An excerpt from my recently published novel A Long Slow Aftermath,. Preston visits his favorite little library in the middle of the night and has an unexpected encounter.

This scene is the introduction of Miranda, a major supporting character in this work, as well as my latest publication The Rise and Fall of Skye Wright. Miranda is getting her own book later this year: Miranda Scholl – The Rise of a Devil Girl

     Preston sat up suddenly. He put a hand to his chest.
     Joey brought her head up. He squinted at his water bottle on his nightstand. Picking it up, he looked at the bottle and smelled it.
     It was not beer.
     Joey put her head back down and curled herself up tighter.
     He could not move the blanket without disturbing Joey. He tried adjusting his pillow, first scrunching it up and then laying it flat, but he could not angle his head in a way that would let him fall back asleep.
     He looked at the clock. It was almost three in the morning.
     Preston slowly struggled out from under the blanket, trying not to wake up Joey. He knew from experience that there was no point in trying to get back to sleep. He needed to get up and do something or he would just lie awake, getting frustrated.
     Joey lifted her head and put it back down as Preston slowly untangled himself. When Preston climbed out of the bed, Joey lifted her head again and wagged her tail.
     Joey stirred and jumped off of the bed as he grabbed a few already read paperbacks from the top of his bookcase to take to his favorite local little library.
     He grabbed her leash and collar and Joey walked over to him, her paws making faint clicking sounds on the hardwood floor.
     He opened and closed the door as quietly as he could. He did not want to wake up any neighbors. The moon was shining through a few streaks of clouds in the early morning night. The air was cool, but not biting enough to be cold.
     He cautiously walked down the street, keeping a tight enough rein on Joey. He was worried she would start barking if she saw a cat or a squirrel and wake up the neighborhood.
     He turned the corner and headed towards his favorite little library. It was one of the larger ones in the neighborhood and usually had a good stock of books. Whoever went to the trouble of putting it together gave it a slanted, shingled roof and good solid doors. It had three large shelves for books along with a small wire basket attached just underneath the structure for people to leave random items that were not books. Oftentimes there was something in it, things such as small toys, pens and pencils, bookmarks, and sometimes small pieces of wrapped candy.
     He was half a block away when he saw a tall woman was standing in front of the library. Preston had to narrow his eyes at the sight of someone browsing a little library at three in the morning.
     He slowed down as he approached. Getting closer, the woman suddenly turned her head and quickly stood up straight. Her eyes widened and she stumbled a bit, grabbing the edge of the library to steady herself, her very long ponytail wavering behind her.
     Preston’s eyes grew wide for a moment. The woman was quite tall, at least six feet tall.
     He held up the books in his hand, just as the woman reached around to the side of the little library and grabbed a long black cane.
     She propped herself up on her cane as he approached. She was wearing a Derby jacket, a tight black skirt, and Doc Marten boots. Preston could tell she was wearing a band shirt, but could not see which band it was.
    “Just dropping off,” said Preston.
    “Okay,” said the woman as she straightened herself up.
     Preston stopped just short of the library. “I didn’t think I would see anyone going through this at three in the morning.”
     The woman gripped her cane. Joey tugged on her leash as she poked her nose towards the woman.
     “I don’t suppose you’re into Miranda July?” asked Preston as he held up a book.
     “Well, she is my namesake.”
     “What?”
     “My name’s Miranda.”
     “Gotcha.”
     “And what are you doing here at three in the morning?” asked Miranda as she leaned on her cane.
     “I keep weird hours. I’m an insomniac.”
     Miranda nodded. “Sounds legit.”
     Preston placed a few paperbacks into the library. “I’m not on anything.”
     “What?”
     “I’m not up at three in the morning artificially,” said Preston. “Just so you know.”
     “Sure. Me neither.”
     Having gotten closer to Miranda, Preston noticed elaborate tattoos peeking out from under her coat cuffs, and peeking out from the neckline of her band shirt.
     He also noticed two red and scraggly scars that came up the right side of her neck and snaked along the underside of her jaw. He had not noticed them when he first saw her.
