by Amy Cross
I wait, desperately hoping that I've lost that thing.
“Come on,” I whisper, as I check my phone again. I wave it all around, but there's still no signal. This building must have some kind of lead roof, maybe even lead walls, because I'm in the heart of London and I should have signal. No matter how old this building is, no matter how thick the walls are, I should be able to call for help. This is so not fair!
I look along the aisle again, but there's still no sign of the creature. Was it a wolf? Maybe, but I don't think wolves are known for their big glowing red eyes, and I'm starting to really freak out here.
“This isn't actually happening,” I say out loud, hoping to sort my head out. “Sure, you're trapped in some old library, but you have an overactive imagination that's starting to freak out a little too much. There's no -”
Before I can complete that sentence, I spot movement at the far end of the aisle, as a dark, dog-like shape pads into view. Two red eyes glare at me, and the creature stops as if it's studying me and deciding what move to make next. In the near darkness of this part of the library, I really can't make out any details of the creature, but a moment later it takes another step forward and I instinctively turn and hurry along another aisle.
After just a couple of paces, I break into a run, hurtling along first this aisle and then another, then a few more, not stopping until finally I start to feel a painful case of stitch in my side. Coming to a breathless stop next to yet another set of shelves, I look over my shoulder, but the creature almost immediately comes into view at the aisle's far end.
I immediately step out of sight, but my heart is pounding and it's pretty obvious what's happening here.
I'm being hunted.
Already, I can hear the creature coming closer. It's obviously being cautious, but at the same time its caution is ebbing away and I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time before it attacks properly. I have absolutely no way of defending myself, other than a flimsy umbrella, and I seriously doubt that I can outrun a fully-grown wolf. I hurry through to another aisle, then to another, but I know I'm only delaying the inevitable. That creature can probably track my scent; if it can't, it can surely hear me. I look along yet another dark, empty aisle, and I realize that I'm running out of time to think of any more options.
Suddenly hearing a panting sound over my shoulder, I turn and see that the creature has crept closer than ever.
“Hey, stay away from me!” I yell, stepping back, hoping that maybe I can scare the damn thing away. After a moment, I start waving my umbrella like a sword. “If you come near me I'll -”
The creature roars, shutting me up in an instant, and I step back again until I bump against another set of shelves. I know I should probably try not to show any fear, but that's easier said than done. As the creature takes another step forward, I realize that it's lowering the front half of its body slightly, as if it's preparing to strike. Now that it's closer, I can see that this thing has huge jaws, with saliva dribbling from the sides of its mouth and large, sharp teeth exposed at the front. The creature's head looks more like the head of a bat, but the rest of its body is distinctly dog-like.
“Okay,” I stammer, my voice filled with fear, “let's just -”
It snarls again, and I shrink back tighter against the shelf. I hold my umbrella out again, but my hands are trembling and I'm pretty sure I don't look terrifying at all. I know I won't be able to outrun this thing, but after a moment I look over at the opposite shelf and I realize that I might yet have one chance. For all its ferocity, the creature is large and quite bulky, and I guess my best hope is that it's not a very good climber.
Then again, I'm not a very good climber either.
Suddenly it lunges at me, and I jump out of the way. Stumbling along the aisle, I reach out and grab the opposite set of shelves, and I start hauling myself up. At least the shelves are stable, so I'm able to quickly climb up to halfway, only to scream as I suddenly feel something sharp slicing into my right leg. Looking down, I see that the creature has slashed at me with one of its huge paws, slicing through my skin with its claws. It tries to bite me, but I swing my umbrella at its face.
The creature bites the umbrella and rips it from my hands, briefly chewing through it before spitting the two broken pieces out and lunging at me again.
Sheer panic helps me clamber up out of the way. I still have The Book of Libraries with me, tucked under my chin as I climb up to the very highest part of the shelf, and finally I roll over onto the flat space at the top.
So much for using my umbrella as a sword, but I guess the attempt might have bought me a couple of vital seconds.
Letting out a gasp of relief, I look back down and see that although the creature is frantically trying to climb up after me, it's barely managing to get above the first shelf. I guess my theory about it being a bad climber was pretty good, although a moment later I look at my right leg and see that there's a big gash running from just below the knee all the way down to my ankle. I've lost a lot of blood, and I'm losing more right now, and when I try to get up I feel a sharp flash of pain.
“Damn it!” I hiss as I try again, only to find that I'm starting to feel strangely dizzy.
Leaning back against the top of the shelf, I realize that I'm freezing cold, and my teeth start chattering. I can still hear the creature snarling below, trying everything in its attempts to climb up and rip me to pieces, but at least for now it seems unable to reach me. I take a few deep breaths as my whole body begins to shiver, and then I allow myself to close my eyes. I'm so exhausted, and I know that I need to keep awake but I can't help myself.
By the time I realize I'm passing out, I'm too late to stop myself, and I drift away into nothingness.
