Judging book covers

The sun was beaming on their red chicks as they were walking down the street. They were holding hands while looking around the historical coastal city.

"It's so beautiful here. You can see houses and buildings from various architecture style periods," Sophia mumbled while staring with her mouth half open.

Conrad looked at her and his lips quirked to one side. Among the first things he noticed about Sophia was her almost childlike enthusiasm for old eclectic things. He couldn't wait to show her the surprise.

"I think I like the Second Empire the most, because I would love to live under the mansard roof." They both glanced at each other and quickly looked down on their shoes. She smiled and continued, "Although the Italianate towers are also fascinating."

He continued to guide her through the main street in silence.

"Looking at the scenery now, no one would ever think something terrible could have happened here. It's so picturesque and peaceful," Sophia uttered while trying to see if somebody was peeking behind the curtains at the building that they were passing by. He just nodded.

"People seem friendly, maybe a little skittish, but who wouldn't be around so many tourists?" They had to squeeze through a crowd. He led her in a small alley where there were no people.

She continued, "I guess it's because back then they weren't educated, so they could get easily manipulated as well as get irrational and become so cruel."

Conrad broke the silence, "People still get easily manipulated."

"I guess... But so manipulated that we would support mass murder based on gossip?" Sophia looked at him worried. "I would like to believe we have learned at least some things by now." He just shrugged and they continued to walk through small allies.

Sophia squeezed his hand a little bit tighter and asked, "Where exactly are we going?"

"You'll see. It's a surprise that you will like." Conrad answered in a calm manner, as he always does. Sophia didn't like surprises, but she didn't want to ruin his excitement, which she could still recognize even under his typical stern manner.

Finally they stopped in front of a shop. He turned towards her so he would be able to see her reaction full front. Her eyes got wider as she read the sign—Martha's Macabre Masterpieces. Behind the shop's window there were skull-shaped lamps and antique porcelain dolls. She looked at him and they both started laughing.

"This is brilliantly grisly. How did you find this?" she asked while being giddy.

"I looked up eerie stuff online. Many genuinely horrific things came up, but this one seemed to be the kind you were searching for," he answered proudly.

"Yes, I already love it. Let's have a spooky peak." Her voice was excited.

The bell on top of the door chimed as they walked in and a middle-aged woman welcomed them with the enthusiasm of a grifter.

"Hello dear. I'll be right with you. Feel free to look around." She was dressed as someone who wants to look like a business witch of the 21st century but had the wibes of someone who read too many #girlboss tweets and forgot all her spells.

They roamed the shop and what they saw exhilarated them. They found diaphonized animals, pickled pig's heart in a jar, the Great Garden Gnome Massacre, among others, and a book collection in the back. Sophia saw a bunch of books in leather covers and was immediately drawn to them. She took one book out and it was a modern Gothic horror story covered in calfskin. Another was also a calfskin cover of an old non-fiction book on animal anatomy.

Touching the fine leather bindings brought her back to her mother's fabric store. The leathery smell reminded her of her mother counting bolts of cloth. Sophia grew up surrounded by fabric and knew it by heart. Her mother taught her the intricate delicacy between different fibers and how to care for each fabric. However, Sophia always had a fascination with leather and could identify exactly which animal it came from just by a single touch.

"Sheepskin," she half-yelled out while examining the book binding.

Martha almost ran to her with a great smile. "Oh, you seem to know old book covers. Indeed, this is made from sheepskin. And here are some from goatskin. They are all very old and some are priceless." She looked very proud of her collection and kept on rambling about the importance of preserving old books.

Sophia just nodded along while looking around with her fingers sliding through the edge of the books. Her fingers stopped at a particularly fine leather cover. It had a smooth, almost creamy feel, something she felt before but not in fabric.

"What is this leather made from? It's something different," she inquired.

Martha looked at the book and her eyes wrinkled. "Oh, this is a really ancient book on human anatomy. It even has a chapter about Wondering Womb. It's an old medical idea that said the uterus may detach and roam freely throughout a woman's body, creating a variety of physical and mental ailments."

