The Library of the Departed

Credit: wal_172619

Rows of dark chestnut bookshelves surrounded our dear reader as she navigated between each one, searching for the book she had been dreaming of for the past couple weeks. 

“Where is it?” she mumbled to herself. “I know it is here.”

When she entered the grand library the clerk was nowhere in sight, leaving her alone inside the massive building to find what seemed to haunt her dreams. As she wove in and out of the never-ending rows of book shelves, her eyes scanned the placards and signs, hoping that she would find some sort of hint that the book she needed was nearby. 

Nothing. The library seemed to continue on, and it felt as though she would never get to the end of it. Our dear reader was becoming desperate, and didn’t know what to do. 

“Where is the library clerk? He must know where to find it.” She began to make her way back towards the beginning of the building, but something wasn’t right. 

She was tracing her steps and knew that this was where she was supposed to turn, yet, she had come to a dead end. A large dark chestnut wall with gold trimmings woven in the design presented itself to her instead of a sitting area. Confused, she shook it off and thought to herself that perhaps she had miscounted the shelves she had passed and continued to walk down the narrow pathway. Each time she passed another thick shelf she glanced down either side to see which one to turn towards.

Not this one. Hm, maybe this one. Wait…

Taking a few steps back she needed to make sure what she saw was correct. Had she seen a shadow move fast down on the other end of the row? 

“Hello? Is anyone there?” She called out. 

Being met with silence she listened intently. The grand library was centuries old, so as she listened she heard the building creak. Little clicks popped out of nowhere, but she did not think much of it. She justified the noises as if they were a part of the building’s quirks. Then she heard a door creak open slowly. She didn’t hear anyone walk by or even hear a set of feet walking about, if someone was in the room with her she would’ve heard them well before the door opened. 

The door continued to creak a little more as if someone was trying to open it even further. Our dear reader followed the sounds and soon found herself in a part of the building she had never noticed before. From where she stood it was darker than the rest of the room, pushed to the back corner where no one would be able to find it easily. 

She could see that the door was opened just enough to see into the room. The walls were a deep emerald green, with the same deep chestnut as its baseboard. Low lights graced the room as stained glass lamps were strategically placed. It was clear that there was something in the room that she could not see, and while she was intrigued she knew that it would be wrong to enter a room that was clearly meant to be hidden. Suddenly, a low sound came from the room. 

Mmm hmmm. A soft musical hum lingered in her ears. 

“Hello?” She whispered.

Mmm hmmm. 

It was as if the sound was beckoning her to enter the room. Looking around she noticed that she was still alone and ventured into the room. 

The room was far grander than she could ever imagine. Each wall, while a deep emerald shade, had massive portraits of elegant and refined men and women placed throughout; the women wore gorgeous Victorian styled gowns with their hair pinned into different designs, the men wore their best suits and held their hats as they posed. As she walked throughout the room, she found various books that had no titles gracing the spines or even the front covers. 

While tracing her fingers over each book, table, and the back of the couch, she hadn’t realized that she was no longer alone. The moment she sat down at the large oak desk a sudden chill went down her spine, telling her she must look up. Listening to her instinct her eyes went from the stunning desk to a woman who was standing on the opposite side staring at her and smiling. 

Shocked, our dear reader pushed herself out of the chair and stood up, all the while never taking her eyes off of the woman. 

“Hello.” our reader spoke softly. 

The woman stood there, with a soft smile but never once uttered a word back. Without any warning the woman walked away from her and over to a large portrait where she immediately disappeared into. 

Rubbing her eyes thinking she might’ve been dreaming, our reader told herself that she was still tired from not having gotten any sleep in the past twenty-four hours. 

“I’m getting out of here.” 

The moment she said this a book fell off a shelf and opened on its own. Slowly, she walked over to see what the page was and it was then she realized it was the book she had been searching for. The one that had been haunting her dreams and nightmares these past several weeks. She felt as though she could finally breathe, she finally found it and could put it to rest, but then she realized something, there was something hidden between the text. 

Beneath the moon's pale, ghostly light,

Awake from endless nights.

The clock strikes twelve, the shadows sway,

As echoes of the past hold at bay.

With every word, the night grows still,

A chill descends, a haunting thrill.

So dance with me, oh shades of yore,

In this twilight, forevermore.

With every heartbeat, the prose is spun,

As night and day become as one.

“What does this mean?” She knew what it meant, but she did not want to believe it. Instead she picked up the book, closed it and placed it back on the shelf before leaving the room. 

Once the door closed she found herself sheltered by the darkness, and from where she stood she could see out into the library. Suddenly there were at least a hundred people walking throughout the grand building, but they weren’t from her time. They all dressed like the Victorian women and men from the portraits that hung in the emerald room. 

Thinking none of them would notice her if she creeped out quietly, she began walking through the long bookshelves, trying to ignore them and not look directly in their eyes. 

Suddenly, she felt a hand gently place itself on her shoulder which forced her to stop. Taking a deep breath she turned and saw the woman from the portrait, smiling at her with that same soft smile. Smiling back at her, our reader began to walk backwards till she felt it was necessary to turn and make a run for it. She realized all of them were following her and kept looking back, once she found herself at the lobby she ran into the library clerk. 

“Did you find everything you were looking for?” the gentleman asked.

“Yes, Sir.” 

“Good. Now, did you enjoy the emerald room?”

“What?” still in shock with what just happened in the main room.

The library clerk winked at her and tilted his head towards the crowd of spirits that continued to watch her every move. 

“You know.”

“More than you will ever know.”