the library when you could easily download eBooks was beyond me. As we entered, I saw a display of books to the left of the entrance. It was a display of their author of the month and displayed various books by Stephen Queen.
“What are we doing here again?” Alex whispered.
I shushed Alex and examined the rows of bookshelves for any trouble. I motioned for them to stay behind me while I quickly did a sweep of the library. When I detected no danger I gave them the all clear and everyone seemed to relax a bit. Alex helped me barricade the doors with a few of the desks and chairs.
“Why do you think someone barricaded the library from the outside?” Alex asked as we moved a table towards the door, “Wouldn’t it make more sense to barricade it from the inside?”
“Perhaps they tried to keep the dead out,” I said, “But they found a hiding place elsewhere.”
“That makes no sense.” Alex said, “Why barricade a library?”
Michelle stepped closer and watched us barricade the door.
“To preserve the books.” Michelle said, “If you haven’t noticed, the world has ended. In today’s age most books were digital, so someone thought it was important to preserve what little printed books were left.”
Alex nodded, though I could tell he did not quite grasp the sentimental value someone placed on the books in the library. We stacked a third table against the door and secured it.
“That should do it.” I said proudly.
The library had two floors; fiction books were on the ground floor while the research section was on the first floor. A large, steel, spiral staircase stood in the middle of the floor and led up to the first floor.
“The encyclopaedias will be on the first floor.” Mom said and pointed at the staircase.
I nodded and motioned for everyone to follow me while Fluffy walked beside me. The first floor had four rows of bookshelves and about ten or so tables with chairs for studying. I glanced at the books not knowing where to begin.
“How do encyclopaedias work?” Alex asked.
I was glad he was the one to ask such a stupid question, though I was thinking the exact same thing. We were children of technology and could find anything online with a quick search engine, but books?
“They are arranged alphabetically.” Mom said, “We should just find the C- section.”
“Caesarean?” Alex asked.
“No.” Mom said, “The third letter of the alphabet.”
We split up and I could tell that Alex felt foolish. I joined him on his search down one row of bookshelves and helped him search for the C-section.
“I’m not dumb you know.” Alex finally said.
“I know.” I said and nodded.
The encyclopaedias in this row were Mc to No, which meant we were still a long way off.
“I just say what pops into my head.” Alex said, “Sometimes jokes sound better in my head than they do out loud.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me.” I said with a smile.
“It’s just…” Alex said and stopped, “The image I portray at school is not really who I am, you know? I am not that rough bully everyone wants me to be. I only did it to be accepted by my friends. Inside I am caring and a good person.”
“If you’re friends cannot accept you for who you are,” I said, “Then they aren’t your friends to begin with. I know it sounds like a fortune cookie, but friends don’t try and change each other.”
Alex nodded and sort of drifted off into his own thoughts. I could see that my words were something he longed to hear and that it touched a nerve. I’m not quite sure what happened, but the next thing I knew his lips were pressed up against mine and his tongue rolling around in my mouth. I pushed him away with a sudden jerk.
“What the hell was that?” I whispered staggered.
“I don’t know.” Alex said uneasily, “You were talking about friends accepting you for who you are and I guess I read the signs wrong.”
“What signs?” I asked, “There were no signs.”
“I’m sorry.” Alex said uneasy.
He started walking down the row of bookshelves and left me standing in the same place still stunned by the turn of events. This was certainly the apocalypse – in no other world would your high school bully try to kiss you and succeed. I watched him as he continued his search for the section we were looking for and felt sorry for him. He had to hide who he truly was from everyone for years. It had to be hard not knowing whether your friends would accept you for who you are. It’s not like he came out as a drug user or something he could change. It was his sexuality, something – just like his skin color – which was beyond his control. Despite the kiss, he was a good guy and I still wanted him to be my friend.
9
“Over here.” I heard Michelle say somewhere.
Alex and I made our way through the maze of books until we found Michelle. Mom and Fluffy stood next to her as she took a book from the shelf. She started paging through the book.
“I think this is the book.” Michelle said.
She paged a few moments longer and then handed me the book. It was quite heavy and thick, unlike my notepad which I was used to.
“There.” Michelle said.
I glanced down at the book. There was an entire section in the encyclopaedia about a man called Clairvius Narciss. I quickly scanned through the text looking for something we could use.
“What does it say?” Alex asked.
“Clairvius Narciss,” I read, “Born 1822 was a Haitian man said to have been turned into a zombie by a mixture of drugs. He is the only known recorded person to return from the dead after he rose from his coffin at his own funeral. An unknown assailant shot an arrow headshot, killing Clairvius once more before fleeing on foot. The assailant was never caught. Canadian Ethnobotanist Wade Christians studied the stomach contents of Clairvius and came to the conclusion that the mixture of drugs were ingredients of a necromancy spell.”
“Necromancy?” Mom asked concerned.
“It’s witchcraft involving resurrecting the dead.” Alex said proudly.