     “So would you like it?” asked Preston.
     Miranda’s eyes grew wide. “Like what?”
     He held up the Miranda July book. “Your namesake’s book.”
     “Yeah, sure.” She reached out and took the book. “I saw her play at Gilman Street, a long time ago.”
     “What? She’s a musician too?”
     “No. She put on a play there, a play she wrote.”
     “They put on a play at Gilman Street?”
     “A long time ago.”
     “That’s a trip.”
     As she held the book, Preston saw small tattoos going up and down her fingers and on the back of her hand. Some of them were homemade tattoos, the kind made with a needle and thread, and others were professional looking work.
     He felt a sudden tug on Joey’s leash. Joey jumped up on Miranda. Miranda stumbled back, catching herself with her cane as he pulled back on Joey’s leash.
     “Jesus!” exclaimed Preston. “I’m so sorry!”
     “Damn,” muttered Miranda as she righted herself.
     “I’m really sorry. You okay?”
     “Yeah, I’m fine.” Miranda looked in Preston’s direction. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
     “You think I’m cute?”
     “I was talking to the dog.”
     He looked down at Joey whose tail was wagging wildly as she twittered in place. He crouched down and got the still tail-wagging Joey to sit down. “I’m really sorry.”
     “Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault your dog is a spaz.”
     “She’s not my dog. I’m watching her for a friend.”
     “Okay.”
     He stood up and craned his neck to look inside the little library. “Anything good?”
     “Eh. Not really. Some Michener and some stupid road trip book.”
     He looked down at his hands. “Shit. I forgot to bring my Janet Frame book.”
     “Never heard of her.”
     “Edge of the Alphabet. It’s supposed to be a novel, but it reads like poetry.”
     “You like that? Poetry I mean?”
     “I really like her writing. Faces in the Water was the first thing I read of hers.”
     “Well fuck, if it’s so good why didn’t you bring the book?”
     “Because I forgot,” said Preston as he took his head out of the library. “I got too many holes in my brain.”
     “Sure. I probably have a few holes in my brain as well.” Miranda looked inside the little library again. “I’ve never read Janet Frame.”
     “You really should. If you like good writing.”
     She took a paperback out of the library and studied the cover. “I would be reading it if you had remembered to bring the book.”
     “You want me to go get it?”
     “No, that’s okay,” she sighed.
     “I just live a few blocks away.”
     Miranda put the paperback back inside the library. “Why don’t you give it to me tomorrow?”
     “Yeah, sure. I guess I could do that.”
     “Okay,” she said as she straightened up. “Meet me here.”
     He pointed at the little library. “You want to meet here?”
     “Yeah. Same time.”
     “At three in the morning?”
     Miranda tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. “You said you were an insomniac.”
     She turned and started to walk away.
     “Wait!” called out Preston.
     Miranda stopped. “What?”
     “You have to say goodbye to Joey.”
     “Your dog? I mean, your friend’s dog?”
     “She’s gonna get all sad if you don’t give her a pat on the head.”
     Miranda turned around and limped towards Joey. “Her? Someone named a girl dog Joey?”
     “My friend was thinking of Joey Ramone when he named her.”
     Joey wiggled her whole body and wagged her tail wildly as Miranda leaned down and petted her.
     “She really likes you,” said Preston.
     “Yeah, apparently!” said Miranda as she bobbed her head to avoid Joey’s flickering tongue.
     Miranda stood up. “I should get back home.”
     “Ain’t you worried about walkin’ around here at three in the morning?”
     She looked Preston right in the eye. “Aren’t you?”
     “Not so much since I’m a scrungy lookin’ guy. An’ I got this pit bull with me.”
     She looked down at the still tail-wagging Joey. “Yes, she looks really vicious,” said Miranda as she arched an eyebrow again.
     “Jus’ sayin’.”
     Miranda steadied herself. “No, I’m not worried about walking around here at this time of night.”
     “Okay.”
     Miranda turned and walked off.
     He turned to the little library as he watched her walk down the street from the corner of his eye.