The Library

Shay was sitting head in hand, absently leafing through the book set on the table in front of her. Her mind no longer active enough to study and she wasn't even reading anymore just staring and the blob of words that had merged together on the page. It was getting late and most people would have headed home by now but not Shay. She was sitting in her local library, a place she had found herself more and more in recent times. It was a small, old library with rows of tightly packed books, each section smaller than she would have liked. Often she found herself ordering in books from other libraries from the district or just buying them online but even though she had many places she could sit and read she always found herself returning to this place. It had charm, and held memories for Shay. Memories of sitting next to her father as he told her another fanciful story of another world filled with magick, and darkness or sat down with her to read in silence. But her father had gone missing years before, and she wasn't a kid anymore. Mr Shaibel the librarian still sometimes treated her like one though. He had a soft spot for Shay and often set things aside in case she came and found refuge one again after another fight with her mother, or another bad day at school. The Library was her home away from home. Or rather away from the place that should feel like home, but no longer did.

Shay sensed movement next to her and glanced up so see Mr Shaibel standing above her. He was an old man, rather spry for his age. A wisp of white was all that was left of his hair, and his wrinkled green eyes always seemed to be glittering with kindness.

"Well Shay dear I'm going to head home now, remember to lock up when you're done."

Shay smiled and said, "I always do."

Mr Shaibel chuckled and patted her shoulder, "yes, yes I know dear. Now I'll see you tomorrow, and it better not be early, you will go home this time won't you?"

Shay's smile slipped away but she nodded, "yeah of course, I'm sorry about that-"

Mr Shaibel interrupted her with a wave of the hand and said, "you already apologised, and it was accepted I just wanna make sure you go to sleep in a proper bed, least you get terrible problems with yer back in your old age like me."

Shay tilted in her chair to cast an unconvinced glance at Mr Shaibel's perfectly straight back and said, "well don't you worry. I hardly enjoyed my overnight stay her, I'll avoid doing it again."

Mr Shaibel nodded, "I'm glad to hear it. Goodnight, Shay."

"Goodnight, Mr Shaibel. See you tomorrow."

With a sigh Shay returned to her book only to snap it shut a few moments later. It was too late to study, she was too tired to retain anything. Maybe she should just go home now, she knew she was just stalling. But self awareness did nothing to move her from her seat and with another heavy sigh she set her chin down on the table gazing out across the sea of books. While the library was always quiet during they day, it was never like this. There would be coughs, gentle whispers, you could feel the presence of the people around you. But now, in the dark of the night and the thick silence Shay knew she was alone. Which was just the way she liked it.

Getting to her feet Shay picked her books up off the table and moved to return them to their proper places on the shelves, resigned to her fate. She had just turned to pick up her bag and leave when she froze. She had heard something, coming from the storage room.

"Mr Shaibel?"

There was no answer to her call and slowly she moved towards the staff door.

"Mr Shaibel was that you?"

Again, silence, and Shay was half convinced she had imagined it. Either way she had to check it out. Hardening her resolve she gripped the door handle and flung it open only to be met with darkness. Even so Shay's heartrate spiked and she quickly reached in to switch on the light. As expected, it was just the storage room with its rows of shelves filled with an assortment of boxes. Nothing seemed out of place. She had only been in the storage room a few times but everything looked the same as she remembered it, right down to the floor mirror that was pushed into the corner... Why was there a mirror here she wondered. It was weird, out of place, yet it had always been there. With a frown Shay stepped in front of it gazing at her reflection. She looked just as she expected. Her dark skin and her curly hair dyed an array of red orange and yellow. Her dishevelled clothes and tired eyes. She had to of been imagining things, there was nothing here.

She turned to leave but the moment she took a step she swayed as the world tipped on its axis. She reached out for a shelf to support herself only to find herself falling right though into darkness. She could feel herself spinning, tumbling, falling, falling. She felt sick, she couldn't see and then cold and wet. Shay gasped a she sat upright, grasping desperately at the...stone basin next to her. She was sitting in a pool of water, up to her waist. She still felt terribly ill and dizzy and blindly she dragged herself over the lip and went tumbling onto the grassy ground. Grass. Why was there grass. As her eyes slowly began to focus she made out a large stone building and rows of electric lamps humming in the darkness. With a wince she rolled over onto her back pressing a hand to her forehead and was met with a starless night sky.

"...Where am I?"