The Springfield Historical Society had banned the wrong girl. 

 

Lisa picked two books up out of the return slot and scanned their spines -  Springfield's Public Library still worked through the Dewey Decimal System, which she had memorized by heart back in the first grade.  She easily figured out which section they resided in, then slid them onto a half-full pushcart.  She could easily shove it between the rows of shelving and re-stock them

 

She was happy to still be a servant of the library system - her college classes allowed plenty of time for volunteerism.  Even if the SHS wouldn't take her back...

 

"Would you mind re-shelving the fiction section, Lisa?" Missus Verbena, the on-duty librarian of the hour, instructed her charge.

 

"YA or Adult?"

 

"Adult."

 

"Okay!"  Lisa pulled back on the cart, the melody of rusty wheels turning in their stirrups and books banging against metal a symphony to her mind.  The tiled floors scuffed back against the wheels as she pushed it away from the front desk and down the darkened adult fiction section.

 

Lisa reached with all of her might to place each book in its proper place -at 5'5", she wasn't exactly the tallest person on-shift.  She couldn't quite reach the top shelves, and decided to use a stepladder to climb up to the proper level.   In a moment of contemplation, she realized that she wasn't sorry for what she had done to expose Jebediah Springfield's wrongdoing - her volunteer job at the library was richly rewarding and made her feel acknowledged. 

 

She emptied the cart twice more before, her task completed, she selected the latest Saul Bellows and sat down to read at a shadowed table near the back of the reading room.

 

An hour later, she came back to the front desk.  "Is the key for the lady's room still out?"

 

"Been out for three months now," Missus Verbena shook her head.  "I don't think anyone's in there, but you'd better knock first."

 

Lisa glowered.  Stupid lack of federal funding!  She headed out of the main part of the building and down the hall where the restrooms were, vowing to go back and ask for the men's room key if things got too desperate.

 

"Hello?" she called.  "Is anyone in there?"   Silence.  "I'm coming in..."

 

She pulled on the handle.  It wouldn't give. 

 

Grunting, Lisa planted her foot against the doorjamb, pulling on the knob with every ounce of strength she had.  At last, the door gave way, with such force that Lisa fell back.

 

Looking into the small bathroom, Lisa was stunned to see a teenaged girl on the floor, panting as heavily as she was, her hands raw from holding the door in place.

 

"I'm sorry.  I did knock as hard as I was able to..."

 

But the young woman bolted to her feet, grabbing a ratty duffel bag and running down the corridor, toward the library's main exit.

 

A stunned Lisa tried to gather her wits - the blind hallway was deserted of everything but pamphlet stands and community calk boards.  She looked again, into the abandoned bathroom stall, and saw used cellophane wrappers.  A hair brush had been left behind, and a pile of used clothing.  It was horrifyingly apparent that the girl had been spending her nights and days in a room barely large enough for a box of crackers.

 

In a second, Lisa was on her feet.  "WAIT!" she cried, barreling through the front doors and squinting into the blinding, white sunlight.

 

The streets of Springfield thrived with life, but no sign remained of the young woman.

TBC