A thief in the library?

Lurking behind the walls of the library is an addiction.

An addiction that feels like home.

A home that gives me peace.

Books,

I found my solace in this word, my very own comfort, where I imagined every character as me, in which, sometimes I was the hero’s beloved, and sometimes I was the villain’s obsession, or often times I became the perfect side character.

I lived in the souls of these characters.

They lived in mine.

That was the reason, why I was so often found in the library, tucked in some corner, oblivious to the world, just a book in my hand, and aroma of coffee richly flowing around me, hidden away from the chaos.

“ Aurora.”

And then my dear best friend grace, successfully pulled me out from my fantasy world, to the real world.

“ Did you even listen to what I just said?” she questioned, giving me a look that meant,

‘ You better say yes, or we aren’t going to be friend anymore.'

“ Of course, I heard, you were just giving my daily dose of gossip.”

“And?” she raised her brows,“ what was the ‘gossip’ I was talking about.”

“ Lana slept with the chemistry teacher?” I quickly pipped.

“ Didn’t I tell you about that one month ago?” here goes the same look again.

“ Okay fine I wasn’t listening.” There it is, I accepted, I mean it wasn’t my fault either, grace is well aware that I’m not interested in gossips, but she is still adamant to feed me ‘the daily dose of gossips’. That’s what she calls it as.

“ I seriously cannot believe myself and also the fact that why out of all people, I choose you as my best friend.” Grace huffed tired by my reveries but as I said not my fault.

“Because, you love me.” I tried giving her the puppy eyes.

“ Stop ogling me with your eyes.” Grace huffed again, her face resembling to the untamed red hair of her.

“ Why don’t you tell me again about the thing that you were talking about.” I suggested anything to escape grace’s wrath. “ And this time I will pay as much concentration as I pay in my accounts class."

“ Then that would mean, zero concentration.” She sighed. I flashed her my full watt smile.

I gazed out from the window, rain has been splattering against the windshield of the library, making the commotion inside the library increase. Passerby finding refuges from the rain, all the while looking at the sky and delivering beautiful words from their mouth. Making the old librarian sitting behind the desk angry.

 Her wrinkly eyes enlarging with every squishing of a wet boot on the floor.

“What do you think about it?” grace ended her statement making me realize that I again missed out on what she was saying.

“Thief-

“Help, a thief in the library, somebody catch him.”

‘Thank you thief, you saved me today.’ I mentally sighed.

I got up from the booth that I was so comfortably tucked in on. Only to get crash into some wall.

No, not a wall, not at all.

A man, I crashed into a man, or maybe the thief. Think, maybe he came here to say ‘ you’re welcome to me’. Stop it Layla, not a good time.

The man suddenly grabbed me by my arm, his gloved hand holding my arm with so much force, felt like it would be ripped off. How did he have so much strength?

“ Here, you need to read this book.” I opened my mouth to scream but stopped when his voice resonated in my ears.

He was here to give me a book.

A thief wanted to give me a book.

“ I don’t have much time. Here, take this book.” He removed a book that was tucked under his arm, proceeding to give it to me.

“ Why would I take this book, who are you and why would you give this book to me.” I got my voice back, I was so confused, why was this random stranger asking me to read a book.

“I don’t have time to give you all the answer, I have been told to give you this book, you need to read it, only you will read it and nobody else should get a hold of this book, if they find this book, everything will come to an end, the world would come to an end.” Saying this he grabbed my fist and placed the book onto my palm. I gazed down to look at it. The book was just a usual fictional book, but the tittle that was weird, ‘the gateway of reality.’ Why would somebody name their book as such.

“Aurora.”

“Aurora, are you okay?” I can feel somebody jerking my should, butut I don’t know who they are.

“ Aurora, you are scaring me.” Again that voice. “ Can you hear me Aurora.”

"Aurora.”

“ Why are you shouting like that?” I looked around and as I guessed everybody was staring no glaring at us.

“ You are really asking me that, you were like a statue just now, oh god! You scared me so fucking bad.” Huh, what is grace talking about?

“Me and statue and wait where’s the thief?” In all the bustle I completely forgot about the thief. Where did he disappear like that?

“ What thief, where’s the thief, there’s no thief here, you are really acting strange, you know that?" I wasn’t the one acting strange, she was the one being weird, how can she not know about the thief.

“ The thief who handed me the book, wasn’t the old librarian shouting about catching the thief. How can you just forget everything?” I explained.

Grace raised her brows, her brown eyes staring into mine, or more like glaring into my soul, I don’t know why was she angry?

“ It’s not me who’s forgetting, it’s you who’s being delusional. And why would you call Ms Jane an old lady, she is just in her thirties, you know she will suck you alive, if she hears you calling her an old lady.” She lowers her voice to a whisper all the while looking at me as if I have grown two heads.

“What are you talking me about, there’s no jane it’s the old lady who’s eyes crinkled- I turned my head towards the librarian’s desk and

There she was, jane beaming at everybody who passed by her desk, there’s was no old lady, with wrinkled eyes glaring at people, because of their squishing boots.

