She’d read the book club novel and then immediately wished that she hadn’t because it had put the willies up her. She hadn’t actually had any nightmares, but it was definitely playing on her mind. It had been a story about people who were in a remote place being haunted in their dreams. It was too close a comparison to her own life for Maggie’s liking. Although her little farm wasn’t in the Arctic it felt almost as cold sometimes. At least the library was warm. She loved the heater that hit you with a blast of hot air as you walked in. Like a warm hug – or at least the closest Maggie got to one.

She was early and there was no sign of Tom. Christine was switching on the computers. ‘Morning, Maggie, how are you?’

‘Good thanks.’

‘All recovered from being attacked?’ She seemed to be scanning her.

‘Yes, thanks. It wasn’t that dramatic, Christine.’ Maggie claimed her place at the table.

‘You’re not the only one. There’s been a spate of attacks in the local area.’ Christine rushed over with a few-days-old local paper and shoved it under her nose. ‘See.’ She tapped the page.

Maggie read the article. It was fairly similar to what had happened to her but this poor woman had come off worse, having fallen and broken her hip, landing herself in hospital. She shuddered. ‘Doesn’t say anything about anyone else. Just this one incident,’ said Maggie, folding it up. ‘Not really a spate.’

‘Don’t forget yours. That makes it a crime wave. It’s rife!’ Her voice went up at the end.

‘Not exactly a rampant scourge though.’ Christine was prone to being overdramatic.

She enjoyed having the place to herself but it wasn’t good for the library; she knew that. Christine was always banging on about them drumming up more people. Use it or lose it was her favourite phrase. But Maggie liked the peacefulness. Which was odd because she wasn’t a fan of being alone at home. Maybe it was the happy memories she had of the library that kept her company. The times she’d gone there when she literally had nowhere else to go. Living in a hostel in her twenties had been her real low point. Despite all the people and noise in the hostel she’d never felt as alone as she had done at that point in her life.

She’d sought peace at the library, and it had given her exactly that along with multiple worlds to hide herself in. She could disappear into a book and be gone from the harsh reality of the real world for hours. That had saved her. Saved her from herself and most likely a much shorter life.