Chapter Four
A patch of warmth, spreading slowly across the side of my face, wakes me from a dreamless sleep. My eyes blink open and I find myself staring up at a vast, orangey-red sky. For a few seconds, I have no idea what's happening, but then a bird flies into my field of vision, arcing from right to left, and I hear some other creature letting out a distant caw. Finally, still feeling weak, I sit up and find that all the darkness has lifted.
I'm outside.
I'm still on top of the library shelf, but the walls and ceiling of the library building have vanished. All I can see, for miles and miles, running as far as the horizon, are countless aisles of shelving. Dazed and confused, I look around and see the same thing in every direction. From up here on top of this shelf, I can see for what must be hundreds of miles stretching away, but apart from a few distant shapes that rise up high into the morning sky, there's nothing but a seemingly endless range of library shelves.
It's as if I'm in the world's largest library, and somehow it's outside, exposed to the elements.
Another bird caws in the distance, and I look up to see that now there are several of them wheeling across the beautiful reds and oranges of the sky. There are clouds up there, too, tinted a kind of pale pink, and when I look over my shoulder I realize I can see the rising sun low in the sky. I must have passed out and been unconscious up here for a few hours, but as I continue to look around I simply can't work out where the actual library has gone. I mean, the shelves are here, but the building itself is... missing.
And all of London is missing too.
I try to get up, but something's wrong with my right leg. Looking down, I see that although the wound has stopped bleeding, it's still pretty deep. There's a fair amount of blood caked across the shelf's edge, running down the side. When I look down, I'm relieved that there's no sign of the large dog-like creature, although the ruined remains of my umbrella have been left in the dirt. I guess the creature's absence only solves one of my problems. Besides, it must be around here somewhere, perhaps waiting for me to come down from up here.
Wherever 'here' is.
My leg hurts too much for me to stand, so instead I simply shift around and try to spot something that explains this madness. I can see a thin plume of smoke ris
ing up from one of the shapes in the distance. When I squint, I'm just about able to see that the shape appears to be some kind of building, perhaps a turreted castle. That doesn't really help to explain anything, and – besides – the castle, or whatever it is, must be thirty miles away or more. Even without an injured leg, I wouldn't fancy my chances of getting there.
None of this makes sense.
Mum and Dad must be so worried about me. If it's morning here, it must be morning back in London, so they'll know by now that I'm missing and I didn't leave anything behind that could help them figure out where I went. When I check my phone, I see that of course there's still no signal, and my battery percentage is already down in the teens. At the same time, I know that I simply can't be here in this strange place, so I'm starting to wonder whether I might have passed out and suffered from some kind of brain injury. This must all be in my head.
Looking down at The Book of Libraries, I realize that my current predicament is entirely due to the fact that I just had to get hold of the damn thing. All of that stuff feels so completely unimportant right now, and when I pick the book up I'm suddenly filled with an overwhelming urge to throw it as far away as possible. At the last moment, however, I relent as I realize that none of this is the book's fault. I stare down at the cover for a few seconds, and then – as a cold wind blows against me and ruffles my hair – I start opening the book at a random point to take a look.
“No!” a voice barks at me from inside the book, which immediately slams shut.
“Huh?” I gasp.
I hesitate, and then I try to open the book again, only to find that it's holding itself firmly closed. I have to really dig my fingertips in deep, but finally I force the book open.
Suddenly two sets of sharp little teeth, one row on the front cover and one on the back, burst into view and cut into my fingers. Shocked, I let go of the book as it falls down next to my feet and once again slams shut.
Okay, now I seriously think I'm losing my mind.
Before I can even try to figure out what's happening, however, I hear a sneeze coming from nearby. Turning, I quickly spot a pair of dark green 'things' sticking up from – and slowly moving along – one of the other aisles. I hear a faint muttering sound, and then the antennae twitch wildly as I hear another sneeze. My first instinct is to stay completely and absolutely still, and to attract no attention, but then I remember the sneezing person from last night. Maybe this is all in my head, maybe I'm 100% gold-plated cockamamie crazy, but I need help and this person seemed pretty friendly last night.
As I try to summon the courage to call out, I watch as the antennae reach the end of the aisle. Then they turn, heading off into the distance.
“No, wait!” I yell. “Hey, please, I need to ask you something!”
The antennae stop, and then after a moment they slowly turn back this way. Whoever's down there in that aisle, at least I've got their attention.
“I think I spoke to you last night,” I continue, as another gust of wind blows against me. “My name's Alexandra. People call me Alex. Listen, I don't mean to bother you, but I'm still just as lost as I was back then, and like a thousand times more confused, and I guess what I'm saying is that I don't know how to get back out of the... library.”
I wait, but the antennae are simply twitching now in the breeze. Finally, just as I start to worry that I might not get any help, they start coming this way. I hear footsteps reaching the end of the aisle and then coming closer. Figuring that I need to be brave, I inch my way to the edge and look down, and then I see a face staring up at me, and I freeze.
This can so not be really happening in any way whatsoever in all the world under no circumstances I refuse to believe this is actually right here now.
Gulp.
