Lachlan, The Time Libraries New Apprentice

There was a library in the heart of Boston. It was large, though smaller than The Boston Public Library, but larger than most other libraries. It was a rather average building, with average brick walls, average windows, average everything. But one thing always made me pause on my way to school. Nobody seemed to know about this building. I've asked shop owners about it since the hours are always wild. Sometimes, I'd see a person go in on Thursday afternoons, then when I'd try to go in on the next Thursday, the door wouldn't budge. And I think the people who went in at random times were different people? Maybe? I wasn't sure now. I frown at the large building in front of me. I could just try to go in. But then, if it opens, I'll be late for school. I glance around the street. I'm sure I can be quick. I walk over, and with the slightest pull, the door swings open, a bell ringing.

I glance around the library. It looked rather normal. It looked like any other library. Tables had books stacked high, and shelves that touched the roof flooded with books. There was an old dust-covered chandelier that let off golden lights, and as I watched, I realized those were fireflies.

“Who, dare I ask, are you?” A woman’s voice makes me jump.

I look at the woman, frowning. She wore a burgundy dress with a corset with golden lining. Her blond hair was pulled out of her face in a messy ponytail, a pencil there. She wore a necklace as well, with runes I knew slightly about. My father was a witch, and I picked up on some things. He hadn't been a fan of magic since the nightmares he’d been getting. “Me?” I say.

“No, I’m asking the door– yes you!” She says.

I swallow. “I’m Lachlan?” I say. “The door was unlocked.”

Her amber eyes dart to the library's door before she sighs. “Ugh, Tuesdays, five to six-thirty unless the sky is blue,” She mutters. She pinches her nose. “You come with me. I’m not dealing with you getting eaten!”

I frown. “Isn’t this a library?” I say. I’m pretty sure I hadn’t stepped into a zoo?

She rolls her eyes. “Let’s go,” She says, waving her hand before stomping away.

I decide to follow, too curious to even ponder if I should be on my way to school.

“Who’s your buddy?” A younger girl asks.

She must’ve been somewhere around my age and resembled the older woman in a few ways. She had the same amber eyes and the same smile. Her hair was dark brown, though. Perhaps the girl was her daughter?

“Lachlan–Morven, Morven, don’t hex him,” The woman says, passing the girl.

She frowns, looking at me. “Like… like that–”

“No,” The woman says, a stern tone in her voice, maybe even slight fury. “Not like that.”

Morven swallows and nods, looking back down at her books.

“Remind me what this place is again?” I say, walking along with the woman. “Or… or who you are? Or.. what is that?” I stare in disbelief at the starry sky above me. “Oh my gods,” I mutter.

“Stars, yeah, keep walking,” The woman says.

I smile softly as I stare up at the constellations. “That’s Cassiopeia,” I say, “And that one’s Ursa Major, and that one’s Aries, and there’s Aquarius. Wow, there’s even Draco up there. That shouldn’t be up there, that’s a spring–”

“Kid!”

I jump, looking back at the woman from the stars above me. “Yes?” I say.

“Stop geeking out. I need you to file some papers.” 

I frown but speed up my pace.

“Why am I writing my signature?” I ask, writing my signature on the page anyway. I was curious about what I was getting myself into.

“You want to be here, don’t you?” The woman asks, looking at me.

I nod, handing her the paper.

“Good. Then you’re fine with signing that page,” She says. “Now, as an apprentice, Morven, the lovely lassie you just met a moment ago, will show you where everything is, what not to touch, and–”

“I’m sorry, did you say apprentice?” I ask. “It’s 2024? Not 1827.”

The woman scowls, rubbing her eyes. “Do you want to be able to come here as you please?” She asks.

I swallow. I did. I also wanted to go check out that astronomy room. It had stars that weren’t meant to be in the sky until spring, and it was winter-time. I nod.

“Good. Then here’s a list of rooms,” She hands me a piece of paper. “Morven has the coins, and… yeah, you’re good. Oh! Wait, no, here’s the key,” She hands me a silver key with red and orange woven into the metal. “If you lose this, you lose the ability to come, so don’t lose it.”

I nod, taking the silver key with a clip on the end. I decided to clip it to the inside of my backpack. “Um, so, how big is this place? And I also have school, so… that might be an issue as I’m already late,” I admit.

The woman smiles, clearly amused. “Yeah? What’s the time?” She asks.

“Probably ten thirty,” I grumbled, glancing at my watch. I frown. It was eight twenty-eight? Isn’t that… No, that’s not possible. “How is it still–”

“It’s a time library. It stays the same time you enter. So stay as long as you please; when you leave, nothing will have changed,” She explains.

“That’s not possible though.”

“With magic, it is.”

“Sure, but it doesn’t smell much like magic.”

She frowns. 

“It has a smell, doesn’t it? Sort of… sort of like smoke?” 

She smiles softly as she stands up. “You’re also a witch?” She asks as she pushes her chair up and picks up a notebook. She begins walking to the door, and I decide I’m meant to follow.

“My dad is,” I say. “I picked up a thing or two. He’s not really a fan of magic, actually.” I glance around myself and smile as I look above me. Animals moved gracefully about and had the mist-like quality ghosts had. A whale, a big humpback whale, swam above us, crows gliding around it. To my left, a group of three deinonychus sprint past, chasing something. 

“But he practice’s it?” The woman asks, pulling me back to reality.

I look back in front of me, shaking my head. “Not anymore. He has nightmares and rarely sleeps nowadays,” I admit. “Not very much anybody can do about it.”

The woman nods.

“I never caught your name.”

The woman glances at me. “My name’s Orla Aitken,” She answers, “Witch.”

I smile softly.  “And you practice time magic?” I ask.

She shrugs. “I practice whatever I need to practice,” She answers. “Now, I have enough to do, so you go find Morven and help her with her tasks.”

I nod, turning left down the hall, following the way I went to get to Orla’s office.