Melsisa's Library.

Melsisa's Library
By: Cody Hall

The Library is a place that I love to be! I'm here day in and day out. If I'm not here studying I'm here working. I was one of the lucky ones to get a part time job here, while I was in school.

"Cade, did you get the new books out we got form the shipment this week?" Old man Randy asked. Old man Randy has been the library manager here for sometime now. I remember back when I was only twelve or so; Old man Randy was still running the place. Of course, he wasn't so old back then as he is now. But he's been working here for some time. I was one of the lucky ones to get on here. Sometimes I think he only hired me, because I'm here all the time.

"No sir, I didn't know we had gotten any in. Where are they?"

"Down stairs. I unloaded the truck and put them down there. If you don't mind going to get them."
I smirked," Isn't that my job?" I laid the box of books I was carrying on the front desk and made my way down the hallway to the staircase. I went down the staircase observing the amazing painting on the walls of our wonderful Library. When I made it down to the main floor, I stopped for a moment, inhaling the air; looking up to the windows, which were painted a bright yellow color to let more sun in.

"I love this place." I let out the deep breath of air I took in, making my way from the main floor over to the staircase that lead down to the basement.

Darkness seeped into the sunlight, from the basement below. I shivered, looking down into the basement to only find nothing but darkness.

"What am I so scared of? I've been down in the basement tons of times before." I gulped, putting one foot down onto the first platform of the stairs; Darkness quickly sucked my foot in.
What the hell is so different about going down there this time? I thought to myself," Nothing absolutely nothing. It's all in my head that's all."

I took a placed my other foot down on the stair platform, pulling out the flashlight that was in my pocket, turning it on, and slowly making my way down the staircase to the basement. Darkness crept in all around and absorbed my light from my flashlight. After what seemed like twenty minutes, due to walking so slow down from the stairs; I finally reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Now to find what he did with those books." I said, shining the light around the room, trying to find the box that old man Randy left down here.

I slowly took steps forward into the dark fortress around me, shining the light from side to side," This is odd usually he leaves them at the bottom of the stairs." I sighed, making my way deeper into the basement. The farther I went the colder the basement started to feel. A cold chill came over me.
"It's all in my head, it's all in my head." I mumbled," I've been down here a thousand times. There's nothing down here that can bother me. Now to just find out where Randy put that damn box."

I had to be at least half way to the end of the basement. So I came to a stop where I was, looking around for the box one more time.
"That's odd it's no where to be found. Guess I'll just go back upstairs and ask him where he put it." I slowly turned around taking a step at a time back toward the staircase. As I was about to make my way upstairs I heard a loud thud, making me jump, and turn around to look behind me. The loud thud had apparently come from the distance. I shined my light to look in the distance to see what made the noise, but the darkness just absorbed my light. I wasn't able to see very far. Knowing my luck it was probably some teenage kids playing a prank on me.

"Is anyone down here? I hope you know I work here and if this is some teenage, trying to play a trick on me it's not going to work. I have been here for some time and I'm a good friend with Randy. So if you don't show yourself now I'll make sure he kicks you out of the library for good!" I demand, but my echo was the only thing to answer me back. I tried to not let it bother me too much. So I turned around slowly making my way back up the stairs. I out one foot on the first platform and heard a faint voice say: Fate.

I quickly ran back up the staircase to the main floor. When I was back on the main floor I calmed myself down. I didn't want any of the customers to notice that something had alarmed me. Fate I thought to myself. What could fate mean? The better question is who or what said that. After giving it a lot thought I started to think it was some sort of prank. I mean after all, the box I went down for was missing, so it had to be some teenage kids playing some sort of prank on me. I went back up to the third level to meet up with Randy.

"Cade, where are the books that I asked you to bring up?" Randy Asked.

"I couldn't find them down there, sir." I threw my arms up in the air," I looked everywhere, but they were no where to be found."
Randy raised one eyebrow," I laid them in the normal spot that I normally laid them." I took a step closer to Randy and whispered into his ear," I think some kids made their way down into the basement. The box was gone and I heard a loud thud, shortly after that on the way back up something said fate."

Randy looked shocked as I was telling him this," So you think some punk kids are down in the basement?" I nodded," I'm mostly certain of it, sir." Randy shook his head, grabbing a bigger flashlight then the one I had on the counter, and motioned for me to follow him, as he made his way down to the lower level.

