Evernight Library

Death is the ultimate end to any person. It is one of the common constants between any person no matter what gender, race, or social class. What happens after death is a question that most people would have thought about at least once, perhaps in passing or even pondering upon its imminence late at night. I never thought that life after death would like this.

My afterlife is cold and quiet. Endless halls surrounded by darkness, unable to do anything but wander aimlessly. It's lonely. I can't believe this. I'm a ghost and for some reason, I'm stuck in this library!

Shouldn't there be heaven or hell or something? How can the afterlife be a library?

"You're in a Library, read the books there!" You all might be thinking that it is ridiculous for me to be bored inside a library with thousands of books on a variety of topics. I have tried. But as a ghost, I just pass through everything. Books, shelves, pens, everything in this library just slips through my grasp. Actually no, I have one thing that I can touch.

After a short while of walking, I was faced with the huge wooden entry doors of the library. "Here we go." I placed my hands on the metal handles. And with all the strength I could muster, I pulled on the handles. It didn't even budge.

"Ahhh!" Trying to get my frustration out of my system, I screamed on top of my lungs. As always, there was no response. At the peak of my frustration, I lied down on the floor. From my position, I had perfect view of the huge wall clock. The time read: 11:02. As it always does.

How can the afterlife me like this? There is no way that this is heaven. Maybe this is hell. Maybe the devil decided to be a little creative and gave me this. My own personal hell. All alone in silence with time standing still. My personal hell, a library, surrounded by books but never able to read, able to hold the door but never able to open it. It's boring. I'm bored.

After what seemed like an eternity of staring at the ceiling a new sound was heard throughout the library. Not another one of my screams, not my crying, but the sound of breaking glass.

Finally, something new! I immediately stood and rushed towards the sound. Passing through whatever blocked my way, I ran as fast as I could. And then finally, there she was, a sight to behold.

I stopped walking as soon as I saw her. My sudden oasis in this desert. Just a glimpse of her brought unspeakable joy in my heart. I slowly began to approach her again.

"I didn't mean to break the window." She whispered, carefully stepping away from the shards of broken glass. This girl was wearing a simple sun dress and had her hair down. Her dress was covered with dirt and so was the rest of her. But she was the most alluring thing I have seen. I continued to stare, frozen.

I continued to watch silently until, "I can't -" The girl suddenly collapsed on the floor. It was then that I noticed that she was not only covered in dirt, but she was worryingly thin and her feet were rough with scars and callouses. I snapped myself out of my trance and approached her.

Hesitantly, as if handling the most precious porcelain, I tried to reach for her. I tried to tap her in the shoulder to wake her up but I was only met with great disappointment. As with everything else in the library, my hand passed right through. My heart sank. Maybe I've finally lost my mind completely and this is all just a hallucination.

I lied down next to her. I've waited thousands of years already. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for this girl to wake up. At least this is better than nothing. Instead of the usual silence, I could hear the breathing of this girl sleeping on the floor.

"Hi, I'm Tess. I'm a ghost and I'm stuck here in this stupid library." Finally in the presence of a person, I was feeling a little chatty. "You're the first person I've seen in a looong time. Take your time sleeping. When you wake up, I have many questions -" In the small silence between my words, I heard a new sound. I stopped talking and the sound became clearer.

tik tik tik

As if a continuation a miracle, I heard the sound I dreamed of hearing for so long. The clock had started ticking again. I listened to the rhythm of the seconds passing and following the new things that happened, I was lulled to sleep by the gentle sound. For the first time since I woke up in the library, I fell asleep.

---

4:02

When I opened my eyes, she was no longer there. I was immediately wide awake and on my feet. Frantically looking around, I saw that the broken glass was still there, the clock was ticking, but the girl was no where in sight. I ran around the room searching wherever I could but she was nowhere to be found.

"No, no, no" I whispered to myself. "It can be a hallucination. The glass is still here" I found myself back where I started, staring at the broken glass lying in around the window floor, shining like little gems. Evidence that there was someone who came in her and broke it.

Shining like gems?!

Ever since I was here, darkness was the only thing I could see when I peeked out of the closed window. In fact, this whole library was covered in darkness but now these were shining. I walked towards the window and with whatever strength I could muster, I stuck my head out of the window and to my surprise, I was able to peek out. And except for the usual darkness, there was something special. Something up in the sky, a glowing ball of light.

"Moon! Shit it's the moon!" In my excitement, I pushed myself and tried to stick my head further. It was then that I was repelled back. However, being repelled did nothing to dampen my joy. I was freed from my silence by breaking glass and the ticking sound of the clock. And now my darkness has been cleared by moon's presence.

I walked along the wall, grinning as I looked at the moonlight shining trough the windows. And as I turned at the end corner, I saw familiar black hair peeking out behind a shelf. The girl was siting on the floor, hugging her knees, her face buried in the gap.

"So this is where you've been Moon moon." I snickered a little at the nickname I've made. "I searched everywhere for you. I was scared that you went away. I slept for the first time in forever. I wish I just continued sleep for forever." I sat next to her. "But now that I've found you, waking up is a little more worth it."

"Please I can't run anymore. Stop chasing me. I didn't do it." I could hear her murmur.

"You can see me?" I asked. The girl hugged her knees even tighter.

"Hey, can you see me?" My hands just passed through her again. I tried to take a peek at her face, but her eyes were shut tight and she kept on murmuring.

"You can't see me." It doesn't matter. We have all the time in the world. I sat right where she was sitting, my body overlapping with hers. Slowly, my body became heavier and heavier as if exhausted after running. I couldn't stop my tears. After years of unfeeling emptiness, the only sensations I was familiar with was boredom and cold. But right now, sitting with her, I could finally feel something else.

The exhaustion grew worse and worse. My eyes became heavy and soon, I was asleep. The second time I've slept for as long as I can remember. But the sleep was restless and soon I woke up.

Sure enough, this time again, the girl was no where in sight when I woke up, but I was no longer panicked. Something inside assured me that she was still here inside my library. Standing up from the floor I slept on, I began to take a stroll from the library. I tried to brush my hand against the books but as always they passed right through. So I continued to walk until I was in the most secluded part of the library and I reached a book case that had my favorite book.

I actually haven't read the book but it was something that reminded me of who I was. "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" the title read. I was only able to remember my name for so long because of this book. I would spend hours in front of this book and just constantly repeat my name to myself, afraid that I'll lose the only thing I could hold on to.

Tess, Tess, Tess,

"Tess" A voice as clear as a bell called to me. I turned but no one was there. "Tess" For the second time, the voice called out. It must be her. After taking one last look at the book, I continued walking. I walked and I walked until I had roamed the entire library and again returned to the place where it all started. The hallway with the broken window.

Different from the last time I saw it, the hall was no longer illuminated by soft moonlight, but it now glowed a a vibrant red. The glass shards looked like fire instead of gems and again standing in the middle of it all, was the girl. She stood with her back facing me, illuminated by the what I now understand, was the first rays of sunlight.

She turned my direction and I can finally see her face. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes but I could see that she refused to sob. I was drawn to her. I slowly approached her, and in that moment, our eyes met.

"Tess" Sher voice was cracked and feeble but I heard her words clear as day. My steps faltered. "Save me."

She knows me! She can see me! How can she see me? I rushed to her and wrapped my arms around her. And somehow, this time, my arms didn't slip. I had no idea why I was able to hug her and I could not even imagine what other things can happen next, but they were all pushed to the back of my mind as I held her in my arms.

My first dawn to rise on this never ending night.