Feed the Secret

I don't care about reading, it's a waste of time. The idea of it is nice…

To read something and feel what the characters are feeling, their grief, joy, rage, embarrassment and to feel the rest of the world fade away. Just you and the world you hold in your hands. 

I think that's why I followed and went along with this dumb trip, to find a library that hasn't been seen in a long time. 

They say the library holds every copy of every story and book written or to be written. I don't know how that's possible, but it caught my attention.

But with every story in that building, maybe I could find one that wouldn't be a waste. 

I looked up at my travel companions, two book worms. They hadn't stopped talking about the library since I agreed to go. 

The one with circle glasses driving and the one with a square pair in the passenger seat, while I got stuck in the back.

The drive was smooth until we found our way on a moon lit country road, causing us to weave around deers who for some reason had a death wish. Sometimes it felt like the deer dared each other to play chicken with the cars.

The red dirt kicked up as we drove, staining the car. I turned my head away from the front to the side, one side a field of crops and the other being a forest. 

Why would a library be out here? 

I looked back towards the road, a deer jumping out. The deer went flying, along with some curses from circle and square. 

“I wasn't even driving that fast!” Circle cried as he slammed the car door.

“where did it even come from?” Square added.

I watched them for a moment, looking down at the dead deer. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I joined them.

The headlights and moon being the only source of light. It was definitely dead, or at least dying, it was white. It's blood and red dirt staining its coat.

Poor thing.

Might as well drag it out of the road, I thought, going to reach for it when its head popped up.

“Shit” I yelled, jumping back, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Devil deer!” Square yelled as we backed away from it.

It's blood staining the dirt, began to make its way back into the body, the joints popping back into place before it stood on its hoofs.

We watched it look around before looking at us. Bright red eyes meeting my own before it ran across the road into the crops.

I watched Square and Circle run after it, what the hell were they doing?!

“Hurry!” I heard one of them yell

I looked back at the car before I ran after them. The crops tall making it nearly impossible to see them.

“It must be it!” One of them yelled happily

“Be What!?” I yelled looking around for where they ran off to.

“Remember! it said there would be a guide to the library!” Square yelled

I don't remember them saying anything about a guide, I ran towards his voice. 

Catching up to them, shoving crops away to see an old farmhouse and the other two standing a few feet from me, smiling and out of breath.

I looked over to see the deer disappear behind the house.

I followed the two towards the old building, the moon lighting up a path. 

This looked nothing like the building they described…we walked up the creaky wood steps to the door, it was barely hanging on. 

I followed the two inside, it smelled like rotting wood and cob webs. It was empty, nothing but dust and creepy bugs.

“I don't understand…it led us here?” Circle said looking around, before falling through a wood board.

So this was a waste than… I knew I shouldn't have come on this nightmare trip.

I turned around before seeing the white deer, the moonlight making it glow.

I glanced back to see the others, Square trying to get the other free from the collapsed floorboard.

The deer just standing there, I stepped forward before the deer took off. I ran out the door before watching it disappear back behind the house.

I followed it to find a cellar. I walked up to it before looking down the steps into complete darkness. 

Yeah…I'm not going down there, I'll just grab the others.

I stepped back before feeling something shove me forward. Falling down the steps into the blackness. 

“What the hell” who shoved me?! I turned to the steps, watching the only light disappear as the cellar doors shut.

I ran back to the steps, banging on the doors, pushing and pulling as I yelled.

I turned around to see those red eyes looking back at me from the bottom of the steps.

I froze, reaching for the door before something wrapped around my legs yanking me down the steps. 

My head hit one of the steps, the red eyes fading as my ears rang.

“Do you think it's done?” Square asked, glancing at Circle, as they sat on the cellar doors.

“I don't know” Circle shrugged 

The two backing away from the cellar doors, they stood back and waited.

The old rotting wood starting to shift into pillars of white and gold, glowing in the moon.

The building was beautiful, the two gawked at the sheer size of it. 

The two running around to the front, giant oak doors with gold handles. 

“we actually did it!” Circle cheered.

The two reach out to the doors before pushing it open. 

Tall bookshelves from floor to ceiling, with tables with old scroll scattered everywhere. 

The two rushed inside, grabbing books and papers, stacking them high on tables before each began to read.

They loved the smell of the leather books and pages of vanilla. They sat for hours, reading, lost in the world they held in their hands.

Square looked up from one of his books, as he felt his stomach.

“should we go grab food come back?” He asked, Circle looking up with a smile

“this is a dream come true” she hummed as she followed behind towards the doors.

They reached out, going to open them, only to find them locked.

“What the?” He mumbled as he tried to pull the giant door open

“Why can't we get out?!” She yelled as she began to bang on the doors.

“you can't leave~” 

The two turned around to see what they thought was the deer. It stood on two legs, it's horns curled and twisted, red eyes watching them as it was draped in a long black cloak.

“b…but we gave you a sacrifice!” Square tried to defend as he backed away.

“Yes you did~” it hummed smiling, shark teeth shining in the light

“Why can't we leave then?” Circle asked, choking on her words

“Because I'm hungry and besides you don't actually think you stumbled on those documents by accident did you?” it laughed as it began to stalk towards them

The two shrinking back against the doors.

“I was impressed to see how fast you translated those pages to find this place and to find out you needed to give a life to come in, but you didn't think to stop and wondered why no one ever came back?” 

“W…we thought it was because they all chose to stay here, to help keep its location a secret” Circle mumbled

“I see~” it smiled, the moonlight disappearing, the darkness flooding into the room. The only light being the red eyes.

The only sound being the two voices screaming in the dark, until even those became silent.

It stood there, blood dripping down its white fur, before walking away into the darkness.

Finding itself back in the cellar. The body lying there in its own blood. 

It was a monster, but even it felt sadness for the poor thing. It raised its sleeved arm, before cutting open its arm, blood dripping down into the small body. 

Watching its bones and limbs snap and reform into a small white fawn. 

The small thing stumbling onto its new wobbly legs.

“you'll help me find more won't you? Help me find more to feed this secret?” it smiled 

The small Fawn looking up, small pink eyes meeting its red. 

Maybe I don't need to find a story after all…when I can be in one.