Laura decided to get some sleep. The next day, she could blend in with the other children and escape. Pleased to have made a decision, Laura went to the children’s area of the library. The furniture there was softer and more comfortable to sleep in. When she got there, however, she immediately became distracted by the various toys that had been put away when the librarians closed up for the night.
Laura grabbed two dollies and began to play house, giggling all the while. For the first time since this whole ordeal began, she was actually having fun! When she was bored with the dollies, she pretended to make food in the play kitchen. The plastic food, however, reminded her of real food. Her tummy rumbled. Feeling herself about to cry from hunger, Laura stuffed her thumb in her mouth.
Suckling on her thumb calmed her down enough to think. This was the children’s area, maybe someone left behind a bag with snacks in it? Laura got up and toddled about, checking behind furniture where a bag may have been forgotten. No luck. Laura sucked harder on her thumb. Maybe she could try the desk for the children’s librarian.
Laura toddled behind the children’s librarian’s desk. Underneath was a box labeled “Lost and Found”. She grabbed the box and began to dig through it. Jackpot! There was a diaper bag fully stocked with everything a two-year-old like herself would need. It was too heavy for her to carry, so she picked a few things to take from it, namely a cute and soft onesie, some more diapers and wipes (since she couldn’t have enough of those), and the various toddler/baby snacks.
There was even a container of formula. Laura frowned at the instructions on the container, but couldn’t read them. She instead filled up the bottle in the bag with plain water from the drinking fountain. Laura returned to the children’s area to eat and drink. Her eyes began to droop. Laura climbed on top of one of the soft chairs and curled up. She fell asleep quickly.
A horrible smell woke Laura up. She sat up and felt the mess in her diaper move. Great. She needed yet another change. Laura grabbed her bag of supplies and toddled into the bathroom to change herself.
The process took a while, long enough that by the time she was done, the library was open and people were already perusing the stacks. Laura snuck out of the bathroom. Now was her chance! She could leave!