reflecting from the sky high buildings, they stand out more than the joyous light blue sky itself. Sounding in my ears are cars angrily roaring every 5 seconds, people barking at taxis to stop, an earth shaking sound that’s mixed with sound of a hurricane that’s just the aeroplane taking off from the city airport. The mouth watering smell of the local bakery down the road lingers through my nose, I can taste those freshly baked scones in my mouth from here.