Призрак книжного магазина

The Bookstore GhostI have always believed that books have their own souls. If you spend enough time in an old bookstore, you start to feel it—the collective energy of a thousand different worlds sitting on the shelves. That’s why I wasn’t particularly surprised when I started noticing the "accidents" at The Paper Lantern, the shop where I work part-time.It started a month ago. I would arrive at the shop early in the morning, unlock the heavy oak door, and find a single book lying face down in the middle of the floor. It was always the same book: A Guide to the Stars, published in 1954. At first, I assumed it had just fallen off the shelf due to the vibrations from the subway line underneath the building. But the shelf was tight, and the book was always in the exact same spot.One rainy Tuesday, my curiosity got the better of me. I decided to stay late and hide in the small office behind the counter. I left a small lamp on, casting long shadows across the rows of fiction and history. I waited for hours, sipping lukewarm tea and trying not to fall asleep.Around midnight, I heard a faint rustle. It wasn't the sound of a ghost or a thief; it was the sound of paper sliding against wood. I peeked through the door and saw a tiny, ginger cat standing on its hind legs, skillfully pulling the book from the shelf with its paws. Once the book hit the floor, the cat curled up on top of it and went to sleep.I realized then that the "ghost" was just a stray cat that had found a way into the attic. It turns out that A Guide to the Stars was the perfect size and thickness to keep a cat’s belly off the cold floor.I didn't have the heart to kick him out. Instead, I bought a proper cat bed and placed it in the corner. But strangely enough, he still prefers the book. I guess even cats have a favorite genre. Now, he’s the unofficial mascot of the shop, and sales have actually gone up. It’s funny how a "spooky" mystery can turn into the best thing that ever happened to your business.