Chapter 15

On a weekend morning, a shuttle bus trundled along the bumpy roads of the Okobi Desert. Jasmine leaned against one of the bus windows, taking advantage of the weekend to familiarize herself with the local environment. The town was very small, consisting of one main street and several shops. She pushed open the glass door of a small bookshop, causing the bell to chime. It was very quiet inside the store. The only people inside were the owner and a middle-aged woman wearing glasses, both of whom were conversing quietly before the counter. "...Mr. Jacobson's been hospitalized, so the children's science classes have been put on hold. They were looking forward to his classes so much…" Jasmine's finger, sliding across book spines, paused abruptly. She felt her heart skip a beat. "Alas, there's nobody in town who can take over for him…" Jasmine turned, causing both the bookshop owner and the teacher, whose names were Emily Forrester and Leah Chime respectively, to look toward her. She