From the author: Everything in this world is drawn to the light: plants, animals, people... But with the latter, everything is not always so simple... In one bookstore among many copies there was a book on one of the shelves. It looked completely unattractive: a gray cover, small dark letters of a completely unattractive title. Readers not only never chose it, but never even picked up this book. It seemed that no one simply noticed the presence of this copy in the store. Bright covers, flashy headlines, snow-white paper, an aura of world fame - this is what distinguished other advanced designs that were in great demand. The book with the gray cover had none of these qualities. It was as if everyone had completely forgotten about her. Everyone who came to the store was looking for something. Some needed valuable information, some needed emotions, some were looking for answers to vital questions. But most often, people just wanted to have fun, immersing themselves in the next interesting and exciting reading. The books looked at the entering visitors with the hope that they would finally be chosen and taken with them. The stand with top sellers and bestsellers was the most desirable place for all publications. Every book wanted to go there. However, there were exceptions. For example, this book with a gray cover. No one remembered how it even appeared on the shelf. However, from the first minutes she began to declare that she knew what readers really wanted. The book said that “people don’t need information, entertainment, or fashionable stories,” to which it received perplexed exclamations from its cohabitants. “What do people really want to get here then?” the others asked her. “People need light. They come here in the hope of getting at least a drop of it, even a small ray...” After these words, a dissatisfied rumble usually began. Top sellers and world bestsellers proved to this gray upstart that they bring enough light to people, unlike her, so gray and nondescript. And how did she even dare to say such a thing!.. The opening hour of the store was approaching. As always, the books argued with the sulfur about which of them was more important and who brought more light. Finally, the front door opened and soft steps were heard. An elderly woman entered the hall. She slowly moved from stand to stand, as if she was looking for something. Having stopped her gaze for a moment at the rows with bestsellers, she moved on. Approaching the shelf where there was a book with a gray cover, the woman gasped quietly. Seeing her reaction, the salesman, a young guy, came up and decided to ask if everything was okay. “Thank you, everything is fine,” the woman answered, pointing her palm at the gray cover. - Could you tell me where you got this book from? The seller took the book in his hands and read the title out loud. - “Look for the light”? – he said thoughtfully. – But I don’t remember such a book in our assortment. I'll check with the administrator now. Wait a minute, please. With these words, the young man left to find the answer to the woman’s question. The latter did not stop him, knowing that he would return with nothing. “Hello, old friend!” – the woman turned to the gray book, as if it could hear her. “I don’t even know how you ended up here. It's like a miracle. After all, you exist in only one copy in the world. I left you in some store many years ago. Did this really happen right here?” The woman paused for a moment, remembering something, and then continued: “I wrote you in the darkest time of my life. Then it seemed to me that everything was over and nothing good would happen again. At one point, everything collapsed: career, personal life, health gave way... I felt bad, and the most terrible thoughts came to my head... I realized that I had gone out from within and began to look for light... I looked for it everywhere: in work, in people, in entertainment, but couldn’t find it anywhere...” The woman took the book and began flipping through the pages. Memories flooded back, instantly restoring pictures from that past life. A slight smile crossed her face, she reached into her purse and pulled out a red