A Window Left Open

One night, Ember noticed a window left open at the town library, its curtains fluttering gently in the breeze.

Ember's heart raced. Everyone was surely asleep by now.

Carefully, quietly, Ember tiptoed down from the hills, squeezed through the window, and slipped inside.

Rows and rows of books lined every wall, more than Ember had ever imagined. That night, curled beside a tall bookshelf, Ember read until the very first light of morning.