Ciphers of Chaos

Chapter 3: In which a discovery is discovered, and evidence is found

"So, if she was found in the History floor, why are we in the Classics?"

"Because she said the History floor was closed, stupid!"

"Shut up Connor!"

"I agree with Evan, this makes no sense."

"No one asked you Bryson!"

"Why's it so dark in here?"

"Scared Malloy?"

"No Christopher!"

"Can all of ye shut up!" Danny's voice cut through the arguing of the boys. "And Drake?" 

"Yeah?"

"Is dark in 'ere 'cause I 'aven't turned on the light yet." Just as the words left her mouth she turned the light on and all the boys let out a sigh of relief. "Are all a y'all afraid o' the dark?" She asked.

"Since ya made us read The Big Friendly Giant, yes," Evan said, nodding his head furiously.

Danny rolled her eyes, then walked behind a bookshelf. I have been in the Library many, many times before, but every time it's still amazing. The whole building is strong and beautiful, with seven floors, one for Historical Fiction, one for Classics, one for Romance, one for Mystery/Thrillers, one for Science Fiction, one for Non-fictions/Textbooks, making it more like a castle from a fairytale. We were on the second floor, the Classic floor, following Danny through the maze of endless bookshelves, each made of a sturdy oak wood, and had beautiful carving, not unlike the carving on the wardrobe in our dorm house.

She beckoned us to follow her and we shuffled behind her quietly like patitos (ducklings), stopping a couple times to ask about books, to which she always answered quickly, but never stopped walking, so we all rushed a little to keep up with her. A soft rug with a beautiful rose pattern covered the floor, muffling our footsteps, giving the room an eerie, yet comforting silence.

"Whaddya thinks she will look like?" Evan whispered to Connor.

"Prob' like a corpse," Connor whispered back. 

"I don't wanna see a corpse," Evan whimpered quietly.

"What do you think we were gonna do here? Just read?" Houston whisper-yelled.

"Don't be rude!" Chris scolded.

"Drake's the rude one," Bryson commented, earning a glare from Drake.

"Rude!" Drake whisper-yelled. 

"Exactly!" I whispered to Evan, and he laughed, loudly.

"Shh!" Danny scolded, stopping abruptly, causing all of us to crash into each other. We'd be on the ground if we were dominos. "Shut up, an' look!" She pointed to a bookshelf, and we all tilted our heads in unison.

"Uh, Princess, that's a bookshelf," I said, confused.

"Matty, you've been 'ere befo'!" Danny rolled her eyes and pushed one of the books, a thick volume labeled The Chamber of Secrets.

"Harry Potter?" I asked aloud, "In the Classics?". Danny opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by a slight rumbling. The bookshelf moved back, and turned open, revealing a tunnel with a small light at the end. 

"Yeah, Matty, how could you not remember that?" Drake teased, causing both me and Danny to whirl around and give him a death glare.

"Get yuh own nickname!" Danny hissed at the same time as I said "Only she can call me Matty!"

Drake raised his arms in surrender, and I fought the urge to punch him. Danny noticed my tense shoulders, so she gently took my hand, and led me into the tunnel, the other boys following closely behind. Soon enough, we found ourselves at a staircase, a rusted one that none of us wanted to climb, but still did, Evan whining about the rust and dark, causing a chorus of "shut up!" almost every time he opened his mouth.