This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
WC: 429
Genre: Slice of Life Literary and Contemporary Fiction

     Dustin hustled through the crowded quad, making his way to the campus bookshop. As he reached the entrance, the automatic doors flew open and a pretty redhead nearly collided with him. Dustin might not have noticed her except for the book clutched to her chest. However, she held the first volume to the book series he was in search of and wore a brilliant smile. Before he could form words, she vanished. Dustin shook his head as he entered the busy store and the familiar aroma of aged paper struck his nostrils as Henry, the old clock tower, chimed one.

     The store hummed with excitement as the students in line chatted in eager anticipation of the spring break ahead. The only place to find his query was the science fiction section. Dustin rounded the shelf and tripped over a stool placed in front of the bookcase. He bit back an expletive and rubbed his shine. After he moved the stool, Dustin scanned the shelves for the third volume of the Moonwalker Trials. The book leaned sideways into the gap left by the first two missing tomes in the series. Triumph swelled in his chest. Dustin held his prize. The last copy. It must have been his lucky day.

     After waiting over a week, Dustin relished the prospect of immersing himself in Bradley Tollrum’s universe once more. As Dustin flipped to the first page, he joined the long line of customers. Lost in lunar adventures, the bookshop’s din faded away. Engulfed in Paulette’s harrowing ordeal, Dustin made his way through the queue. With moon dust swirling around him and the soundless vacuum surrounding, he traveled deeper into the moon base. The supposed haven he believed in was, in reality, a hidden prison.

     The chime of the shop doorbell snapped Dustin from his reverie. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a vibrant red bobbed towards him and glanced over to see the young woman from earlier. She stood on her tiptoes, anxiety radiating off her as she tapped her fingers on the counter while leaning over and looking around for an associate. As he approached the counter, Dustin kept stealing glances as the woman worried her lower lip. He tore his gaze, handed over his money, grabbed his book, and strode into the now emptied quad.

     Dustin’s mind still orbited the moon as he settled onto a nearby bench, enveloped in the pages of his newfound treasure. The bookshop girl disappeared from his thoughts. The sun casting dappled shadows on the pavement, Dustin settled in and returned to his book.