The Library Girls of the East End by Patricia McBride

Author:Patricia McBride [McBride, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books

Jane followed the crowd down the store steps to the basement and looked around.

‘Not exactly the basement of John Lewis,’ she heard someone say. ‘I hear it’s quite comfortable there.’

One of the shopworkers who had shown them in was with them.

‘The storeroom’s over the other side,’ she said. ‘Pity we can’t reach it. There’d be sure to be stuff we could use there.’ She paused. ‘But I suppose that would be stealing.’

In one corner of the space sat a collection of mismatched chairs, their fabric sagging and woodwork scratched. Between them stood an old table, its surface battered after years of use. On it was a large jug of water and some glasses and cups that had seen better days. Layers of worn rugs and carpet scraps patched together gave the cold, damp floor a vague semblance of warmth.

Two bare light bulbs lit the space, and every time a bomb dropped, they danced about, casting eerie shadows around the room, making the space seem even more claustrophobic than it already was.

The fear in the air was so thick they could almost taste it. Some people were holding themselves tight, not speaking, while others whimpered or comforted each other. One man let out a loud scream, making them all jump.

Looking round nervously, Jane, Mavis and Joe found chairs together.

‘I wonder how long this’ll last,’ Jane said, biting a nail. ‘I’d like to get back to my own bed tonight.’

She wasn’t about to get her wish.

As the bombardment above them intensified, the basement shuddered, and it seemed as if the whole building would collapse any moment. Joe put his arm around Mavis, who leaned towards him as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and Jane wished Ralph was there to reassure her. Then she felt guilty for thinking of him when all her thoughts should be of George, her lovely husband, away fighting for king and country.

Seconds later, a deafening crash shot through the basement, followed by a shower of dust. For a moment no one spoke, everyone’s eyes wide with terror as they looked around to see if the walls or ceiling were collapsing, but all looked safe.

For a minute.

Another deafening crash and a large section of the wall near the door they’d entered through collapsed, terrifying them all. All that was left was a pile of debris: bricks, plaster and beams completely blocking the way out.

‘That’s the exit!’ a man shouted, his voice harsh with horror. ‘We’re trapped!’

One man stepped towards the debris, determination in his every move. ‘Come on, let’s pull it out and get the hell out of here.’

But his friend pulled him back. ‘The air raid hasn’t stopped yet. We’re safer here for now. Come and sit down again.’

People huddled together, trying to take in what had happened.

The ground still trembled beneath their feet as they heard more deafening crashes above them.

‘That must be the rest of the shop collapsing!’ Jane cried out. ‘We must be under tonnes of stuff.’

Small pieces of masonry

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