Apology Accepted

I didn't even listen to her calling and went off to God knows where, but honestly, I didn't know my surroundings.

"Anon, come here please, come and help me out," Teresa called.

"Why the hell are you calling me, woman?!" I shouted.

"I need some help with my firewood in the forest," she said.

I stared at her silently, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Obviously, if not, what would you be?"

That made me furious. I felt an instinct to kill Teresa for that comment. "So, what you did in my house today was just a joke?"

I was far away from her, but I ran toward her, hoping to strangle her. In my mind, I had already strangled her to death.

"Do as much as lay a finger on me, and this time the villagers will not hesitate to kill you," she said with a smile that only annoyed me more.

"Grrr!" I was seething with anger, but I had no time for her. I was about to leave when she grabbed my hand, which angered me even more. But before I could react, she leaned in close and whispered, "I'm just pulling your legs. You should see your face in a mirror right now."

This woman had some nerve to make stupid jokes about me after what she put me through. I ignored her, freed myself from her grip, and resumed my search.

"Anon, what are you looking for?" Teresa asked.

"Like hell I'll tell you!!"

"On a sincere note, I'm sorry. And I don't just mean what happened now. I was just playing a friendly prank."

"Well, it might have worked better if we were... let me spell it out for you, F-R-I-E-N-D-S, FRIENDS!!"

"Ouch, we could be," she said.

"What makes you think I'd want to be friends with an old hag like you?"

"You're the one hurting feelings now, so are we even?" she asked.

"Even? Hahaha, you didn't just hurt my feelings, Teresa. You broke me, inside and out, literally," I said abruptly.

"Okay, I understand you're angry, but can you at least tell me where you're headed?"

"And why would I do that?"

"You don't know where you're going, do you?"

"I'd rather get lost than continue this conversation. Goodbye. Oh, and thanks."

"For what exactly?" Teresa asked.

"For not almost killing me this time."

"Hahaha, for someone mad at me, you sure can tell jokes. But seriously, where are you headed? I promise I won't do anything stupid. Besides, the villagers know you're innocent."

True, I didn't know where I was going, but I still couldn't tell her. "Well, good for you. Clap for yourself and go the other way. I'm off."

"I'm sorry, but if you say so. Bye!" she said.

Amelie and Jonah might come back soon, so I had to put our differences aside. Angel and Laura come first before our disagreement.

"Wait," I called out to her.

"Me?" she said.

"We're not friends, and this is a one-time thing," I stated.

"So, you don't want to get lost," she laughed.

"Forget it."

"Oh, sorry. Where do you want to go?" she asked.

"Hmmm, I want to go to the library."

"Who goes to the library these days?" she asked.

"Are you taking me or not?"

"Oh, sorry, it's just that people hardly go to the library. No hard feelings."

"I'm a reader. Is that so hard to understand?"

"Sorry, boy. Well, what book are you planning on reading?"

"That's none of your business."

"Fair enough. I'll still give you a tour on the way there."

"As long as I get there, I don't see a problem other than you."

We started walking, and along the way, she showed me her house first, then the town's famous baker shop. We kept going for a long time, and then we reached the town's elementary school. As we got closer, I saw a big building, which she called the town's library, still a little far off. She showed me the town hall, which was also big, and we passed by it until we reached the library.

"Okay, we're here. See? No mischief," Teresa said.

"Okay, thanks. I'll be fine from here."

"Let me take you in and—"

"Teresa, no. I said thanks. You can go," I replied.

She said her goodbyes, which I believed were fake, and she left. I paid no further attention to her and went inside. Wow, it was a big library, but not as big as the one at the Academy. There were different rows and columns of books, and I didn't even know where to start.

Wait, someone was waving at me. It was the girl at the counter. I walked over to her.

"How can I assist you, sir?" the librarian asked.

"Oh, I'm looking for a book."

"Oh, I thought you were looking for a plant or something else," she joked.

I didn't reply.

"Sorry, just a joke," she said.

"Everyone loves to joke around here," I muttered.

"So, what book are you looking for?" she asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. I think it's about magical locks with disappearing and appearing features."

"That's quite specific for something you're not sure about. Well, sorry, I don't know about that, but take that corner there, and you'll find books on magical topics," she pointed out.

"As you can see, the section has a sign above it to make navigation easier," she added.

"Magic," was written above the section she pointed to.

"Oh, I see it. But there are a lot of books. How will I find what I need quickly?"

"The only way is through the mini-catalogs there. They indicate the type of magical books, whether it's a fairytale book or not," she explained.

"Oh, okay, thanks. I'll check them out," I said.

"Don't forget to come and check out when you've found the right book unless you plan to read it here."

"Oh yes, I'm taking it with me."

I headed over to the section and saw many titles: Magic Tales, Magic Fairy Tales, Magic Powers, How to Do Magic—all fascinating, but not what I wanted.

Then I saw Magic Creatures and Magical Places. I knew I was getting closer. Finally, I found the section I was looking for: Magic Locks.

"Hmm, only five books in this section, unlike the others that have many. Well, the fewer, the better," I thought as I took them all.

I brought them to the counter to check out.

"Oh, you found them," the librarian said.

"Yeah, not exactly what I was looking for, but they'll do."

"Okay, can I see your library card?"

"My what?"

"Your library card. I'm sorry, but you can only check out books with one. You'll have to leave the books."

"Please, can't you just make an exception?"

"No, that's library policy. You can get a card, but it'll take some time."

"What kind of problem is this now? Sigh... I have a hard life. From almost being beaten to death to this."

"What do you mean by 'beaten almost to death'?"

"Don't you remember? You people almost killed me, thinking I was the one who kidnapped and killed the young ladies of this town."

"Wow, so you're the one. You've been through a lot. We're sorry about that incident."

"Apology not accepted."

"Hmmm, okay, you can take the books this time. But next time, you won't be allowed."

"SERIOUSLY?" I echoed joyfully.

"SHHHHH!!! This is a library!" an anonymous person yelled.

"Yes, take it as an apology from me," the librarian said.

"Okay, apology accepted."

I left in a hurry, but I realized I had another problem: "Perfect. I don't know my way back home, sighhh"