Let It Speak

Inside

The old fragile paper made a loud crisp sound as Lily's fingers turned the page. She only had a few pages left. Squinting her eyes, she realized it had become darker and it was now harder to read. How long has she been here?

Lily glanced up for the first time since she opened the book hours ago. The story had consumed her. The sun was making its descend, throwing the last bit of rays through the small eastern windows. Lily turned her head, listening.
There was no low whispers, or the soft sound of pages being turned, or a gentle cough or the shuffling of feet. The library was awfully quiet. She didn't notice the silence setting in until her eyes left the words.

"Hello?" she called out loud enough to disturb the library's 'Whisper Only' rule.

She waited for the librarian to come around the corner and tell her to quiet down. But only the sound of her voice echoed down the hall and between the rows of books throughout the library. As the echo faded it left a more dreadful silence behind.

The chair creaked as she stood up. Lily placed the book in her bag and draped it over her shoulder.

Swallowing, she noticed her mouth was dry. She pushed her glasses back on the bridge of her nose and straightened her knee length skirt. The soft soles of her shoes made almost no sound as she walked to the end of the tall bookshelf. She was all the way in the back of the library.

Just do a quick scan of the place, she told herself. Perhaps she was not alone.

The thought was meant to bring reasurance, to comfort her. But suddenly the idea of not being alone frightened her. She walked past the rows and rows of books as she made her way to the front entrance. The narrow hallway felt as if it was closing in on her, making her feel claustrophobic. Trying to stay calm, she tried to keep walking at a consistent pace. Knowing that if she began to run a full panic would set in.

Her pace quickened anyway. The rows of books started to flash by. One row. Another. The seeminly endless rows of bookshelves creating a dizzying effect. Another row. One more. Another flashed by. In the corner of her eye, she caught the glimpse of a figure at the end of one corridor. Lily ran. She reached for the end of the hall. She didn't remember it being this long. One more stretch.

She broke into the open space, turning quickly to look behind her. There was nothing. No sound. Just the long hall created by bookshelves on both sides and the sound of her heavy breathing.

Lily tried to calm her unsettling nerves that were starting to prickle in the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath and analysed the situation:

She's just locked in, that is all. Nothing too alarming. First, she'll check the door. If it is locked, she'll just go to reception, use the phone, call someone and they'll come and unlock the door.

What about that figure she saw at the end of one corridor? Her mind wanted to spiral her back into a panic. No. She took another breath. Just her imagination. Nothing at all.

Her hand clasped around the door handle. Before se pulled at it, she said a silent prayer, begging for it to be unlocked. She's been coming to this library since she was a little girl. Over the years the place had become a sort of haven for her. Escaping from the world outside and getting lost inside endless stories. It was her most favorite place on earth.

The doors were locked. She was trapped.

This felt like a dream turning into a nightmare. This place that once brought her comfort now became a place that she wanted to escape from. What was happening?

Her mind was being pulled in two different directions. The rational part that told her there's no reason to be worried. She was merely locked inside the library by accident. She was sitting in the back and nobody saw her. That was it and the resolve was only a phone call away.