Sam checked her watch for the seventh time in ten minutes. It was five minutes to midnight, which meant that she could finally start closing up the library.
She hated working the night shift. The only time anyone would come in after eight was during times when there were exams to study for and projects to finish. Other than that the library was quieter than a cemetery at this time of night.
And during the night, there was something wrong about it.
It was always colder, always darker . . . even in the emptiness Sam felt like there were a thousand eyes upon her. Watching her every move. The thought that she wasn't alone filled her veins with ice and sent shivers through her body.
With a breath to calm herself, she switched the computer off and quickly grabbed her bag from the floor, before she stood and made her way straight for the door. Being sure to slam it shut quickly once she'd turned the lights off.
Outside the rain was pouring down, typical for this time of year. When she turned her face towards the sky she noticed the black clouds, and without spending too much time thinking about it she knew that a storm was coming. Sam pulled her coat around herself tightly, as though the material would shield her from whatever was coming. Storms like this were always a prelude to something awful, that one undeniable truth she had learned in her life.
She ran to her car, thinking that she would call Michelle and suggest they keep the library closed if the storm was still going by tomorrow morning.
At the car, she rummaged through her bag for her keys, but paused, when she felt something missing.
Her glasses.
With an irate sigh she realised that she must have left them on the desk.
For a moment she stared at the distorted reflection of the old gothic building in the car window, a feeling of dread gnawing at her insides. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. I am a grown woman, she thought, not a child . . . I shouldn't be afraid of the dark.
Sam squared her shoulders, before she turned and jogged across the parking lot to the library doors. The ends of her jeans being soaked in the rain. As she approached the door she pulled her keys from her bag and unlocked it, ignoring the apprehension she felt as she pushed it open and stepped inside.
The bells on the library's clock began to chime just as the door swung shut behind her, she winced at the sound of the tolling bells echoing in the emptiness.
She reached out a hand and flicked the light switch beside the door.
Nothing happened.
She let a sigh, and flicked the switch again and again, feeling herself become more and more agitated as, once again, nothing happened.
Sam closed her eyes in annoyance, and reached into her pocket to pull out her phone, using the light from the screen to provide a small amount of visibility to lead her to the desk. She ran to it, feeling slightly breathless as she frantically began to search the tabletop for her glasses. Finding it difficult because of the dark.
After a moment, her hand hit into what felt like their leather case. She pointed her phone at it, allowing the screen to illuminate the spot, just to make sure. Relief flooded through her when she saw that it was in fact her glasses, and she shoved them into her bag, looking around at the darkness as she did.
She turned, about to make her way out of the library when she heard a noise coming from the back room.
The sound of a creak in the darkness caused her to jump with fright, and slowly she looked over her shoulder, her heart racing within her chest.
YOU ARE READING
Immortal Souls (The Immortal Souls: Magic & Chaos)
FantasySam just wanted to be normal. To be able to wake up every morning knowing she was safe. To no longer be the girl who was hunted. Jamie just wanted to learn more about where he came from and where he could find more like him. Now their lives have bec...