“ But it was raining and- I stopped in mid sentence. It wasn’t raining but rather the orange hue of the sun was shielding the windows of the library. How’s that possible? Then what I saw, was that real, was I being delusional, wait the book,

I rummaged through the bag spilling out everything in search of the book, with grace stare heavily resting on me. Their was a book in my bag, taking it out, I read the tittle, it said ‘ gateway to fiction world.’ But wasn’t the tittle, ‘ the gateway to reality.’

“Aurora, I think you need rest, I think you have read too much fiction today, your brain’s just playing with you. We should head home now, okay?” she sighed, grace thinks it’s my brain tricking me but I don’t think that’s true, my dream cannot be this much real.

But I think she was right, maybe I needed some rest, so without further arguing I gave in and made my towards the librarian desk, I needed to issue this book, I had to read this book.

“Good evening Ms jane.” I greeted her, and got one of her bright smiles in return.

“ good evening Aurora, what book are you taking home today?” Ms jane is my favourite librarian, her sweet nature can allure a stone heart too.

“ I want to issue this book.” I said while keeping the mystery book onto the table, maybe she would know something about this book.

She glanced at the book and then back at me and tipped her head back and started laughing.

“ Ms jane did I miss any joke here?” I frowned.

“Oh my dear lady! I can only issue the books present in the library, this book is not part of this library.” She looked at me strangely, but how can that be possible? I don’t remember getting this book from anywhere else.

“ You would have got this book from somewhere else.” Jane spoke, noticing the frown on my face.

“But-

“I think you should take a rest, maybe today’s day has taken a toll on you.” Ms jane advised, I really need a big freaking nap.

“That’s what I tell her Ms jane, she really needs to rest, don’t know what’s with her today, but she keeps on talking strange stuff about thief and all.” Grace interrupted from beside me, a mask of worry layering on her face.

I glanced at the watch on my wrist, a gift from my sister and see that soon it will be time for dinner. Grabbing the book I placed it in my bag and exchanged goodbyes with Ms jane. Who suddenly stopped me and ushered me to come close to her.

“ I think you should read this book, but beware the book should be safe, if anything happens to the book, the world will not be ready for the miseries.” She whispered and I was frozen unable to comprehend her words. Those same words were uttered by the thief or more like the man dressed in black. What was so dangerous about this book.

I looked at her mortified but she only gave me one of her cheerful smile, but this time their was nothing cheerful in the smile, this time the smile was hiding something terrifying beneath it.

I rushed back towards the door and towards grace who was waiting outside, pretty impatiently.

Dark clouds were making their way into the sky, indicating that it would soon be night. I parted ways with grace and made my way towards my apartment. It was just a ten minute walk from the library.

Green haven was a beautiful city, coming from the hustle of the port dept town, I finally found my peace in this city. The city was located on the westside of Rivendell and was surrounded with five different rivers. One could smell the shore from afar, from its widely known riverside market, that was filled with locals and tourists to the beautiful cafes and floral shops lining the sidewalks. The place was perfect.

Making my way towards my floor I greeted Mr sherry the chauffeur, of the building’s elevator. He lives in this building but loves to become the elevator man, says it gives him company.

Entering my cozy little apartment is like shaking hands with paradise, my safe space. the place matches me perfectly, simple and minimal, that’s the motto.

I had to make dinner and take a shower but rather than going towards the kitchen onto the left side, I perched my hips on the sofa, grabbed my bag and took the book out.

I am curious and till the time I wouldn’t know what’s in the book, I will just not find any peace.

I read the cover again, ‘gateway to fictional world.’ Why such a tittle, the book was definitely a fictional book that much was clear. Turning the cover, I came across the disclaimer, or should I say onto the two lines written on the first page.

“ There is a world,

“ maybe one day you will it,

Where fiction and reality will collide.”

Strange.

I flipped the next page, it was blank, I flipped the next, yet another blank page, I went through the entire book, only to come across some blank pages.

“What?”

I can only come to one conclusion now, somebody has pranked me, for an instance maybe the thief has pranked me, but what about miss jane, why did she asked me to read a blank book and moreover told me to keep it safe.

How can a blank book be dangerous?

I needed a shower, I could feel the stress resting on my shoulder, I needed a bath to calm my nerves before I seriously lose my sanity.

Discarding the book on the sofa I made my way towards my room, the bed was tempting me to come and collapse onto it.

But no, shower first.

Grabbing the towel, I went into the bathroom. But I was physically taking a shower, but my mind was stuck on today’s event. Thief that only I could see, miss jane’s creepy smile and her strange words. And then that blank book.

Shaking my head to get rid of the thoughts, I turned off the shower head and tied the towel around me.

Finally I could sleep now, but wait I had to make dinner too, groaning to myself, I twisted the knob to open the bathroom door and then I screamed,

There’s was somebody in my room...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***