“On Monday, she got the call that they were being shut down.” It felt as though the weight of the world had collapsed on Ava’s shoulders. The little shop down Applebrook avenue was a pillar at the base of her life, a haven of joy in which she could surround herself. It was an escape from the horrors which haunted her.

On Ava’s 15th birthday her parents and baby brother were involved in a fatal car crash, while she was still at school. With no warning, she had been moved into the care of Leo, her mom’s brother, without a moment to process this sudden change in her life. A muted funeral was held a few days later. The day was bright and sunny as if by means to mock her suffering, tears welled up, streaming down her face which looked as though it had been frozen in time. Leo with his kind demeanor had elected to take care of Ava during this time, he tried to provide support and comfort for her but was still primarily focused on his own children, neglecting to assist Ava in dealing with the trauma of losing her family so abruptly.

The pain that was felt everyday was unimaginable, the expectation of waking up in her own home made each morning a twisted nightmare. The thought of that dreadful day, a blight on Ava’s mind which tore at her with unyielding ferocity. She felt as though there was nothing she could do to relieve this unending pain. Each moment, a reflection of what she had lost.

The little bookstore with its quiet and compiled fantasies, was a way she found to escape, escape those horrid memories which plagued her. Every wall seemed to glow with an ethereal allure: stories were piled high, endless ideas and imaginations poured into pages which were then put on display.

Everyday after school Ava would head down to that little bookstore as a means of relief and recuperation, and now, “they were being shut down”.