"I got to tell you, I get sick of these kids, nowadays. They got no respect for a public place like this, anymore. It's all about playing pranks and scaring people. But I guess you can't expect anything less from a place this big." Randy chuckled, turning his flashlight, and slowly making his way down the stairs. I too turned my flashlight on as I followed behind him.

I was shocked to see the box laying at the bottom of the stairs, when we got to the bottom.

"What the-"

"How could you over look that? I knew I laid it right here."

"Randy, I swear to you when I was down here early it wasn't here."

"Hm, that's right." Randy said shining his light in the distance," My name is Randy Jones.
I'm the Library manager of this place and I demand that whoever is down here comes out now!" Randy demanded. Of course I don't see how anyone could take him to seriously. Randy was one of those sweet elder guys that had a soft voice. So shouting, or demanding to him was a normal talking voice to me. Sighing I decided to repeat what he said," Did you not hear him!? He said he's the Library manager and he demands you come out right now!" My voice echoed back at me with the word now.

"Cade, I don't think anyone is down here."

"Maybe you're right, but how do you explain the voice that said Fate to me?" I sighed.

"Maybe it was just your imagination playing tricks on you? After all it is really dark down here." I shook my head," No, I swear I heard it. I swear I did. You've known me for a long time, and you know I'm not crazy." Randy started laughing a little bit," Calm down there, kiddo. I know for a fact you're not crazy. All I'm saying is that maybe your imagination got the best of you this time, that's all."
I shook my head," No, I don't think so. How far back does this basement go, anyways? It's like a dungeon down here."

"Honestly, I don't know. It's been like this ever since I started here."

"Hm…"

"Well, we better be getting back upstairs. Grab that box of books and lets go, kiddo."

I did exactly what Randy said, carrying the books back upstairs. As the day progressed I continued with my job, but couldn't shake the fact of what happened down in the basement earlier today. What was even weirder was the feeling I got before I entered the staircase. Trying to explain things to old man Randy didn't work very well either. Out of all the days I've worked here I've never experience anything like I experience earlier. I looked down at my watching seeing that it was going on six–o-clock already. Old man Randy approached me, while I was in one of the aisles putting the return books away.

"Hey kiddo, do you want to close up for me tonight? It's only two more hours."

"No, I don't mind."

"Thanks." Randy smiled, putting his jacket and scarf on around his neck. After Randy left I locked one of the doors and turned off a couple of the lights. Shortly after that I went to the third level and spoke into the intercom," Ladies and gentleman please find your last few books, and proceed to the check them out. The Library will be closing soon, thank you."

After checking out the rest of the costumers I locked the door behind them, making my way to computer lab to do some research," I know Randy wants me to close up, but I think I'm going to do some research on this place, before I do anything." I said typing the library's name, locations and address in on the Google search engine. Needless to say, nothing came up. I was shocked to see that the basement wasn't used for anything.
"So what the hell happened down in the basement earlier?" I stroked my chin trying to figure this out.

Figuring there was only one way to find out, I decided to man up and go back down into the basement. Of course, this was after I closed up the rest of the library. The basement seemed so much colder this time then it was earlier.
"Okay, look, if there is anyone down here I demand you show yourself now." No one responded to me once, again. The only thing I heard this time was a dripping noise in the distance. I slowly walked deeper into the basement (This time it was much easier to keep my mind focused on what was ahead, considering I didn't have to look for a box.) taking one step at a time. The farther I went the colder it got and the closer I got to the dripping sound. What the hell could it be? I thought to myself, as the noise drew closer the closer I got.
The basement didn't seem like it was ever going to end. That's when I heard it again.
-Thud-
"What the!" I turned around looking behind where the noise came from, but I didn't see anything," That's odd. Nothing's here…Maybe I should just turn back. I'm thinking too much into this." I whisper to myself, noticing that the dripping noise had stopped too. That was of course before I started walking, again. Once I started walking forward I started to hear it again. Now I was curious as to what was causing the dripping noise, so I started shinning my light side to side, observing my surroundings. The only thing I noticed was the brick walls around me. I didn't notice anything different. It's just the same old shit! Just looked as if this place was a dungeon.

