Chereads / Pyromaniac (WSA Special) / Chapter 39 - Memories: Hell's Library

Chapter 39 - Memories: Hell's Library

I wish I had paid attention to Sir Harris's tour because so far, this one isn't going at all the way I wanted it too. Somehow, Alicia and Kieran have gotten along so well that I literally feel like a third wheel. It's not that I'm jealous instead I'm happy they're getting along, but it's just that I've never been a fan of being left out even when the most I'm contributing is silence. So I'm the one to blame for feeling left out.

However, why I'm not contributing today is mostly because of the thoughts that are continuously occupying my mind. Everything else feels so far away except my myself and my thoughts. Even though there's a part of me that can still hear Alicia and Kieran talking and laughing loudly and me giving them huge smiles whenever they'd even so as glance at me.

Anyways, back to present, right now we were walking through some lone, dark corridors. I'm not even sure if they're corridors because the walls looked to be so old as if right out of the Stone Age and as for the floor, I felt as if I was walking right on an ice rink. The only source lighting our paths was that yellow glow at the end of this cave. I swear if it weren't for Alicia and Kieran in front of me, I would have run out of this place in less than 2 seconds. It's giving me those odd creeps.

"Are you kidding me? Elijah's hot! Not the I-can't-take-my-eyes-off-you but the holy-red-chilli-peppers kinda hot. Okay?" Jess's loud and powerful voice rang throughout the cave, drawing even my own attention. My eyes blinked back in surprise and confusion as I registered her first, looking over to Kieran, I could see him doing the same.

As my eyes focused on their position that was 2 ft away from where I was standing, I noticed they had stopped and were now facing each other. Their faces no more that 2 inches away and for some reason, I felt my stomach churn at that for some unknown reason.

Is it jealousy? No, it can't be. Why would I be jealous? It's not like Kieran and me are dating or something. We are just friends. So it doesn't matter even if he chooses to date Alicia. Then why do I feel like I want to push Alicia away from Kieran? Ughhh, I'm not gonna think about this right now, no.

"Oh come on Jess, you can't be serious about crushing on that old man! He didn't even play that big of a role. How about Stefan or Damon or Tyler? Or anyone other than him?!" Kieran exclaimed in disbelief, his hands flying up in the air like a mad man as he stared straight at Alicia.

Their noses were almost touching at this point, I was sure that if even one of them tilts their head, their lips would meet and then I would be left in an awkward situation. No, even if they do plan on dating, they aren't gonna have their first kiss in front of me, nuh-uh. That's just too much!

Clearly Kieran thought so too as his face whipped to my side so furiously, you'd almost think he got a whiplash. His intense brown eyes stared deeply into mine and for a second I was so awestruck by the emotions running through his eyes as if I was watching a movie under a microscope, or maybe not, that's taking it too far. Maybe I was dreaming but his eyes were so realistic that I just couldn't stop thinking otherwise.

His eyes had me so entranced that I didn't even realize he had asked me something that is until I noticed those dark eyes of his narrow slightly, confusion filling his arises and just like that, I was back in the world, awake and alert.

"Raven?" He whispered with such concern that I felt a shiver run down my spine. His voice so deep and quiet, at the same time that I was forced to look at him wide eyed.

"What?" I blurted out in my weird state, clearly because even Jess was looking at me like I'd just said that Tom had finally managed to eat Jerry. I wonder when that would happen.

"You okay, right?" He tilted his head to the side, his eyes scrutinizing me in a way that was totally intended on making me uncomfortable, I'm sure.

So to make it less awkward, I cleared my throat and took a deep breath, a method that always calmed my nerves, before letting on a full-on smile settle on my face, "Of course."

A minute or more passed by as the three of us stayed rooted to our spots and staring at each other's faces before Alicia smiled back at me and just like that all the tension in the atmosphere faded, however I wasn't a fool, I was still very much aware of Kieran staring at me.

That wasn't much of a problem since no later than a second, he too relaxed and the tension in my body too dissipated as well.

