Abandoned Library

Eva put down the book. She smoothed back the wisps of hair that had escaped her braid and listened. Counting to sixty as she always did in these moments of uncertainty she controlled her breathing and focussed on sounds.

Nothing.

Well nothing untoward at any rate. Looking out the skylight she realised she only had a little longer left in which to read. Turning away from the yellow tinged outside world she plunged back into the world of Narnia.

It had been years since she'd enjoyed this book, her mother had read it to her when she was ten. It was perhaps the last thing they had read together. Now, four years later it felt like a warm blanket wrapping around her in the midst of chaos. Though to be honest most of the chaos was over. Now it was just survival. Scavenge what you could, grow what you can, build what you need.

Most people were wiped out by the war. Not a war that came from the skies. Eva thought that might have been preferable. This war came from the labs. Those messed up minds that believed genetic engineering held the key to the survival of the species.

Eva's laugh was bitter when she thought about it. Which wasn't often because what was the point? Thinking about it and any wishful direction thoughts could go in was a waste of time. Then so was reading according to Remus. Eva didn't care though. Reading helped keep her level and she really needed to keep things level.

Her mother had taught her that reading was a way to learn, to grow and to escape and right now, at this strange and shifting moment in time Eva wasn't sure what was needed more; learning or escape. Today though she picked escape. Admittedly that was mostly due to happenstance.

This decayed library was her heaven, or as close as she believed it was possible to come, and though she had been thinking more towards the learning side of things when she came today, finding The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, seemed to be a sign. So she had settled in and journeyed with Lucy to meet Mr Tumnus as if it were the first time.

As the light started to fade, Eva considered taking the book with her, then quickly discarded the idea. Remus tolerated her exploring and doing this because of her eidetic memory, he needed something done she could read about it and do it.

Remus also didn't bully her, he may have been bigger, older and more able to hold their ragtag group together but also wasn't stupid, he knew what value Eva had. More Eva was beginning to understand just how much value she had. Standing and stretching she thought back over her new life.

At eleven Remus had found her tinkering in what had been her neighbours workshop. She was fixing a classic VW van. Old Ben had done most of the work before civilisation died, but Eva was the one who got it going. Remus didn't know how back then, and he didn't care, to be honest she hadn't known either, only knowing that what she did made sense in some way. He also wasn't heartless enough to leave a young girl to continue fending for herself.

Turned out to be the best decision he ever made, or at least that's what he'd said when Eva fixed the clasp on the chain he always wore. She knew the heart pendant that lived on the chain had once belonged to his wife, something he had only mentioned once. Intricate metal work wasn't the only thing Eva was good at, her ability with tools, and mechanics had gotten them out of several sticky situations over the years. In all their travels prior to settling where they had, they never met another who had her particular skills.

Of course they called them skills because what was the point in calling them mutations when everyone who survived was a mutant. And just like the comic books not all mutants were good.

Eva heard a noise again and waited. Her new telescoping baton, that she'd only finished making yesterday, buzzed with its electric charge. No-one was going to take this place away from her. When she was certain she was still alone she briefly ran her finger down the spine of the book. She would come back, she loved this abandoned library.