Warning: Escaped Book

Late afternoon sun from the entrance created a corona effect around the big green hoodie of the tall dragon teen. A whiskered snout peered out from the hood. The bottom arms of the garment no longer hung loose. A fan tipped tail swayed at his right side. The front of his dirty sneakers came apart as he shuffled clawed feet over the carpet.

“Mom?”

Avelina ran into him with an embrace, “Jorseph! Thank goodness you’re okay. The way Grabby has been going on, I thought something terrible happened.”

“Well, it was an accident.”

Claws gripped Jorseph’s shoulders. Eyes became red as the veins popped out along her forehead, “What did you do.”

He looked away and spoke softly, “I might have broke Grabby’s toilet. It broke into pieces when I flushed it. Really, it did, I didn’t do it on purpose! And I was scared about it, so I ran out to get lunch at MukDrogan’s without telling him. But I did leave a note.”

She took a step back with all six of her arms tensed downward and all six of her fists clenched, “You broke his toilet? You broke his toilet!”

Grabby stood like a statue as sweat dripped down his upper lid. His eye tilted between Jorseph and Avelina as the sweat dripped into it.

Avelina tugged at her son’s left ear, “Young man, after we get you new shoes, you are so grounded. No computer, no phone, no game box, nothing. You’re going to do homework and read books all week,” She focused on Grabby as she continued to make Jorseph squirm by pulling his ear, “Show me the damages.”

Grabby stood straight and almost saluted, “Right this way!”

An area of sopping carpet extended from the bathroom door. Avelina grimaced as it squelched under foot. A pile of ceramic chunks surrounded the broken bowl. Murky water partially flooded the bathroom.

“This looks intentional,” Avelina said, “This looks very intentional.”

Jorseph pulled at his mother’s coat sleeves, “I swear it wasn’t. I wouldn’t want to damage the library ever. But things are just breaking here. The floor in the kitchen collapsed. And one of his closets is all broken apart. I swear I didn’t do anything. The building is just old.”

His ear tugged upward violently enough that he had to stand on his claws.

Grabby picked up a broken piece of ceramic, “Theses toilets aren’t that old! They certainly don’t break into a million pieces when you flush them. Your son deliberately damaged library property. I’m not watching him anymore.”

Avelina sniffed, “You won’t watch him anymore?”

Three hands raised. A palm landed atop Jorseph’s head, topped by another, and then another. Knees splashed into the puddle over the tile floor. Their heads thumped the wet tile as snouts curled inward.

“We’re so sorry for all the trouble we caused and will do everything in our power to make it right. Isn’t that right, Jorseph?”

“I’m very sorry for the damages to your bathroom. I swear I didn’t mean for it happen and I’ll do anything in my power to make it right.”

Grabby took a step back while rubbing the back of his eye, “I don’t think you can afford a new toilet.”

“You have my permission to make Jorseph work until the toilet is paid off.”

“I don’t need an employee! I’m not watching your son anymore. That’s final.”

Avelina started to cry.

The imp put his arms around his chest, “I said final!”

“I don’t want my son to lose access to the library. He needs to be exposed to real books. He needs to read more. All he does at home is play computer games. He’s been coming here for nine years. I’m begging you to reconsider.”

A longe silence followed. Finally, Grabby took a step forward.

“I’m sorry Avelina. I hate to do this because you’re my best customer. But I’m going to have to forbid Jorseph from coming to the library until further notice. I’ll talk to you about it later.”

She looked up tearfully, “I’ll pay to have this fixed!”

“No, no, that’s not enough. Please leave. I don’t want to see either of you.”

A firm hand pulled Jorseph up by the ear. The business skirt remained dry because Avelina had slid it above her knee. Water ran down her stockings. Jorseph’s shorts and the top of his hoodie darkened from the water.

“I see. Okay. I thought we were friends. Maybe you need to time to calm down. I’ll call you later. Come on Jorseph. You still need new sneakers.”

Avelina pulled her son by the wrist through the wet carpet and down the aisles stuffed with old books until they were back in the sun. The big metal door slid shut behind them. The grip on Jorseph’s wrist relaxed. They walked until they approached the station, then Avelina turned around and poked her son in the chest.

“What has come over you? Now you’re smashing toilets? Do you really hate books that badly? Do you want to stay at home playing video games all day? Is that what you want? You can’t spend a few days of your summer vacation in a library without causing trouble? Do you think this is going to get you back to your games sooner? Well mister, you won’t be playing league of dragons with any of your gaming friends any time this summer because I’m taking your computer and you’ll be lucky if I don’t throw it in the garbage! I’ll have you know that Mr. Grabberson has been a friend of this family since before I was even born. And we are not losing a family friend because you’ve decided to destroy his property.”

She hyperventilated, almost screeched so that it reminded Jorseph of Grabby if the imp could breathe fire. Jorseph clenched his maw. Telling her about the spell book and all the other things that even grabby left unsaid would probably just make the situation worse. A powerful blast of hot air escaped his nostrils as he looked away from her.

“Don’t you huff at me young man! Explain yourself!”

“I already told you what happened and you don’t believe me anyway. It’s not like it matters.”

“I saw the bathroom. Toilets don’t explode when you flush them. You’re a dragon, you have more than enough power to crush a toilet if you get angry. What made you so mad? what frustrated you?”

“I didn’t break the toilet!”

“Then what did?”

He couldn’t mention Lilly, she’d never understand, “I flushed it, and it fell apart.”

“You’re lying. Don’t think I don’t know when you’re lying. I’m your mother. I know.”

“I didn’t break the toilet!”

“Okay, you didn’t break it. What caused it to break then?”

Jorseph looked away, “It just fell apart.”

“It didn’t just fall apart!” she grabbed his wrist, “Come with me. We’re getting you new sneakers and a good moral education book. When we get home, you’re going to stay in your room and read it. And our toilet better not fall apart!”

“Yes, mam.”

-----

The door slammed. He leaned back and rubbed the sweat off his upper eyelid. A big sigh of relief escaped. Shaking legs calmed while he slouched. Thoughts swirled. With Jorseph out of the way and not coming back for at least a while, he could concentrate on getting the damages under control and retrieving his mop. That would be the big problem, but he had the spell book. He was the only one in the world who knew of the book and the mop’s previous connection.

But Darius was a much more serious threat. Confronting him directly would lead to complications whether he was with the Sealing Commission or a fraud. Grabby suspected the latter. A true inspector from the Sealing Commission, corrupt or not, could have never been that close to his spell book without sensing it.

The office chair rolled around after Grabby plopped himself down on it. It turned to the satchel. He swooped it up into his lap. If this book could be properly cured, he’d have no worries about recovering the mop.

The weight of the satchel felt a bit light as he rested it on his lap. It wasn’t latched as tightly as he left it either. A set of pops and clicks opened the satchel. The spine of a book stared back at him: A History Of The Five Hundred Year War Between Humans And Dragons.

“What!” Grabby screeched.

He pulled the book out and threw it against the wall. Plaster cracked. A blue square sticky note scribbled with scratchy handwriting fell out and curled atop his desk.

Grabby,

Lilly changed me back, so I let her go free. Don’t look for her. Don’t try to get her back. If you do, I’m going to tell mom everything. Then I’m going to talk to the police about what you’ve been up to. I’m sure some part of all this is a crime. I’m sorry we can’t be friends anymore.

The note tore up into hundreds of little pieces as Grabby ran sharp claws through it. He jumped on his desk and kicked as hard as he could. The pencil sharpener hit the wall. Papers flew like a tornado. A cup of pencils and pens clattered across the floor. The filing cabinet boomed a bass drum roll as tax books struck its metal frame.