For every page I turned on a copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird," a black man was spared from wrongful conviction.

I was a library assistant for 20 years, typing out receipts at the circ desk, shushing teenagers and their friends, and re-shelving books. I was a homebody, content with my own companionship, until one day, an older man approached me from behind the stacks. He was a peculiar man, perhaps in his fifties by my guess, slender, and with wisps of silver hair that framed his prominent cheekbones.<br><br>"You're an avid reader, I presume?" He said, his voice deep and wispy.<br><br>"I am," I replied.<br><br>He handed me a copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird." The cover was dusty, its letters warped with age.<br><br>"This is for you."<br><br>"I can't accept this," I said, even though I wanted to.<br><br>"You must. For every page you turn, a black man is spared from a wrongful conviction."<br><br>"Who are you?" I asked, but he had already sulked away into the shadows.<br><br>I thought nothing of it until two days passed and I read about a local exoneration in the headlines. *"Wrongful Conviction Overturned in a 1997 Rape Case."* It couldn't be a coincidence. He was right. I continued to read, devouring books at a pace I had never done before. "The Diary of a Black Girl," "The Color Purple," "Between the World and Me." For every page I turned, a black man walked out of prison. I read until my eyes were fatigued, and my fingers cramped, but I couldn't stop.<br><br>I quit my job and devoted all my time to reading. I barely ate or slept or bathed. I reeked and my hair was matted, but I didn't care. I had a duty, a calling, to free every black man I could. I read until the day I died, surrounded by stacks and stacks of dog-eared copies of "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano." The old man never returned to collect it. But I knew he was watching me, even if I couldn't see him.<br><br>When I closed my eyes for the last time, I could feel my heart pound heavier and heavier, like the beat of a drum. I was finally at peace. My calling was fulfilled.<br><br>*** <br><br>This is my first post on this subreddit. Criticism and feedback is greatly appreciated.<br><br>Edit: Wow, thank you all for the awards and feedback. It is my first time posting on this Chambers, and your support means a lot to me! :)