I walked a little farther still thinking I should turn back, ignoring that thought in the back of my head. After what at least seemed like an hour of walking I finally figure out what the dripping noise was. I had to rub my eyes twice to make sure I wasn't seeing things….Sure enough it was real. Four bodies hanging upside down without their heads. Bloods oozing out from where their heads have been cut off; The dripping noise was caused by their blood dripping on the floor. I covered my mouth to keep from getting sick, but it was no use. I turned my head to the side and threw up. It makes sense now. These three guys were down here earlier and pulling prank on me. That would explain the box missing, but who killed them. Who did this to them.

I was about to turn around and go upstairs when my light caught a figure. The figure was floating in the air. She was wearing a light brown dress; it almost looked like something out of the medieval times. Her hair was a curly brown color, while her face almost looked like that of deaths, or a zombie. I was to in shock to scream. I was to in shock to move. I just stood there as she pointed to me saying in a all to familiar voice," Fate."

Not knowing, or caring what she meant I finally was able to move my legs again. So I quickly took off running back down the dark basement, up the staircase to the main floor, and running into one of the book aisle. I curled up into a ball in the corner and put my knees to my chest, while resting my head on my arms," It's all in the your head, it's all in your head." I mumbled, rocking back and forth in my little ball. When I lifted my head again the floor was gone. It was almost like I was in purgatory…There was no floor. The floor was a complete blood red color.

I quickly stood back up, shaking my head," This isn't possible how is any of this happening?" Asked myself, running down the aisle that I just went down, but books flying off the shelves quickly cut me off.

The books started to make a circular motion looking almost like a tornado. Holding my hand out in front of my face, to block out the gusts of winds, I got a glimpse of what was in the woman in the middle.
"What is you want from me!?" I called out to her. The woman held out her long boney finger and pointed it at me," Your soul." Her scratchy witch like voice ran right through, and sent shivers down my spine.
"My soul!? Why the hell do you want my soul? You'll have to kill me for it!" I stopped for a second to notice the woman's evil looking smile that came across her face.
"Shit." I mumbled taking off running the other way down the aisle. But before I could get to far a giant wall appeared at the end of the aisle…there was nowhere to go I was trapped. Come on Cade! Think. Think. Think. What to do? Where to go? I thought to myself, looking around at my surroundings. But the only thing I saw was an ugly looking woman in front of me, and bookshelves in on both sides of me.
"Wait! What am I thinking?" I said aloud," Sorry old man Randy, I know you're going to hate me, but this has to be done." I ran toward the bookshelves on the right side of me, doing a shoulder dive into the shelves, knocking them over. I quickly stood backup to see all the other bookshelves fall like dominos.
"Great!" I said, quickly running of in the other direction toward the main doors. I was about to reach the front doors when something grabbed my foot. I fell onto the floor face first. Luckily, I was still conscience, and was able to turn around. The woman's arm had extended out and had wrapped around my leg. She was slowly pulling me toward her.
"I thought I told you to have my soul, you're going to have to kill me!" I said, reaching down into my pocket, pulling out my pocketknife, and jabbing her in the arm with it. She let out a loud screeching scream.

I quickly got up and ran to the front doors. I expected the doors to be locked, but they weren't. I quickly ran around to the back of the library where there was an old shed. Old man Randy told me to only open in case of emergencies. I nodded thinking that to myself.
"I think this qualifies." I smirked, kicking open the shed door. The only thing the shed held was a fire extinguisher, an axe, a mower, and a container of gasoline. On one of the shelves of the shed was a box of matches. Without even giving it any thought I grabbed the matches and the container of gasoline. I went back outside and started pouring the gasoline around the library. When I got to the front of the doors I lit a match.
"I hope you have fun burning in hell. Or wherever it is you came from, you ugly bitch." I said, striking the match and throwing it on the ground where the gasoline was poured.

I sat watching the flames as they quickly darted up over the library. It didn't take long for the emergency crews to respond. One of the fire fighters grabbed me by the shoulders, asking me if I was okay. I nodded. Shortly after two of the local police officers came over to ask me what had happened.
"There was dead people in the basement…She killed them."
The two officers looked at one another," I'm sorry Cade, come again?"
"There was four dead bodies in the basement. She killed them. So I had to set the place on fire."
"You're going to need to come down town with us." The officers cuffed me leading me to their car. They won't understand. I couldn't tell them that some demon lady wanted my soul and was haunting the library. They'd lock me up. So instead I told them she killed four men and I burnt the place down.

Now I sit in my jail cell not able to sleep. Night after night goes by…And I just can't sleep. She's there. Waiting for me to close my eyes when I fall sleep…She's waiting for me to fall asleep so she can take my soul.