Anniversary

… The dark knight took the enchanted sword after passing the trial of the pyramid. Now he was ready to defeat the demon at the island.

Lucas lifted his eyes from the book, no matter how excited he was for the next chapter he knew he would have to leave it for the next day. It was late, later than he was aware of. He got out of his little hiding spot, the only place where could really read alone. He looked around as his heart started bumping faster. 

The library was completely dark, the chairs were placed above the table and the only light came from the small light bulbs in the ceiling. He went to the main entrance to see if maybe there was someone out there to open the door, but he could see nothing. He started panicking, he never thought something like this would happen someday, he never imagined that it would already be this late. He thought about his mother and how frightened she must be. 

He tried making some noise, hitting the door with the broom but no one came. He thought that maybe there was a back door, so he started walking around the place. The endless halls covered in books felt almost as home. He can’t remember how much time he has spent in that place, going to all kinds of places, he has been in enchanted forests and in outer space on a planet where no one but him has set foot. He has met some of the most interesting people and has learned so much about life from them. 

He walked around, caressing the books, they were their friends. He climbed a bookshelf hoping to get out from a window, but no luck, all the windows were closed. He continued walking, accepting the fact that he would have to stay there for the night. Trying to look on the bright side he understood that at least he was in his favorite place on Earth. He took the book he was reading before and got himself comfortable, finally he had the library all for himself, he was surprised by the silence he was experiencing, he wished all the days could be like that. 

After a couple hours he finished the book and exhaled, it was just as he imagined, the dark knight managed to defeat the great demon that was hiding in the enchanted forest and released the kingdom from all darkness. He looked away and found himself again in the darkness. He couldn’t help but worry about his mother, she was a constant thought in his mind, he missed her soft hands and the warmth when she hugged him. For some reason a tear rolled down his cheek. He tried to set his mind aside and continued walking down the library’s halls, looking for the next book to read. 

He walked around the library looking for a book that got his attention and that he hadn’t read yet. It took him a while, but he finally found it, it was a book with a red cover and golden letters that read “At the end of the universe”. Lucas looked for a place with some light and started reading it immediately. He was immersed in a battle for the good of the universe on a far away planet. He found new companions and met several species that lived across the universe. It was an amazing book, he wondered why he had never seen it before. 

He was immersed in the book when suddenly a noise caught his attention. He looked up but saw no movement. He got up in hope of finding someone but the library was as empty as before. He decided to take another look around, maybe some people had come, hopefully the cleaning staff. If he could only find someone to let him out he could phone his mother and tell him that he was all right.

He arrived at the stairs that led to the second floor and felt the temptation immediately. No children were allowed on the second floor, the people from the library talk about an accident. Lucas never understood it, from downstairs it seemed so nice, full of shelves with many mysteries to discover. He decided to break the rules, after all there was no one there to stop him from going to the second floor. As he climbed up the stairs he started to sense a familiar feeling. 

Once up he looked around. As he predicted the floor was amazingly beautiful, several bookshelves covered the walls and a beautiful glass handrail at the side allowed everyone to have a look at the library from the upper floor, it really was a fine piece of architecture. with its arcs at the sides, the bookshelves formed an intricate and beautiful figure. The tables at the reading room aligned perfectly at the center with its tiny lamps. Lucas sighed at the sight, he couldn’t believe he had been missing this for all this time. 

He found a table with some light and continued to read his book. This time he was taken to the milky way, he knew from the science book he read once that it was the galaxy where Earth was located. He traveled to some planet in another part of the galaxy and met some humans that had the most respect for nature. He then encountered some enemies, he saw how the agents fighted them off with special equipment, it all seemed amazing and for a just a brief moment he felt there too. 

Suddenly the same sound disrupted his lecture, this time he was able to identify it, it was the sound of some keys. He got up excited, it was finally time to go home, he could find the person with the keys and ask them to let him out. He followed the sound, but the echo from the walls made it difficult to find it’s origin. Until he finally heard a voice. 

“Did you hear it?” it was a male voice.

“Of course I did, but what were you expecting, it’s January the fourteenth” another male voice replied.

Lucas thought about the date. He knew there was something about it. For some reason he felt as if it had some meaning, but he couldn't remember it. It wasn’t his birthday, nor her mother’s, no special celebration either. But he still could feel the great importance of that day. 

Lucas left his thoughts alone and tried to get the men’s attention “Hey! Can you hear me?” he asked, but there was no response “Please, I’m locked in here” he screamed, but no response again.

He looked around and searched for something to get their attention, he still couldn’t identify their location, buy maybe if he made enough noise. He took the broom again and started hitting one of the bookshelves with it. 

“Oh boy! he’s really getting at it” said one of the male voices.

“Please I’m here!” Lucas screamed.

“How long has it been?” Asked the man.

“Seven years, and yet it never changes” Answered the other.

“Poor boy. Say, how many books do you think he has read by now?”

“I don’t know” The man made a pause “Hundreds of them I think.”

“Did his mother bring one today”

“Yes, no matter how much time goes by, every year a new book. This one had a red cover, with something golden I think.”

Lucas looked down at the book he was holding. Just as the man described, but he couldn’t understand his words. He then remembered something, he had been on the second floor before, but he couldn’t remember quite well. 

Lucas was confused, but he was still determined to get out of that place, he continued looking for the men. He walked around the library until he found something unusual, he didn’t remember that thing being there. on one of the walls he found a silver plate that read “Lucas Wright” that was his name, he didn’t understand why something like that would be there, this name was followed by “08/21/1999 - 14/01/2011” It was the date the men had been talking about. He looked up, the plate was placed on the wall that divided the second floor, he looked up and stared at the ceiling. Without notice the memory came back to him, his heart beating fast, the adrenaline rushing through his veins, the fall, the last thing his eyes saw, the lamps on the ceiling. He let out a horrible scream as he tried to look at his mother’s face from his memory, but he was unable to turn his head. Finally, as his sight vanished he looked at her, her mother came down the stairs to say goodbye to him. His eyes filled with tears.

“Not the best year I must say.” said one of the men. 

“We can not blame him.” The other responded.

Lucas looked down at the book in his hands and held it tight as he curled on the floor, right under the silver plate.