Imagination, Faith And Magic (Part Six)

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Part One Here
Part Two Here
Part Three Here
Part Four Here
Part Five Here

"Sorry, old girl. Didn't mean to startle you. It is a bit spooky and foreboding down here. But I suppose this is as safe a place as any - for the incunabulum, of course. Are you quite alright? Or do you need a moment?"

"I...what? I mean, yes, I'm okay. Is this...what did you say this place was?"

"Ah, place - space. An interesting reality - dimension - don't you know? It's in our nature to take space as a given...", and then more to himself than to Andi, "...it is, I suppose, for the best, though one might argue that naivete is no more desirable than evil, when it comes to naming things, at the very least..."

Her nerves still jangling, Andi was scanning the room while only partially listening to her English companion. It was a small room full of books, as she had seen on her long walk down the corridor, but the bookcases had sheets of glass across the fronts of them with some sort of locking device (at least that's what it looked like) on each pane. Each shelf was illuminated (though Andi couldn't see exactly where the light was coming from) and the books on the shelves were extremely old - with the odd exception of an occasional folder - or even more odd, what appeared to be picture frames stacked like books. In addition to the bookshelves, there was the haphazard collection of chairs - a couple of red leather ones with those gold buttons running up the arms and across the back, tattered old wooden chairs and cushy recliner in the corner - two tables and an old boarded up fireplace. The lights in this room were those awful four-foot long, fluorescent bulbs - bare, with nothing to hide their nakedness - and to her right there was a glass door between two of the bookshelves with "Authorized Personal Only" stamped across it - pitch black beyond.

"...so whether it is in our natures or not, one of the places this place is (dear me, it is difficult to talk about it, isn't it?) Well, it is a place of storage for the next exhibition. My ancestors, you see, have generously offered my personal collection to the Southcentral Circuit, but the local museum didn't have place or space to store them - or so they said - and thus they were brought here for safe keeping. But I suppose the more important place that this place is, is the library. You know, of course, what the library is? You have studied Rowling, correct?"

Andi was now staring at the English man with what she hoped to be a politely puzzled look, though the fact that he had just talked for two minutes straight only to conclude with the obvious fact - that she was in the library - did test her nerves a bit.

He was tall and slender, athletic built, with straw colored hair and blue eyes, but his face was not particularly handsome - there was something bird-like about it, though not menacing. Far from that, his face and demeanor seemed to suggest a bit of air-headedness, like someone who might look in every crook and cranny for their eyeglasses while they were safely perched on their nose. Not that he wore glasses - but still. That kind of face.

"Rowling, did you say? Um...no, sorry I guess don't know him. But anyway (she rushed on before he could start speaking again) it is the library, of course, so maybe I'll just take a look around."

She made to move towards one of the shelves, hoping to disentangle herself. Overhead somewhere, she heard another chorus of slow rolling thunder.

"It is difficult to casually browse the incunabulum as they are all locked up. Was there one in particular you'd like to see?"

"Umm..."

"Might I suggest one?"

Andi had no idea what incunabulum was - it sounded like a made up word. And she was half a mind now to just get out of there, but before she could think of how to make her exit, the Englishman spoke again.

"The Mind of the Maker. By my favorite author of all times - at least, to the one who has my loyalty. I enjoy other authors as well. She wouldn't have it any other way."

"Oh, I've read that one."

"Read? Or read?"

"I did read it already..." Andi said, feeling slightly confused about her verb tense.

"Time is another one of those dimensions we take for granted. Don't worry, now. I'll spare you the lecture, but of course, as you know, in some sense The Mind of the Maker shouldn't be here at all. In another, it is the only thing here. I see you are confused. I'm afraid it gets more and more confusing until it gets better. But see here, that is the one you are looking for, I'm sure. Would you like to have a go?"

Not totally familiar with English phrases, to "have a go" at a library book seemed a bit odd. But there was something compelling about the offer. She was, after all, the one who had searched out the Arm of God, and it had just now occurred to her what a similarity there was between the Arm of God and The Mind of the Maker.

"And it happens to be out for a bit of minor upkeep, so you will be free to...erm...Peruse it. Shall I show you?"

"Sure" said Andi agreeably.

"Marvelous! Just through this door here..."

And he guided her toward the glass door with the red "Authorized Personal Only" stamped across it. From somewhere she could hear those first big, fat, slow raindrops hitting glass.

"If you'll just get the door..."

She pulled the door open, the sound of rain suddenly louder than before, and stepped in. It was colder in here. The Englishman followed her in and began muttering "lights...lights...lights..."

"Try on your side" he said.

The door closed behind them.

Andi stretched out her hand for the wall. It was rough cut stone, as opposed to the smooth concrete blocks of the rest of the library. She ran her fingers along the wall, it seemed impossible in the dark -

"Why is it so dark?" she suddenly exclaimed. For she had just realized that a glass door should not block out the light in the room they had just come from.

"Not to worry, not to worry! Just keep looking!" came a cheerful answer.

But now her heart was pounding like the raindrops above. In fact...she couldn't quite tell...that drumming in her ear...was that the rain or...was it...her...heart?

Her hands flew to her neck, seeking her pulse. She just needed to know what was what. Just one guard against the disorientation that was flooding her. Just one thing to be sure - just her pulse - where was her pulse? She couldn't feel her pulse!

She switched sides. Nothing.

"Andi?"

She grabbed her wrist.

"Andi? You need the light..."

No pulse. No pulse! Darkness all around!

"Andi, just keep looking for the light. You'll be fine."

The drumming increased, louder and faster in her ears. She threw her hands out in front of her in the darkness. Fear was constricting her windpipe - or was it death - she was wheezing, her hands flailing about in front of her, banging against the stone, cutting her flesh.

"The light Andi, find the light."

His voice came from just over her right shoulder. She could feel his breath on her neck. Andi wheeled around with her arms outstretched, seeking him, but there was only air.

"HELP ME!"

"Turn back to the wall" came his voice, this time in her left ear.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?"

She swung her hands toward the voice - gasping,wheezing - the pounding in her ears louder than before.

Faintly this time, she heard him, "You alone can turn on the light, I cannot turn it on for you. The light is your salvation Andi. Turn on the light."

She threw herself at the wall. Her mind seized on one thing - the light! He said the light was her salvation! She must find the light! Frantic fingers flew over the cold stone, she pressed her body against, stretching out, panic like a fire in her brain...

"LIGHT! LIGHT! LIGHT!

Cold metal brushed her right hand - the switch! She threw it -

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

You know the feeling you have when you flip the switch headed into the bathroom - your mind on other very important things - and the light bulb blows? How there is light and then darkness so quickly that you really only "see" the light as a memory? You know how there's that "pop" sound? Well, imagine all of that multiplied by 100.

There was a tremendous explosion - a sound like thunder and a brilliant flash of white heat - like lightening. And then? A ringing, piercing silence.

She was frozen in a wide-mouth scream. Her mind just now remembering the light. What she had seen in the light...

To be continued...

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 9/28/2006 11:29:00 AM

 

Comments:

...tension builds...

# by:  spookyrach : 3:41 PM

 

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