“The coroner was called in to do further tests on his body,” I read, “But reported that the body of Clairvius evaporated into a black mist and disappeared.”
Just like Richard did in our kitchen, I thought.
“Oh my.” Mom gasped.
I continued reading, “It is believed that Clairvius is the first true living dead and was perhaps possessed by an ancient evil which gave him the power to vanish. Throughout history there have been scattered reports of bodies disappearing in the same manner after being killed by unknown attackers.”
I searched through the text for something more, but there was nothing else.
“What else is there?” Michelle asked.
“That’s it.” I said disappointed, “There is nothing more.”
The book made a loud boom as I shut it. I stared down at the cover for a moment before putting it back in its place on the shelf.
“At least we know Clairvius was a man.” Alex said.
I pondered about the text I read and wondered if the assailant that shot Clairvius at his funeral wasn’t perhaps a slayer of the dead? It was possible that there were slayers back then trying to keep the dead from rising and he or she knew about Clairvius? It was also possible that it was the same Clairvius that stood in our kitchen and that the dark vapour was its soul or something, but what made him different from the rest of the undead that ruled our world? There had to be more to this character than the encyclopaedia told us.
“What now?” Mom asked.
I saw the questions in their faces and noticed that the sun was setting outside. It would be too risky to go back to the house after dark. We would just have to spend the night in the library.
“We look for more answers.” I said, “There has to be more about this person. I just have a gut feeling.”
Mom and Alex nodded.
“It’s getting dark outside.” I said, “I think we should stay
here for the night.”
We made ourselves at home on the first floor and sat around one of the tables telling stories as the sun set over Kingston Valley. We all were a bit more relaxed and at ease. One could be forgiven for thinking that it was just another ordinary day before the dead took over the world.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Mom asked Alex.
Alex blushed and wanted to shy away from the question, which I understood. He was a very macho guy and one would expect him to like girls.
“No, ma’am.” Alex answered with a shy smile.
“Why not?” Mom asked shocked, “You are an attractive young man. Any girl would be glad to have you.”
Alex was getting uncomfortable so I changed the subject.
“Mom,” I said, “What is your favourite book? I thought since we are spending the night in a library, we could discuss books?”
“Seems fitting.” Michelle said.
Fluffy sat down next to me, shoved my hand with his snout and I patted his head.
“My favourite book?” Mom said, “I’d have to say Gone with the wind.”
“What is that?” Alex asked.
“You’ve never heard of it?” Mom gasped in disbelief, “It is an amazing story. It is a love story set in a period of war. It is a classic.”
“I’ll wait for the movie.” Alex said.
“They already made a movie.” Michelle said with a smile.
“Really?” Alex asked.
“Yes.” I said, “It won like twelve or thirteen Oscars back in the day.”
“Then I really have to watch that movie.” Alex said.
“On what?” Michelle asked, “Sorry to break it to you, but when the world ended technology was the first to go.”
“Fine.” Alex said, “I’ll try and read the book.”
“You can read?” I joked.
Alex smiled and playfully shoved me. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be sitting at a table with my bully and have a good time sharing stories. Guess the apocalypse not only changed the world, but some people too.
“How about you?” Michelle asked me, “What is your favourite book?”
“Besides Hustler?” Alex joked.
I laughed and said, “No! My favourite book is—“
“What’s Hustler about?” Mom asked cutting me off.
The three of us laughed at her question and Fluffy barked twice with excitement.
“It’s nothing mom.” I said, “My favourite book? I would have to say The Glowing by Stephen Queen.”
“Really?” Michelle asked, “You like horror?”
“It was a good read.” I said, “I am not really a fan of horror, but it had a good storyline. I am more of a zombie fan… or used to be.”
There was a moment of silence as we all stared at each other while the irony of what I said sunk in.
“How about you, Alex?” I asked, “What is your favourite book?”
“I don’t really read.” Alex said foolishly, “I prefer movies.”
“So what is your favourite movie?” Mom asked.
“What’s the one with the dinosaurs?” Alex asked.
I was just about to tell him the name of the movie when the sound of someone screaming for help echoed in the night outside. We all sat in silence and listened whether it was real or just the wind. A moment later someone called out for help again. I stood up.
“Don’t.” Alex whispered.
“Why not?” I asked.
“You don’t know what is out there.” Alex said cautiously.
“I cannot ignore someone who needs help.” I said.
I laid my hand on the coiled-up whip that hung from my belt and walked over to one of the windows. Michelle stood next to me and we searched the dark street below.
“Do you see anyone?” Michelle asked.
“No.” I said.
The street below was dark and deserted and the voice was no more. Perhaps it was the wind? Perhaps it belonged to someone who was just eaten alive? To the far left I spotted a man running from the bushes. He kept looking back over his shoulder as he ran out into the street.
“Help me!” The man cried out.
“We have to help him.” I said.
The man kept looking back at something unseen. I stared at the
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