Charlotte

  Peace. Love. When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. It is impossible for love to blossom in a world where power shapes love.

  Those were Charlotte's words to live by each day. Finding her purpose, finding her own love and peace – and that was what she intended to do while she lived and breathed. The streets of the ancient town were congested as usual when a young redhead strolled through them while the sun rose in the sky. Whispers and yells could be heard as the woman forced her way through the crowds, struggling to avoid the enormous brutes who stared at her hungrily and menacingly. She gripped her basket tightly, her knuckles became white. The last thing she wanted to do was fight them just to get through.

  Charlotte wasn't a fighter by any means, but she also didn't want to draw too much attention to herself because she was so small and frail, so she went as swiftly as she could towards a specific business. Her favorite was the one where all the books were displayed from top to bottom and various languages were spoken among the stacks. Charlotte enjoyed reading, especially when the weather was lovely and the sunlight made everything appear as vivid as it did in her mind. As a result, she visited there at least once a week, if not more.

  When the door opened with a 'click' sound to admit Charlotte in, all the shelves that lined the walls were filled with thick leather-bound volumes that appeared to be highly used. The perfume of herbal tea mixed with dust permeated the room. Mrs. Mooseberry, I believe. Mrs. Mooseberry, she remembered, liked to get up early and set up her shop with her favorite tea. Mrs. Mooseberry was such an easy person to chat to that it was sometimes delightful to have her company.

  Mrs. Mooseberry has only been Charlotte's friend for a few years. Although it had only been two months since their initial meeting, it felt like an eternity. Even though Mrs. Mooseberry hadn't done anything for her yet, she couldn't believe how nice she was to her. Whatever Mrs. Mooseberry did to her, the redhead would always repay her kindness. In her own manner, as well as Mrs. Mooseberry's. They'd become good friends over time, and after sharing some tea, Charlotte felt like they were family.

  Mrs. Mooseberry's face brightened up with pleasure the instant she saw the familiar young woman, "Charlotte, sweetheart! It's great to see you again! Come on in, I've just acquired a couple new compilations of your favorite novels." Mrs. Mooseberry warmly beckoned her into her business.

  Mrs. Mooseberry led Charlotte to her desk in the corner, where her regular assortment of books was carefully arranged. Charlotte sat in the pleasant wooden chair beside the desk and gazed around while Mrs. Mooseberry gathered the various texts. At the same moment, a pair of women gazed at the strange young redhead as they walked past the shop, giggling to themselves as they murmured to one another. She was well aware of what they thought of her, but it didn't upset her too much. It never happened, and she was used to it.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  She continued to stare out the window at the hustle and bustle in the street while listening to the old woman bustling about as she organized the collection of new books. A small smile appeared on her face as she watched the people walking past, some of which were familiar faces. There was Mr. Hester who owned the local butcher, his wife who made the most delicious pies and tarts, a man whom she did not recognize. Finally, the man who took many attempts to flirt with her who had failed to win her heart – Frederick.

  He tried everything he could to impress her, but no matter what he said, Charlotte was immune to him. She wondered if the other women felt the same way about the men who were following them. She reasoned that it was unlikely. Not that she really cared. Charlotte was well aware that none of them would ever be adequate for her. But what bothered her? Nothing could ever change the fact that no one had ever actually been good enough. That was something she could accept. She wasn't seeking for someone; she simply liked being among others. That was it. Nobody could ever persuade her otherwise.

  Charlotte would be alone for the rest of her life. And it was ideal for her.

  Mrs. Mooseberry suddenly stopped and turned towards her, "What are you thinking, dear? You look so far away today! What ails you?"

  The redhead looked at the older woman and gave her a reassuring smile, "Nothing at all, Mrs. Mooseberry. Just reminiscing."

  She smiled back at the younger girl and gently laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It is always nice to reminisce, dear. Let us return to our book browsing! Shall we?" She asked enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling brightly. Charlotte nodded and followed behind Mrs. Mooseberry, allowing herself to get caught up in her stories again.

  The rest of the morning passed fairly quickly, and the redhead found herself enjoying a leisurely afternoon in the bookstore while browsing through the new book she bought earlier. Eventually, she had other errands to deal with, and after bidding Mrs. Mooseberry goodbye, she exited the store and onto the next one where Frederick run into her out of the blue. Ugh, that man couldn't take no for an answer at all. He was persistent, however, and kept chasing after her throughout the day. By the end of the week, Charlotte decided that she was going to give him a piece of her mind once she saw him.

  After all, the man was rude, arrogant, conceited, and downright annoying. Charlotte had never met anyone so frustrating in her life. It almost drove her insane whenever she was around him. She knew he was the type who wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. She just hoped she could get away from him soon, or else things may go south really fast. The man was like a dog, she thought. One bite, one kick, one tug on that leash, and everything goes downhill.

  But alas, it seemed that that was the exact thing Charlotte needed to do because the man never failed to find her despite how much she evaded him. In the middle of lunch at one of the local cafés, she spotted Frederick waving wildly in her direction, a wide grin stretching across his face as he called her name out loud.