Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I switch the flashlight on as I make my way to the edge of one of the bookshelves. I peek around the corner, checking left and right for signs of anyone, when I startle back and scream, dropping my phone. I quickly place my hand over my mouth, praying that no one heard me.
Sitting on one of the center tables is the woman I saw earlier today, swinging her legs idly off the edge. The light from my phone shines up, slightly blinding my view as I stare at her with wide eyes. I blink them multiple times and finally see that she’s grinning at me, still swinging her legs.
I must stand there like a fool with my jaw open because she playfully states, “Take all the time you need, I have eternity at my disposal.”
Hearing her voice has me snapping back into the present moment as I shuffle back. I bend over to grab my phone and lean back against the bookcase in the shadows. I close my eyes, trying to inhale slowly, but my body has other plans as the air rushes in quickly.
“You’re not seeing things. You’re not seeing things,” I whisper to myself.
I wait a few moments for my heart rate to settle. I straighten my shoulders and turn back around the corner and find her right where I left her. Her brows are pinched in concern, her feet no longer swinging. She doesn’t say anything, as if waiting for me to wrap my mind around what I’m seeing.
“Are you truly here?” I ask softly.
Her lip lifts slightly in a kind smile as she nods, her body shining with a subtle glow. I nod back instinctively, processing that maybe I’m not seeing things.
I take a step toward her, and I glance down to see her legs swinging back in their original rhythm, but in a softer movement, not as playful. I tentatively approach her and stop a few feet away as I exhale a shaky breath.
“H-how do I know you’re truly here?” I ask with doubt. I clear my throat as the tightness cinches.
She gives me a sad smile. “I suppose there is no certain way to prove my presence is true to you. But, I assure you, I am here. Pray tell, who has made you question your sanity?”
I don’t respond right away, unsure how to, as I find myself still unable to decipher if this is genuinely happening.
Her eyes bulge as she lifts her hand to her chest. “Please accept my apologies. That was most unbecoming of me to inquire.”
My mouth parts slightly as I nod, then shake my head, overwhelmed. I clear my throat, “Uhm—yes. I mean, of course, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean anything bad when you asked that. I have had quite the upbringing, you could say.”
I scratch my head bashfully and shrug my shoulders to remain as casual as possible.
She offers me a soft smile again. “As did I,” she responds, her eyes looking haunted.
I pull the photograph from my back pocket and present it to her. “Is this you?” I ask her.
Suddenly, I feel foolish offering her the photograph, wondering if she can even hold the object. Oh god, what if this comes off stalkerish? But she surprises me and takes it from my hands.
Her hand flickers slightly as she looks at it, and I see her eyes fill with unshed tears. She nods and looks up at me. “This was obtained in the tunnel?” Her voice is smoother than velvet, feeling like a caress with her proper tongue.
I try to keep my voice casual. “Yes. It was in that tunnel in thebasement. Where I think we first saw each other…” I offer, second-guessing myself, waiting for the confirmation that it really was her.
She passes the photograph back and stands, staring down at me. Her height shocks me. Her chin is easily an inch above the top of my head.
“Stop second-guessing yourself. Indeed, you first saw me down there. But never venture down those tunnels again.” And with that, she disappears. My heart sinks as I stare at where she was standing.Holy fuck, she is a ghost.
I wait a few moments, hoping she changes her mind and returns, but I realize that won’t be happening. I stand there stunned for a second at how quickly she disappeared into thin air, but once again, not scared. Something about being near her is soothing, the alarm bells in my head silent. I could be foolish for trying to chase this, but I just need to know more. The wordfamiliarbrushes against my mind.
I put the photograph back into my pocket and frown as I start to try to find a way to sneak out of the library.
Chapter 5
Mildred
September 2nd
Ifade into nothingness as I watch the disappointment flicker across her lovely face. Truly, what madness possessed me to hope? Foolish, foolish once more. I could sit here endlessly, scolding myself a thousand times over for allowing that reckless urge to speak to her override all sense. Yet I know without a shadow of doubt, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Her voice is divine, greater than one could dream. A brilliant mix of velvet and husky timbres that linger in my bones. I watch as she slips the photograph of me back into her pocket, pausing briefly as her eyes sweep the room, before she begins her quiet departure from the library. I hold my gaze upon her retreating back until she slips through the wooden doors. Almost without thought, I rise to my feet, my body drawn to her once more.
“I can’t endure it again,” I whisper to myself as my lips tremble.
