Mid-Week Flash Challenge - Week 293

This week's prompt is a photograph taken in the “Livraria Lello & Irmão”, better known as Livraria Lello (Lello Bookstore), located in a beautiful neo-gothic building in the historic center of Porto, Portugal. Opened in 1906, it is one of the oldest Portuguese bookstores and has an invaluable historical and artistic value. 1995, the bookstore was restored and modernized, also creating an art gallery space. In 2013, it became a National Heritage Site, classified as a Monument of Public Interest.

This particular photo is apparently by Reinhard Görner, a German photographer. Prints are being sold for upwards of 6K which is a bit of a shock, seeing as you could visit this place and take your own picture - granted there might be people in it, but still, to be this is an indication of something wrong with a society that will pay that much for a single photo.  

As I prepare for the next Tricky Tales book, the third in this trilogy, but not the only series of Tricky books I think as more ideas manifest. The last time I visited Tricky was Week 289. 

The General Guidelines can be found here.

How to create a clickable link in Blogger comments can be found on lasts week's post here. 

There is also a Facebook group for Mid-Week Flash, if you fancy getting the prompt there.



Chestwick

Tricky was familiarwith Chestwick; she’d spent time here off and on over the years. On the wholeshe wasn’t a city lover, but when she walked into the book emporium sherealised the value of having access to such a place. If she could come hereevery day and browse she’d love it.

This place was new to her; they had takenyears to refurbish the old building that housed it. Both craftsmen and partswere in short supply so it was indeed a wonder to behold as you walked throughthe doors and came face-to-face with such an amazing staircase and ceiling. Thegrandeur and elegance was breath taking.

She took a moment to take in the beauty andadmire the detailed workmanship. It showed trained skills were returning to theworld, and that was something to be excited about. And then the books; therewere rows and rows of them.

Tricky had been lucky enough to grow upwith an extensive library at her fingertips; her parents had gathered manybooks, some literally when finding old ruined properties and combing throughthe remains. It had paid off and given her knowledge about a lot of things.Both her parents had been avid writers too, making sure everything was recorded.

Tricky might not have access to those booksanymore, or have them in her possession, but she had an idea where they’d endedup and planned on gathering them again. She had at least salvaged the handwritten tombs her parents had written. She had them neatly tucked away in oneof her many time pockets. They were safer there than in any building.

This building was protected by the city andthe laws that had been created by The Baron and his community to serve thepeople. And these books were for all to enjoy. But if things went dark againwho knew what might happen to them.

Tricky ran her fingers over the covers,using her energy to pick up their contents as she searched through. Were thereother books that had belonged to her family here? She hoped so. She hoped thatwhen her parents house had been scattered among the cockroaches that broughtabout its downfall some of them might have travelled here. Afterall, they hadmanaged to rid themselves of a few of those people now, and the network wasgetting smaller.

One book made her stall, and she paused tolook at its spine. Yes, yes, it was the very book her father had used to teachher about her own energy. It had been based off Tesla’s findings and a rarityeven before the shift.

She pulled it out and browsed through it,flicking through to the back. And there it was, the faint marks she had beenhoping to find: her father’s coding in pencil. She snapped the book shut andtucked it under her arm. If this was here, then the other must be! The lootershad no idea of the value of what they had stolen from her family if they thenreturned it so easily for public consumption.

She continued her search, this time withmore enthusiasm and just as she was about to give up hope, she found it. Ohyes, the book that could be the undoing of her assailant, the big fat oaf! Ifthis was here, then he didn’t have that knowledge. Had he known of itsexistence? Tricky didn’t think so. Her father was one to keep his findings tohimself, or only sharing them with those he trusted, and Douglas Bottle was notamong them. He had known Bottle, she was sure of that, so maybe there’d been areason; maybe he had known Bottle was corrupt.

Either way, herein would lie the answer toher being able to run rings round the bloated hippy. She would dim the garishlybright clothing he saw fit to swathe his over grown body in; she would bring anend to him, if not actually, this book provided her with the know-how of doingit metaphysically. Oh yes, his time in this world would now be shortened.

But first she had to find a way to keephold of these books. You were allowed to come and read and even to borrow, butto take permanently was more Tricky. But Tricky she was and would always be. Noone would even know she’d been here – or the books either.