Conrad heard them as he admired antique medical tools. "I think I read something about that. It was the origin theory for hysteria." He put the old bone saw back on the shelf and walked towards them.

"Yes. You are very well read," Martha was genuinely taken aback. "They thought the uterus became "thirsty" or "hungry" when a woman was not pregnant or didn't mate regularly, causing the uterus to travel around and hunt for moisture or offspring. For generations, nearly every inexplicable ailment in women—from worry and mood swings to fainting and headaches—was attributed to a Wandering Womb. " They all laughed.

"People used to be really superstitious," Matrha looked at her book collection and started to caress one of the books.

Sophia was also still touching the human anatomy book and tried to figure out what leather it was. "This is something I never touched before, but at the same time it feels weirdly familiar. It might be dyed pigskin, although it has a smoother feel. It's something else."

Martha erupted in loud laughter. "Oh, you really are a couple of experts. It is pigskin and it is dyed. The reason why it is smoother is because the pigs were freerange."

Sophia got confused. "How can..."

Martha took the book out of her hands. "Like I said. Some books are priceless and not for sale. This is one of them." She placed it on the top shelf.

Sophia looked perplexed. "I thought pigskin was the cheapest leather?"

"This has special dye," Martha snapped. "I think I know exactly what would be interesting for you two experts—a replica of the Scroll of Deaths. I have a special one made from real animal skin parchment. You can have a touch." Martha winked at Sophia.

Sophia and Conrad looked at each other and knew exactly what the other was thinking.

"We should go. We booked a guided tour," Conrad lied.

"Yes, we don't want to be late." Sophia bolstered as they were moving towards the door. She whispered to Conrad, "I don't think this leather is from an ordinary animal."

"That's a shame. You can stop by again after the tour." Martha had a disappointed look in her eyes.

Her frustration about not selling them anything was interrupted by a phone ring. Martha recognized the number, "Hello. I was waiting for your call. I wanted to check if tonight will be alright?"

A man's voice answered. "Yes, but I would like to ask you if we can make it half an hour later. There was a lab that ran late and I'm still finishing up."

"No problem. I will come later. Goodbye."

"Excellent, goodbye."

***

Martha parked her car in front of the hospital and walked past the building along the avenue and turned left. It was already pitched dark and the only light came from the street lightning. She wrote a text while she was waiting on the sidewalk. After a couple of minutes a metal door behind her opened and a bald man with a goat beard let her in. They walked for quite a while through the halls. Even though Martha has walked through these corridors before, she felt as lost as the first time.

"I have something special for you tonight," said Mr. Embed. "You can even have your pick of the litter."

"Good, because I have some new shipments coming and I would like to bind them appropriately." They gave each other a professional nod.

They finally arrived at a wide door. As soon as Mr. Embed opened it, Martha got the shivers from the cold blasting in her face. But she quickly forgot about it once she saw the cadavers on display.

"I wanted to show you these two. The first is very fat, so there is much more material to work with, but she was old, so it's less stretchy and quite scarred. The second cadaver is young and skinny, which means it is smoother but less skin available for use." Mr. Embed spoke in a scientific voice.

Martha observed the cadavers. "Both would be excellent for various bindings. Can I have some of each?"

"Won't be possible. I have another buyer waiting, but I wanted you to choose first since we are in business for a long time now."

"I appreciate that. Then the choice is between quality and quantity. I like pedicaments like that. I think quality always trumps quantity, so I'll take the younger, smoother one." She was pleased with her choice.

Mr. Embed nodded. "It can also be stretched out a little easier."

"Yes," Martha answered while examining nails on the young body. "How is everything going, by the way? Is Ms. Embed in good health?"

"Yes, thank you. She's busy as ever. We hope to make all the shipments in the next two weeks because we are going on a trip to Florida." Mr. Embed explained while he was pushing the bodies back in the mortuary cabinets.

"That is wonderful. I need some vacation myself, but it's the tourist season right now, so I'm buried in work... No pun intended." Martha hated puns. She will pun-ish herself for this one.

"You will get it in three or four days, as usual," Mr. Embed said while checking if everything is in its place.

It was, so they started to walk back through the corridors.