# Excerpt from the Wisp*  In the late afternoon sun, Windfall Library threw an imposing shadow across the cobbles. Constructed more than a century ago, with its marble columns and stone lions, its Main Hall inspired awe. Two stucco wings built decades later weren’t as awe-inspiring. Stucco hadn’t aged nearly as well as stone. The wings hung off the middle like two unsightly love handles. These were the stacks. Inside they were dusty and at times smelled a little rank, but it was where Amy and Bara always studied. There they’d be left alone. The clock tower chimed as Bara climbed the stone steps. After taking a moment to hide the coffees, she pushed open the glass doors and passed through the entryway and under the portrait of Nelson Sedgewick. A Wall Street tycoon, Sedgewick had left his money to the library. His hair was on the brighter side of red, but he’d been attractive enough. There was a kind look in his warm brown eyes. He continued to watch over his beloved library even after death. Ms. Korey eyed Bara up as she walked by the checkout. Bara smiled back guiltily. It wasn’t just the coffee contraband. Ms. Korey made her nervous. Despite her petite frame, the librarian was as intimidating as a Rottweiler. Bara entered the west wing. She found a rickety old staircase and descended creaky metal rungs. Another reason she liked the stacks: they ran deep. Underneath the three above-ground floors were still another two levels—a cellar of knowledge and fantasy. She reached the lowest floor. Somewhere down here she and Amy would find each other. They hadn’t said exactly where they’d meet. They didn’t need to. Bara headed for the far west corner—their usual spot.  ***