“Hello again,” says the man, who has a bright green grasshopper head and large yellow eyes. “What are you doing up there? Oh, wait, safety. Yes, wise. Very wise.”
“What...”
My voice trails off.
“What what?” he replies.
“What are...”
I stare at him. His eyes are absolutely beautiful, more amber than yellow I realize now, with several different layers leading down to a dark slit-like center.
“Is that a mask?” I ask finally.
“Is what a mask?” he replies, as his antennae twitch again.
Looking down at the man's body, I see that he's wearing a dark purple, old-fashioned coat that goes almost down to his ankles, along with a color-matched waistcoat and a set of light gray trousers. It's as if he's cosplaying as some character from a really trippy story about half-man, half-insect people, and I feel as if my brain – no longer knowing how to react to anything – has just given up trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. For the first time in my life, I'm genuinely lost for words. I have so many questions, but as my mouth opens slightly I can only let out a series of faint, nonsensical utterings.
“Well,” the grasshopper man says, “if that's all you want, I'll be on my way. You have fun up there.”
He turns and starts walking away.
“No, stop!” I gasp, trying to get up, only to cry out in pain as soon as I put any weight on my injured leg. Instead, I resort to crawling a little way along the top of the shelf until I catch up to him.
“Are you okay?” he asks, stopping and looking back up at me. “You're not hurt, are you?”
“Something attacked me last night,” I explain, wincing as the pain flickers and burns, “after I talked to you. It was some kind of big dog thing, but I don't think it was a dog, and it bit me.”
“Ah, I see.” He nods sagely. “Yes, well, there are some rather unfortunate creatures that come out at night here in the library. Seeing as you seem to be new here, and all alone, I suppose you had to learn that the hard way.”
“Where are we?” I ask, as I look out across the vast rows of shelves and aisles that seem to stretch to infinity.
“We're in the Great Library,” the man replies, “and you, by the way, can call me Tom.”
I turn back to him.
“Tom?”
“It's my name.”
“What's the Great Library?” I ask.
“This. You're in it.”
“But what is it? Where is it?”
“Forgive me,” he replies, “sometimes I forget what humans do and don't know about. I've heard of humans accidentally ending up here in the past, they wriggle backwards through portals and end up lost and confused, although I've never actually come across one myself before now. Actually, I heard that it hadn't happened in a long old time, not for a couple of thousand years. Not since the days of the glory of the Soldiers of Tea.”
“The Soldiers of what?”
“You really are starting from zero, aren't you?”
“Where are we, exactly, in relation to London?”
“I'd need to know what London is, before I could answer that. Is London where you're from? Is it a human place?”
I nod, but I'm close to tears. It's obvious that I'm a long way from home, even if I half suspect that this is all in my mind and that in reality my body is gibbering and twitching on the floor in that gloomy old library back home.
“You're a very great distance from any human place now,” Tom tells me, with a hint of gravity in his voice, as if he knows that this is serious. “As I believe I told you last night, the greatest mistake you can make right now is to loiter in this one area in the hope that you can magically find your way back by going the way you came. Now, in the old days, I'd tell you to go straight to one of the citadels, and to try to get in touch with a librarian. They used to know all the little nooks and crannies around here, but...”
His voice trails off for a moment.
“But what?” I ask.
“Well, they're all gone now,” he explains, and now he sounds sad. “Most of the citadels have been destroyed, too. Ever since Darvill began his great crusade and crushed the last of the Soldiers of Tea, the Great Library has bee
n plunged into a period of terror unsurpassed in all the worlds. With most of the citadels gone, and all the librarians dead, most of the old knowledge has begun to fade away. We still have the books, of course. The Great Library holds a copy of every book ever created in any language on any world.”
“Every book ever?” I ask, convinced that I must be misunderstanding his claim.
“The best of the best, and of course all the dross too. Why there's any need for certain titles, I'll never understand, although I suppose these traditions are important. But without the librarians to organize it all...”
I wait for him to continue. What he's saying sounds so absurd, I can't even get my head around it.
Before either of us can say anything, however, I hear a loud crashing sound in the distance. Looking toward the horizon, I'm shocked to see a bright ball of flames engulfing one of the castle-like structures.
“What's happening?” Tom asks. “I can't see from down here! Tell me!”
“It's one of those places,” I tell him, using a hand to shield my eyes as the light flares. “The ones that rise up above the -”
“The citadels, yes. What's happening to it?”
“It's...”
For a moment, I can only watch as the ball of light gets brighter, and then it fades away as the entire citadel crumbles to nothing. After just a few more seconds, there's no sign that the citadel was ever there at all.
“It's gone,” I say, looking back down at Tom. “What happened? There was a big ball of light, like flames, and then it was just... not there anymore.”
“I'll tell you what happened,” he says gravely. “Darvill and his army happened. They're going around destroying every citadel in their path, trying to erase the last of the old knowledge. Tell me, how many citadels can you see on the horizon now?”
I squint as I look all around.
“Only two,” I tell him, pointing first at one and then at the other. “They're quite close together.”
