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Nobody is here

But he was here Houston was here The book he pulled is Grimm’s Fairytales It’s one of the older copies froh a few of the pages, noting the violent illustrations; the bleak look for every story--the way these fairytales were intended Then, a spark of color in the middle catcheson it, taped to the opening page of Rapunzel

This is the only one I know of that has a tower I’ht, but you tell a better story than I do anyhow Rapunzel…or let’s call her Princess P…is locked away in her toaiting for her prince to save her

Tired of waiting, she learns to fight on her own

When the evil witch coht, the princess has become so ripped she throws the witch out theThe witch lands on the prince, who is really too late in co him as such a failure has co worked out so hard--and taken so rowth horh her --Princess P finds her hair has non long enough to reach the ground outside herShe conveniently finds scissors in her tower room, cuts her hair, and braids it into a kick-ass ladder, upon which she cli on the bodies of the witch and the failed prince as she passes

The end

Yeah, I’ like the version you told But the point is Iloved on Valentine’s Day; so consider thisyou still And if this isn’t who I think it is, the person I’ve seen here, by the , every night this week, then feel free to pretend this wasyou it’s not

Sincerely,

The failed prince

I’ Out loud There’s no one near h, and maybe cry a little I peel the sticky notes fro with es of the book and chuckle at the real, very sad ending of Rapunzel, which results in basically everyone’s death, then put the book on the return cart parked nearby along the wall

Knowing there is no longer a reason forand leave the library, my heart pulled in two directions--between selfish and selfless For the first ti I can talk to Rowe about, and I really think she et back to our room, everyone is inside, so I look at my phone to check the tioing out until late But I alad Rowe is here now Maybe she’ll have some time to talk

I walk in behind her, ready to tap her shoulder, but glance at our small television, which see on?" I ask, letting my hand fall to ht in a shocked-type of smile

"They just arrested Martin Campbell," she says My face mimics the look of surprise ontome inside that this news…it’s bad news for Leah and Houston

"Why?" I ask, turningto read the infor the botto about paying off cops, hiding a ho the last feords spoken before the story flips to so else--a fire at a warehouse in Oklahohter," Rowe says after, her voice lost in a trance for ato look at her

She shakes her head after a second, like she’s co in her past, and I realize she probably doesn’t watch the news a lot, not since there was a shooting at her school

"It was a vehicle accident, a fa under the influence They killed someone They said the case is maybe four years old He covered it up," she says, her face showing genuine reone

"Fuck, I bet it was Chandra," Ty says, his remark so nonchalant

It’s like that rains and all of a sudden a picture reveals itself Everyone else has o for dinner, before the bar The television remote is tossed on Rowe’s bed after so Ty said And I’m on the outside, still stuck in the time bomb that just went off