Meet Jenna — a girl living in a small, slightly crooked house on a quiet street in Texas, one of the biggest states in the USA, and home to what was possibly the laziest teenager anyone had ever encountered.
Jenna had perfected the art of doing nothing. Sleeping was her strongest skill, procrastination her second, and avoiding responsibility her third. If laziness were an Olympic sport, she would have won gold without even showing up to practice.
That morning was no exception.
Sunlight slipped through the thin curtains of her bedroom, casting warm stripes across the messy floor. Clothes lay scattered like fallen soldiers from last night's battle with homework she never finished. Posters of old Netflix shows clung to the walls, peeling at the corners. An alarm clock buzzed angrily on the bedside table, but Jenna slept on, unmoved.
"Jenna, Jenna! Wake up!" came a sharp voice from outside the room. "It's already nine o'clock — you've missed your bus again! Hurry up and get to school!"
Bella's voice echoed through the small, sunlit house. It carried the familiar mix of exhaustion and authority that only a mother could master.
Jenna groaned and rolled onto her side, burying her face into the pillow.
"Just five more minutes, Mom… please," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. She pulled the blanket over her head as if it were armor protecting her from reality.
Bella pushed the door open. "Five more minutes?" she repeated, incredulous. "You said that twenty minutes ago."
Jenna didn't respond.
With a sigh that carried years of practice, Bella walked over and yanked the blanket away. "No more excuses," she said firmly, tossing a toothbrush onto the bed. "Here. Go take a shower and get ready. Now."
Jenna blinked against the sudden brightness. "You're cruel," she muttered, but she sat up anyway.
"You'll thank me when you graduate," Bella replied, already walking out of the room.
After a rushed shower and an even more rushed attempt at brushing her hair, Jenna stepped outside with her backpack slung loosely over one shoulder. She was supposed to head straight to school.
But she didn't.
The moment she stepped onto the porch, something made her pause.
The air felt… different.
It wasn't hot like usual Texas mornings. Instead, it was peacefully cold, the kind of chill that wrapped around your skin gently rather than biting it. The sky was a pale blue, cloudless and calm, and the world felt oddly quiet — like it was holding its breath.
Jenna inhaled deeply.
School suddenly felt unnecessary.
Her feet moved on their own, turning away from the familiar route to campus and toward the center of town. Toward the old public library — a place she had never willingly entered before.
The library stood between a bakery and a closed-down video rental store, its brick walls faded and worn. The sign above the door creaked slightly in the breeze. Jenna hesitated, then pushed the door open.
A small bell rang.
Inside, the smell of old paper and dust greeted her. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, illuminating rows of wooden shelves packed with books of every size and color. The place was quiet — not dead quiet, but peaceful, like a secret.
Jenna wandered down an aisle, scanning the titles.
"Forever Love…" she read aloud, pulling a book from the shelf and flipping it over. She snorted. "Seriously? Who even writes this kind of stuff?"
She shoved it back and grabbed another.
"Love in Paris. Boring."
Another.
"Hearts of Destiny. Boring, boring, and—" She stopped, rolling her eyes. "Oh, look. Another boring one."
"Excuse me, ma'am? Can I help you with something?"
Jenna nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, clutching her chest. "You scared me!"
Behind the counter stood a man who looked to be in his late thirties, wearing glasses and a neatly pressed sweater. He smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said gently.
Jenna exhaled. "It's fine. I just—" She gestured toward the shelves. "Every book here looks so dull. Just look at these titles! Can you show me something actually interesting? Otherwise, I'll just go back to Netflix."
The man studied her for a moment, as if measuring her words.
"Well," he said slowly, "that depends on what you call interesting."
"Something not about love," Jenna replied instantly. "And not boring."
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Alright," he said. "Let me see what I can find."
He disappeared behind a restricted section sign and approached an old cabinet tucked into the far corner of the library. Thick cobwebs clung to its sides. It looked like it hadn't been opened in years.
He brushed the dust away and unlocked it with a key from around his neck.
From inside, he pulled out a single book.
Its cover was faded, the edges worn and cracked. Symbols Jenna didn't recognize were faintly etched into the leather.
"Maybe you'll like this one," he said, handing it to her. "It's an old edition — about twenty years old, actually. Hardly anyone reads it now."
Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
The man shrugged. "Some stories choose their readers."
She laughed. "That's a weird thing to say."
"Is it?" he replied calmly. "If you don't like it, Netflix will still be there. At least until the new editions arrive."
Jenna turned the book over in her hands. Something about it felt… warm. Almost alive.
She read the title softly.
"Famoura Felòenz and the Town…" She frowned slightly. "Wow. Sounds interesting… and a little weird."
The man's smile faded into something unreadable. "Weird can be good."
"My phone's dead anyway," Jenna said, forcing a casual tone. "Guess this will do for now."
She carried the book to a reading table near the window and sat down. As she opened the first page, a faint breeze rustled through the room, though no windows were open.
The words shimmered briefly — just for a second — before settling into place.
Jenna blinked.
"Must be tired," she muttered.
She began to read.