The Book of Ancient Magical Creatures

Usually, I have the Nox Caelo Public Library closed and locked up at 7:00 pm, but tonight is different. And I don’t just mean the unusual number of people who came in asking for the book “The Book of Ancient Magical Creatures” which the library has no record of. And I don’t mean the blood moon either. I mean the bookcase in the kid's section of the library where all of the books were not only taken off the shelves but hidden all around the library.

I sigh and pull a copy of “Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone” out from underneath a bean-bag chair and continue my hunt for the last five missing books. I slowly make my way through the library uncovering another four of the books.

I look around and find myself in a part of the library barely ventured into by anyone. It’s the ancient history section. The lights are dim in the back shelves of the library and I can’t help but shiver. I can see the small dust particles caught in the eerie orange light of the moon that peaks between the books. The Library always feels ominous at night but like I said, something is different, and this time, I’m not quite sure what it is. 

Suddenly I catch sight of the corner of a book peeking out from underneath a nearby armchair. “There you are!” I say, bending down to grab what I can only assume is the final missing book. When I lift it up, it isn’t the copy of “A Wrinkle In Time” I had been searching for, it’s a small worn leather book. I slowly run my hands over the cover, brushing the thin layer of dust away. I have to squint to make out the faded golden letter and what I see makes my eyes widen. The title reads “The Book of Ancient Magical Creatures”. The book people had been asking for. The book that didn’t exist. The book that even Google had declared non-existent. 

I slowly opened the book to its first page, the spine cracking in protest. Instead of reiterating the title of the book, it had a poem. 

“In the light of the burning moon

When shone upon in nighttime’s noon 

A book of truth’s secrets spill

Until the dawn brings pages still”

I can’t help but wonder what that has to do with Ancient Magical Creatures but it still brings a chill down my back. I turn the page and there’s a picture of what looks like a fairy, with thin purple wings sitting on a mushroom. Abruptly a flash of light blinds me and I drop the book. Cover my eyes and hear pages turn. When I can finally open my eyes everything is covered in a red haze. Then I see the butterfly. “Where did you come from?” I mutter. 

“The book, silly,” a shill voice replies. I yelp and jump backward, stumbling into the bookshelf behind me. I look up and realize it’s not a twinkling purple butterfly floating in front of me. “Well, what are you doing on the ground?” asks the fairy turning her head to the side. She giggles, “You humans seem to get stranger every year.”

“W-What are you?” I stammer, finally realizing that what I had thought were pages moving were the creature's wings. She folds her eyes, “I think it’s pretty obvious. I’m a faerie, ugh, has it really been so long that no one knows what we are anymore. What year is it?” 

All I can do is gape as the Faerie rambles on. “Well? Are you going to stand or just stay on the floor?” I scramble to my feet and find the Faerie at eye level. “Hello, I’m Iris, and I came from that book. See, every time that book is opened on the night of a blood moon it triggers the magic in the pages bringing whatever creature touched by the light alive until the same creature is hit by the sunlight.”

At this point, my surroundings are starting to sink in and my head is pounding. “You mean to tell me that for one night only I can bring any magical creature in that book to light just by exposing it to moonlight?” Iris nods matter-of-factly, “Yeah, pretty much.” I move to pick up the book but she puts her stops me with two doll-sized hands. “But be careful because some of the creatures may be dangerous,” I blink, “You aren’t going to try to stop me or something?” I ask. She rolls her eyes, “They want to be out of that book as much as I did, and plus, at this point, I know that it isn’t much you can do to stop a curious human from unleashing magic,” she let’s go of my arm and sighs, “It can’t hurt either, just don’t tell anyone.” It’s not like I was planning on telling anyone, I’m pretty sure anyone would call me crazy. 

“How do I know which pages have dangerous creatures on them?” I ask. Iris rolls her eyes again, “If it’s activated by the moonlight, keep it out of the light until you find a page you like,” I nod and I can vaguely hear her muttering something about how humans have stayed just as stupid as they always were. I flip through the pages finding goblins, phoenix’s, gnomes, unicorns, and mermaids. 

I began letting out gnomes, unicorns, and a strange nine-tailed fox called a "Kitsune". Soon the library is filled with wandering magical creatures. “This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” I sigh staring at a griffin flapping through the fiction section. “How long until the sun rises?” Iris asks from her spot at my side. I glance down at my watch, “3 hours,” she nods. I once again flip open the book. “No don’t-” Iris begins, just in time for me to realize the book is in the moonlight. 

The book once again flashes and I wish for something harmless. I’m not so lucky. Suddenly in front of me is a giant black dragon with gaping maws and 60 feet wings. It flaps its midnight wings knocking over shelves and bursting through the ceiling. As the world comes down around me, only one word comes to mind: Shit.