"So, what do you think Raven, is Elijah hotter than the rest young male characters?" Kieran asked with a curious glint in his eyes, that's when I realized he was being playful.

Never thought I'd get to see this day..

Anyways, back to the question at hand. So they're discussing the hottest male in vampire diaries where Alicia thinks Elijah's the hottest out of all, even going pass Damon and Stefan. Okay, I admit I might let Elijah through Stefan but Damon?? No, that guys a hot piece of delicious meat! And that's how you figure out the hottest guy folks!

"Sorry Alicia, but I'll have to agree with Kieran. Elijah's attractive but Damon's hot, okay? As for Stefan, sorry Kieran, I'll have to agree with Alicia, Elijah's hot."

"Well played, Raven." Kieran applauded with an impressed smile and a few claps at which I immediately beamed.

"I guess that's fair too..." Alicia stated with a frown, her eyes focusing on the ground.

Before I could go over to her side and console her, Kieran wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hugging her from the side while I tried my best not to walk over and scream at him like a jealous girlfriend.

"Hey, if you think Elijah's hot, he's hot, okay?" He whispered right into her ear that I wasn't even sure how I managed to hear that because I was sure I wasn't meant too.

Afraid of whatever emotions my face might give away, I turn away from them and focus on the walls instead. As I move towards it, my right palm outstretched towards the wall, I feel my surroundings fade away, as if it was only the wall and myself, Alicia and Kieran faded away somewhere unknown. As soon as my palm comes in contact with the rough surface, a sudden currents shoots down my entire body and right to my core. The feeling so foreign to me that I feel paralyzed to the spot, the only thing my mind registering being the lightening shooting through my palm. And then all of a sudden, I'm heaving heavy breaths as I feel the cold rock beneath my palm shake, my eyes threatening to budge out of my sockets.

Shakily, I finally manage to remove my hand with all my will, the force making me unsteady as I feel the ground slip from beneath my shoes, though the two arms around my shoulder keep me upright and I'm grateful for that. Before I could even face my savior, however, the ground beneath me starts to shake with inhumane ferocity. The force sending the two of us - my saviour and me go tumbling down to the floor as my savior too loses balance from the sudden earthquake.

For a minute, there's nothing but blurs of light and colors and the loud screams of someone filling the entire space right before I feel all the air getting knocked out of me. And then everything stops. I quickly take advantage of the opportunity by heaving in large amounts of air in the silence.

"You okay?" The sudden voice and the closeness of it makes me almost jump up in surprise. Almost.

And that's when I feel the wait of someone lying on top of me, a hand under my head as if to protect it. Surprisingly, the thought doesn't surprise me enough to make me shriek and jump ten feet away like I expected. Instead I feel calm and protected. Like I said, that's new.

I glance around my surroundings, trying to find the source of the voice but am instead met with what comes off as a library. From my view, all I can see are old shelves upon shelves for miles and miles filled with worn out books from top to the bottom. The shelves appear to be so huge that I'm sure no human can reach up to that height, not even Robert Wadlow even if he was alive.

"Raven?"

At the voice, my eyes meet that of the person atop me whom I realise as the same person from earlier - my savior. My light brown one meeting his Intense brown eyes. Not exactly a stranger actually. I realize I'm lying atop none other than Kieran and for some odd reason, a faint red colors my cheeks and I immediately hop up on my own feet in one smooth motion, dusting off my clothes to save me some embarrassment. Kieran too is beside me no later than a second.

"Raven, are you alright?" He asks me with worry interlaced with his tone, at that I snap my head up.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Are you?" My eyes take in his attire as I glance at him for any possible injuries with narrowed eyes.

"Of course." I look up at him to see him smiling at me; my eyes narrow further.

"What?"

"Nothing." He says still smiling and then as if he remembers something, the smile fades away and a frown takes it place, seeing that I raise an eyebrow at him but all he gives me is a furtive glance before strolling over to the huge double doors that mark the entrance of the library. Hey, I didn't even see them.

