Page 78 of The Library of Second Chances
He softly kissed her back, holding her close.
A swooshing sound outside made her jump, and the doors burst open. A silhouette of a man in a superhero suit stood in the doorway, his cape flowing behind him. He held a woman in his arms.
‘Gwen!’ Chloe said, half shocked, half annoyed. ‘You let him carry you here?’
‘He insisted.’ Gwen was blushing as the superhero gently set her down.
Chloe looked him over and groaned. ‘How many people saw you?’
‘It isn’t my fault,’ Gwen insisted. ‘I did as you said and told him that someone at the chapel needs his help. Right?’ she asked. The superhero, who had discarded his glasses and suit, stood with his fists on his hips, looking around in expectation.
‘What’s going on here? How can I help? Are there burglars here? Bad guys?’ He glanced around.
‘Not quite. There’s a cat, um, stuck on the roof.’
‘Clementine?’ asked Gwen, looking stricken.
‘A bit bigger than him.’ As though to prove her point, sharp thuds on the roof indicated the cat was still running around up there. ‘Could you get him down? He might fight back, but . . .’
‘Truth and justice.’ The superhero rose into the air, his cape flowing behind him. Despite expecting it, Chloe watched in awe. It wasn’t every day you saw someone flying. Outside the library, it looked even stranger.
‘Oh, well done, Gwen!’ Mrs Cook clapped her hands as the superhero floated above to the chapel roof. They all watched each other, listening as the cat screamed, then shot off some mischievous poems about tights and capes. The superhero said something, there was a terrific bang, and suddenly he was flying back down, the cat thrashing in his arms.
‘No chance, mate,’ Harry remarked as the superhero landed between them all. ‘He’s much stronger than you are.’
‘Eric, hold down this arm. Harry, you hold the other,’ said Chloe. ‘Um, sir, could you cover his mouth?’
The cat was making a racket, his screeches bouncing off the chapel grounds. It sounded like several cats were being terrorised.
‘I do not remember him being this bad in the book,’ Chloe grumbled as the three men wrestled him. As soon as they had him trapped, Chloe quickly recited the last character’s line in the book, as close as she could get to the cat’s pointed ear.
The cat faded and the superhero was suddenly standing alone, looking pleased with himself. ‘Another successful mission.’
‘Thank you for your help,’ said Chloe, grateful. Eric was already handing her the comic book. ‘It’s time to send you back, too.’
‘Even though those girls wereveryinterested in you,’ said Gwen slyly. She looked the superhero up and down. ‘Aw, do wehave to put him back right now? He could help us catch the others.’
Chloe gave her a pointed look. ‘We have to. I’m sorry,’ she added, looking at him. ‘You’re just too conspicuous. How many people saw you flying here? How are we going to explain that?’
‘Maybe they’ll think he was a bird or a plane,’ said Mrs Cook.
Chloe snorted. ‘Thank you for your help, but it’s time to get home.’ She found the final page of the comic. ‘Say goodbye, Gwen.’
Pouting, Gwen waved at the handsome superhero, who saluted back with a grin. Chloe read out the final page of the comic book and he disappeared into nothing, leaving them alone in the chapel grounds.
Chloe released a breath as the comic book’s glow faded. ‘Three down, two to go.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
THEY LEFT THEabandoned chapel grounds and took a breather, Chloe checking the skies in case any of the flying characters had made it out. They examined the books they still had left.
‘Where else is significant to you in this town, Chloe?’ Mrs Cook asked.
Chloe glanced around at them all. ‘Home,’ she said, counting them on her fingers. ‘After that, I don’t know. The supermarket?’ She met Harry’s eyes.The Italian restaurant where we told each other our secrets?
‘Maybe we should split up again,’ Eric suggested.
‘What if more characters have come out at the library?’ Gwen asked.
