Wonderland Open for business

Sarah's life was full of dreams. Unfortunately, those dreams remained mostly between the covers of the books that she read. As a young girl, she had lost her mother, and from that moment on she had disappeared inside of the fantasy world that books provided. An avid reader she had a very large collection of books. She would surround herself with these books and imagine what it would be like to one day find a way to share them with the rest of the world. Although Sarah was someone who was very practical, she had a very impractical hope. She wanted to open her own coffee shop and fill it with all of the books she had collected. She thought perhaps if people took a few minutes out of their busy days to disappear inside of a book, they would begin to remember what really mattered in life. On a whim one day she decided to investigate a for rent sign that a grizzly old man was hanging outside of a corner store. The windows were what enticed her the most, tall and open, as if they were inviting her inside. Sarah had very little of value. She lived in a tiny apartment and earned a meager salary. The only things she truly cherished were her books, and more specifically the books her brother mailed to her from all over the world. These books were all very old and a little strange, but they meant the world to her. Her brother had decided to deal with the grief of their father's death by disappearing, just as their mother had many years before. His only contact with Sarah were the books that he would mail to her. Although she was a little resentful that he had disappeared she was always excited to get a new book from him. When the landlord of this particular shop notices one of the books she is carrying, he has a very strange reaction. He seems desperate to have the book. Sarah knew there was no way she could afford the rent. Her friends had taken the time to drill into her mind that she would never be successful running a cafe where people could read books and leave them there for their next visit. They all seemed to think the idea was silly and risky. It was all that mattered to Sarah though. When the landlord insists he must have the book he offers to let her rent the shop for free for an entire year if she will give him the book. Sarah assumes that he wants it because he thinks it is rare, but she has done her research on the books. She knows that they have no history that can be traced and so are of very little value. Still she does not want to give up the book. She feels the books her brother sends are the only real connection she still has with him. Reluctantly she agrees, and soon she is setting up her coffee shop, Wonderland. As week before her doors are set to open the coffee shop on the corner of the street shut down for a few days, redirecting all of its customers to her small space. Sarah is thrilled, but strange things begin happening almost right away. She meets some very interesting characters that have stories of their own. The landlord breaks into her shop in the middle of the night. Her brother's books are revealed to be carrying a very cryptic message. Sarah is not sure who she should trust, but as the story of her own life begins to unfold she discovers it is much more mysterious than she could have ever imagined. Is it possible that her mother did not abandon them? Is it possible that her brother suffered the same fate she did? With all of the confusion Sarah begins to feel as if she is losing her mind, but one thing she is certain of, if her brother is out there somewhere and in trouble, she is going to find a way to save him.