As soon as Kieran's out, I shrug and take that time to tour the library, moving from aisle to aisle and through the world of infinite knowledge. I'm literally forcing myself from grabbing one out and start reading right there and then. Did I mention before I'm sort of a nerd? Anyways, the library is huge, even when I'm sure I haven't toured half of the place, it's incredibly huge. Large crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, shining a soft yellow glow over each aisle. In a place this old, I wonder how the electricity working's. The floor's entirely covered with a thick red carpet, the color being difficult to spot with the authentic Persian design covering each and every corner of it. Aside from it's expensive design, it still looks raw and dusty, instead, the whole place looks like it's been abandoned for centuries and judging by the dusty bubbles floating around the entire space and the cobwebs lining half of the room, I'm pretty sure about my prediction. Asides from that, if this place is indeed forsaken, then how are those chandeliers still working? Something about that just doesn't feel right. In fact, the whole place looks like kind of creepy.

As if to further prove my point, I start hearing whispers followed by hurried footsteps. My breathing picks up as I take shaky steps towards the shelf I'm closer too hoping I can somehow camouflage with it but all my back is met with are edgy corners. However, I stay rooted in my place, the whole library has gone silent and I'm unable to hear even one sound, not that it was noisy before but this silence is just that silence.

'Raven?" I scream and run but before I could get even a feet away, a strong hand grasps my wrist, stopping me from making further escape. The fact that I don't even register that the stranger knew my name was enough proof of how scared out of my mind I was.

My head whips back to look at the serial-killer, stopping me from my escape but am taken aback when I find it's none other than Kieran, my struggling ceasing to a stop. His expressions morphs into one of concern and worry as he takes slow steps towards me, making me clear my head.

I breath heavily, trying to calm down my accelerating heart that is threatening to pop out of my chest any minute now. I think Kieran notices it too because all of a sudden he slides his hand from my wrist to my hand, grabbing it tightly in his large ones before looking at me with another one of his strange expressions. The list goes on and on.

"Raven, your okay. Alright? I just went to get Alicia-" He turn slightly to the side so I can see behind him as he gestures towards a very surprised Alicia who was glancing between the two of us at confusion, "-because she wasn't with us when we landed in here. Okay?"

I stood silent, my lips not even moving ones to indicate any sort of response I was about to make while I continue glancing at Alicia and Kieran with narrowed eyes. The former and the latter both looking at me expectantly.

A tired sigh escapes past my lips as I withdraw my hand from Kieran's firm grasp, earning a surprised look from him at the movement but the expression is gone before I even have the chance to question it. Choosing to ignore that and instead focus on myself only for now, I close my eyes and place my palms besides my forehead, taking in deep breaths, a trick my father did to calm himself. My back leaned against one of the shelves of the aisle while I continue to calm my racing thoughts.

"Are you sure we're alone?" I open my eyes to look at Kieran, my hands moving from their position and folding themselves against my chest, "Because... something about this place just doesn't feel right to me. It's like someone's watching us right now, I'm getting those creeps!"

Kieran looked like he wanted to say something, to assure me that everything was alright, that the only people inside were us and no one else, that no one else was here and that I was just being paranoid but I knew that it isn't just my nerves, it isn't me just being paranoid and it isn't me just... just imagining things that weren't real.

Something inside me, perhaps my 6th sense was nagging at me that everything was indeed real and something was definitely wrong.

So I held up a hand to stop him from whatever he was about to say, "Look, I know you guys don't believe me but can we please just survey the area once? I promise I won't mention this again after I'm sure that no one else is here, so please?"

I looked at both Alicia and Kieran for their confirmation, my teeth biting into my lip so hard that I almost felt that metallic taste for just a second.

"I don't think anything's wrong with that, so why not?" Jess mumbled after a while with a careless shrug before her eyes too drifted towards the guy who was standing like a wall between me and my goal, the wall I was thinking of destroying as each second ticked by, each second that I could've been exploring this creepy library instead trying to get them to agree.

