12 - The one-bedroom library.
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In a spare bedroom of old Hat's unit, we have this
sort of "community library" if you can call it
that. Last winter we hauled a bunch of
bookshelves up there and a big old desk, and a
bunch of us added some books and CDs and stuff
like that, and this great old lamp. We have a
one-at-a-time rule nowadays to keep things safe,
but I still manage to get in there most days for a
bit, when I feel like it. And there is a computer
with a keyboard in there also, with some kind of
radio set attached to it, slow as a snail but
stable enough for sending messages and whatever.
I have been typing up some of these journal posts
from there lately. It's either that or hike up to
the clearing at the top of the hill where the ogre
lives, just to pick up a bit of signal from the
cell tower across the way.
And so I was bummed to hear about what happened to
that place the other day. I thought we had kept
our little reading room pretty secret, but
according to Hat, a couple of centaurs, females
this time, forced their way in her door to get up
there. And they took most of the best bits - the
novels, most of the music discs, the computer, and
mostly trashed the shelves and desk just to be
mean. But they did leave the radio set, so maybe
Hat can at least get that link going if we can
find her some parts. Until they come over and
wreck it all again, I guess.
I wish the centaurs would just leave us
alone. We're just trying to save a bit of our old
things and ways, and it's of no bother to
them. They're always knocking us around and
leaning into us even though they got it really
good by now - they took over all the best houses
up on the ridge, we and we hear them up there
partying every night. They got everything they
need and supply chains and all that, but they
still got to come over and shake us down for $20
and a few old novels. I get tired of it.
