:Jeanette: Chapter 1
Have you ever had that feeling, when you’re not sure if you’re dreaming or not? When you have a sense of déjà vu? Or when you just know something’s gonna happen, just not how or when? Like when you have a dream that felt so real that you could still hear the battle cries or feel the sting of a scrape when you awoke? I was currently in the middle of that dream, except I was awake.
I looked all around me, searching, for something unknown. Had I been here before? Certainly not, but my eye’s wandered still…searching.
I was at a Library. A very old library, the shelves were built high, touching the ceiling. There were many half floors, each with only a wooden latter to reach each one. It looked a good four stories high. The few windows were dusty and tall, but with dark maroon curtains hiding the suns warm rays. There was one sky light and it even had a latter to it! I imagined reading up on the roof, with the wind beating against the face and pulling at my hair….ah, that would feel nice.
I tried to recall why I had come here, certainly not to read, I had plenty of books at home (all of which I’ve read a hundred times over) and most of these books looked like non-fiction which I tend to avoid, my head hurts enough with trying to pass Calculus with a B, I do not need to cram anymore information in there.
I remembered my dad saying that I needed some fresh air after unloading all those dusty boxes from the attic that we had missed while unpacking a couple days ago. And then, I was here. Odd…I didn’t even know we had a library in Knoxville…
Deciding that while I’m here I might as well do something, I walked up to the desk where a white-haired old man was drinking a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper.
“Umm, excuse me?” I said uncertainly, for all I knew, the library was closed—that would explain the lack of people.
The man looked up, startled, his half moon glasses slid down his long nose. He blinked and stared, open-mouthed, at me. I unconsciously straightened, what was this guy’s deal? The old man blinked again and coughed.
“O-oh, umm, well, may I help you?” He asked, it seemed to me like he hadn’t said much in a while with the way his voice was all raspy and he kept licking his lips.
“Um, well I was just wondering if the library was closed, it seems to be empty…” I drifted off, not knowing how to put the rest.
“Oh, the library’s never closed,” He said, lowering his glasses to look at me, “And we don’t get many people, so you’re a rarity.” He said, that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. What kind of library is never closed? Don’t the employee’s need to, well, sleep!?
I blinked and looked up at the man—he had no name tag so I have no idea what his name is. “So, I can look around?” I asked uncertainly, feeling like an idiot times two.
“Oh, by all means…” He gestured at all the book shelves, then smiled. “Will you be needing a card?” he asked, was it just me or was there an edge of excitement in his voice, or maybe it was slyness? I nodded but said that I would fill out the form after I had looked at the book selection. There’s no sense in getting a card for a library I’ll never set foot in again.
* * * * *
I skimmed the books, placing a finger barely above their spines while reading the tittles. None seemed to interest me, sure the ‘Witch Crafts and Sorcery’ sounded good but then again, I couldn’t get my hands to pick it up. It’s like they’d turned numb almost. I just shook them a bit and walked on.
I climbed onto the second floor and skimmed along the book shelves, finding nothing; I went to the next floor and was half way through scanning the shelves when something caught my eye. It was a dark green, leather bound book. It looked old beyond belief; I could see the dust layers on the cover and had to brush it off to read the title. ‘The Gifts’, it said, I raised an eyebrow, it didn’t have an authors name printed on the front, or back, or anywhere else that I could see. Curious, I flipped open to a random page and saw a vivid picture, I had to basically stick my face onto the page to see anything and make sense of it.
There were floating stones—seven to be exact,--encased in a light blue...umm…bubble? Yeah, that seemed to fit. I couldn’t see the stones clearly because of the bubble, and the horrible photography or painting, or whatever this is; but I could see that they each had a different symbol carved onto them, and maybe a different color? I couldn’t tell.
I read the caption underneath the picture. ‘The Gifts of Seven in the room of Thaset, the night before they disappeared.’ What the…?
“I’m not gonna write you a love song, ‘cause you asked for it…” Cell phone, right.
“Hello?” I answered
“Zalema Dorothy Phillips, do you know what time it is?!” Mom, great. I glanced down at my watch, 6:34 p.m. Crud, I was late for dinner. Mom has dinner at six fifteen, everyday. We have no idea why, she just insist that we have at least one family time of the day. No excuses, no matter what happens. Ugh, whatever.
I flew down the latter, still holding the book and ran up to the librarian. I threw him the book while scrambling to get the library card papers that he was magically holding, bless him. I filled it out as fast as possible as he checked out the book with my new library card, it’s like he knew I was in a hurry, well who wouldn’t when you look like an extremely hyper monkey gone crazy, ‘cause I’m pretty sure that’s what I looked like.
I grabbed the library card and book and flew out the door.
* * * * *
The old librarian looked over the filled out paper after the girl was gone. 'It's time...'
Name: Zalema Phillips
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Birthday: 9/07/91
Home phone: (865) 331-2496
Mobile phone: (1-865) 421-7791
Email: art1stw1t3g0@gmail.com
Guardian: Celina Phillips (mom)
Mothers name: Celina Phillips
Fathers name: Ryan Carlos
Mother’s current occupation: English teacher at E.C.T. College
Father’s current occupation: Unknown
Occupation: Employee at Starlow’s Bakery
Address: 1619 Westdrive rd
City: Knoxville
State: Tennessee
Zip code: 24971
Do you wish to receive regular mail from the library: Yes
* * * * *
I made it just in time; mom was just setting down our pasta when I flew in…literally. “I’m….here….” I said between breathes, it had taken me forever to get here, 1# because I have no idea how I got to the library so I had no idea how to get back, and 2# because the guy I asked for directions was not cooperating. I’m glad I made it here before midnight! Even on a bike it still took forever.
“Zalema, you know the rules, six fifteen, every night.” Mom said, sitting down at the table, I followed her and sat down across from her.
“I know mom, I was at a library, getting a library card,” I said as I pulled out my library card.
“But, sweetie, there is no library in Knox county,” She said as she took the card. No library….? Great, I’m crazy.
“Yes there is mom; it’s just really old,” I explained, “Maybe I was in Maryville or something.” I added thinking to how long it took to get here.
“No, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t any library on the map on Google,” She said handing me back my card, and then I remembered the book I got.
“Here, look at this,” I said handing her the book.
“Sweetie, you have this book,” She said showing me the cover, I gaped like a fish out of water, it read ‘The Faerie Path’ She’s right, I do have that book, but, I could’ve sworn that it said….am I going crazy…?
“You know what mom, I think I’m just going to go to bed,” I said, standing up and walking out of the kitchen. In the morning I’m going to march straight up to the nonexistent library and demand why I have the wrong book and why they were not on the map. Actually, I probably wouldn’t do any of that but still…
[K, I know that it's rough, and I know that some of the information is wrong, I'm pretty sure there's a library SOMEWHERE in Knox county....]