I don't even know why I did what I did when I could've just ignored them and followed my gut instead. They would've eventually come around a minute or so later and even if they hadn't, I wouldn't have cared. I've always been independent and making a few friends that I'm not even sure are friends yet is not gonna change that now.

Still, while my mind had been pressuring me into walking away and ignoring them, my heart had already made the decision for me, thus, I was helpless.

The sound of his sigh echoed around the entire room and my eyes immediately found his right before he gave a short nod. No matter how short or long, it was enough to bring a small smile to my face before I turned around and started my search, however before I could even take a step forward, a thought struck me and I stopped, turning my body slightly to the side.

"You two can go on together, I'll call you when I'm done." With that, I turned around, straightened my shoulders, my chin held up a bit high and walked away, not wanting to hear whether they agreed or not.

Alright, now it's just you and me, creep, I know you're here somewhere and I'll find you even if it means playing a game of hide and seek.

Although, my cousins almost never played hide and seek with me because they knew I was a born champion.

Word of advice, give up before I make you.

Oh come on, give up already! I'm tired, my legs are aching, my eyes are droopy and I want to sleep. I'm sure you get the image of Raven; The Zombie. They should totally shoot a movie on that and I'd make a lovely actress. Or maybe not. We'll have to see that someday.

But that someday is definitely not today, not in this ancient library with vibes that gives you creeps and noises that make your hair straight as a pin. That includes any kind of hair like nose hair, facial hair, pubic hair and the nest that you have on top of your head.

Anyhow, it's been 2 hours 27 minutes since I've been searching this huge like the size of this entire university library. I don't even if that makes sense because I'm unable to put much effort into my thinking right now. So much for perfect grammar.

Alicia and Kieran had called exactly 27 minutes ago from now which means 2 hours earlier. That did come as a surprise that they actually searched for my sake and even made it as far as spending 2 hours in this creepy ass library. Like holy macaws! I can't believe it, really.

Moving past that, since I wasn't finished with the whole touring thing, I told them to continue with whatever they wanted to do in here and I'll meet them when I'm done. This time, though, Kieran agreed without missing a beat, which did come as a surprise but I managed.

So right now, as I struggle to even move my feet, I'm regretting my decision of telling them to have fun while I torture myself. I'm sure by now they'd even have kissed and made out in this creepy ass library. Gross.

Deciding that it was enough and that I'm never ever believing my stupid sixth sense ever again, I reach into my jeans back pocket for my phone but am surprised to find it empty. All of a sudden, my tired state becomes more aware, my droopy eyes stick wide open and legs don't feel like jelly anymore instead I feel the exact opposite, more awake than I was before.

Gulping down the lump in my throat as I look around warily, my hands move to my other back pocket in hopes that the phone would actually be in there and then I won't have to feel this way. My hopes are short lived when I too find it empty before hurriedly checking the remaining two pockets, getting the same outcome from them too. I feel like a bundle of nerves, my hands getting clammy and my breathing uneven to the point that I'm gasping for air. Oh no, I need to find Kieran and Alicia.

This can't be happening right now. I'm supposed to find my phone and the creep, not dying because of some panic attack. I admit I've seen myself dying in numerous ways but not this, this is a shame to my pride!

Oh cut it out, Raven, you're dying and all you can think of is your stupid pride?

What am I supposed to do?!

Go fine Alicia and Kieran or your phone instead of laying there like a useless protagonist.

Hey, this isn't some novel or movie!

Go!

I sighed, which proved to be a great mistake since I ended up gasping and coughing some more, my hand covering my mouth to muffle the sounds as I grab the shelves for support, pushing all my remaining will to move forward and towards the end of this aisle. It's no surprise there when I taste the metallic liquid in my mouth but that's something to worry about later. Right now, I need to focus on getting out of here which proves to be a huge challenge with my uneven breathing and the coughs oozing out blood. Each step forward is like a stab to my stomach, my insides are ripping apart, my lungs screaming and all I can do is endure it and move. I'm sure by the time I finish, I'll surely be dying if I'm not right now.

Finally, after a lot of hard work and effort, I finally manage to get out of there, taking in as much fresh air as possible. I'm currently leaning on my knees, breathing deeply in order to stop my lungs from complaining. Thankfully, the blood filled coughs had too stopped as soon as I'd breathed in a sufficient amount of air. I stay in that position for god knows how long, hoping somehow my two supposed friends would appear beside me and tell me everything was alright. But this was no fairy tale and I was no princess, so my dreams had to remain dreams.

After I'm sure that I'm feeling much better now, I look up and survey my surroundings the first thing. Alright so clearly, I'm lost because this really isn't the way that Marcus and me came in from. This area is clearly VIP seeing the stanchion poles and red ropes. The poles were scattered on the ground in a square formation, the area closed off by the ropes and in the center stood a long wooden podium, the touch of old and dust on it too. However, that wasn't what surprised me, instead it was the emptiness that occupied it's upper base.

There must be something, I mean who leaves an empty podium secured with poles and ropes in an abandoned library. Maybe, they abandoned this too? But as I stood there, staring at the empty space, it was as if my surroundings faded away like that scene that took place earlier before we had landed inside this library, everything around me was gone, even the VIP section indicators and the only thing remaining was me and the podium.

And then all of a sudden, as if time had stopped and the magician had performed a poor trick, a book seemingly out of nowhere possibly materialized in place of the empty space. My mouth hung open like a gaping fish as I stared at the book. Thankfully, their weren't any bees around as far as I'd observed. Wait... where did that come from?

Unable to stop my curious self, I stepped towards it, my footings slow and calculated, my eyes not once leaving the fat book. It was until I was stood right in front of the podium that a sliver of silver caught my eyes, just above the book.

Presenting, in all its glory and superiority, the shiny surface and the perfect size, was none other than my phone. Yeah, mine. It was as if this time everything else had vanished and the urge to get my mobile was greater than all. So I did.

I snapped my phone from above the book, however as soon as my fingers touched the surface of the book, a jolt so forceful that I was unable to stop myself from gasping and screaming as my arms flailed wildly around me and it wasn't long before I felt myself flying and my feet not in contact with sweet mother earth anymore. It was enough to startle and frighten me further so I screamed more loudly although the sound was muffled by the loud thud that echoed around the room as my body collided with the carpeted floor.

Every fiber in my body was screaming at me for the sudden shock, to top it all, I still hadn't recovered fully from the panic attack earlier thus the pain altogether I must be experiencing at the moment. I felt paralyzed, every bone in me was frozen despite the fire that was burning my entire being, it felt as if my insides were being ripped apart. I wanted to scream, shout but all I could do was close my eyes and breath in deeply, hoping to calm the storm building inside me, it felt worse than the panic attack.

As I lay there on the carpeted floor, the cool metal clutched tightly in my right palm reminded me of the actual cause for why I was here even right now, withering in pain. The movement was of course too much for my weakling of a body to handle and I hissed from the pain before burrowing my face into the thick carpet again, repeating the deep breaths again. While I did that, I felt myself turning numb as if all the pain had suddenly vanished into thin air. All I wanted to was crawl over my bed and under my warm comforters and sleep away this night, this memory.

Right before I admitted myself to the darkness, I heard loud footsteps coming my way. Since I was too weak to even move or care about whoever it was, I remained motionless that was until I felt hands on my shoulder, shaking me roughly which immediately made me hiss in pain. Still, I knew I was weak and the black hole in front of my eyes was getting closer and closer by each second until it was just an arm's length away. Though before the darkness could envelop me, I opened my eyes to meet his intense brown ones. At his face, I felt a smile pull on my lips before darkness completely captured me and I felt limp in his arms like a rag doll. He caught me just in time, my knight in shining armor.