With a gun in my hand, I thought for a moment that I might be able to end it all. The bullet in the chamber would be enough, yet there was a sprig of doubt lingering. Out of those times I brushed against death, what would make this time unique? There's no guarantee I wouldn't be dragged back to the room and be stuck in an endless cycle of torment with that woman.
"What's wrong, Gray? Cat got your tongue?" The librarian taunts as she leans over her desk.
Then, there's the question of whether she's an actual ally. While she may wear Ashley's face and have her voice, she's nothing like the real one. She had the same stare as those eyes, looking for a morbid way to dissect my thoughts and actions. I had to pick my words carefully.
"Why am I still alive?" I ask as I reluctantly holster my handgun.
"Lost your mind already?" She giggles as she trails around to the front of the desk with a Chesire grin.
"What do you mean?" I question cautiously, approaching her with my hand still resting heavily on my gun.
She doesn't give me a straight answer, just hushes herself like I said the wrong password, pressing a finger to her lips. I must be reeking of fear since she didn't back down either, tip-toeing closer to watch my pained expression. She had a leash and collar around my neck; it was only a matter of how she'd use it.
"Don't you know that a magician doesn't tell their tricks? It ruins the magic." She says as she lifts my chin with a crooked finger.
"Should I take that literally?" I say, trying to incite anything.
Nothing. Not a single ounce of satisfaction left her smirk. As much as I'd like to confirm my suspicions, that damn smirk made me doubt the illogicality behind my assumptions. Whether it was because of how much I trusted that same smile for so many years, I didn't know.
"Don't think about it too hard." She snickers and flicks my face to the side with a gentle swat. "Your gun needs to do its job."
"This... So, called rent?" I ask, unconsciously biting my lower lip a little too hard.
The only reason I knew that was the metallic taste of blood seeping across my tongue. My lack of self-control made me want to gag; I thought I was over mindlessly harming myself. It just reminds me that I'm losing myself slowly.
"More like an annual contract." She states as she picks up the book she was reading earlier. "You've already done a part of it."
"Yeah, that old man already told- Mother fuck-" I hold my tongue as I barely catch the book suddenly flung at my face.
"The details are in the book," she says nonchalantly, as if she did nothing. "Don't come back until you've finished the job."
"Why should I do this anyway? There's nothing in it for me." I say, tucking the book by my hip.
"He never did explain how this place works, did he? Typical..." The librarian scoffs. "Let me answer your question with a question, although you perceive me as your friend; how do you think others see me?"
"I... What do you mean by that?"
"How easy do you believe it is to warp someone's reality?" She says with a hint of ecstasy dripping from her words, spreading her arms skyward. "Look no farther than the ceiling to grasp the sheer magnitude of the world you're blocking out."
Looking up at the pitch-black ceiling, I didn't understand what she was trying to point out. It wasn't until I noticed a slick coating reflecting the whole room upon us. I would have brushed it off as a trick of the light if my reflection didn't constrict in the mass of darkness. That isn't a ceiling; that's an eye.
YOU ARE READING
The Outsider
Mystery / ThrillerA short psychological novel delving into Grey Kita and the ghosts of the past, which haunt him at each step of his life. Along the way, you'll learn that everything isn't how it seems when you see grey... Inspired by Silent Hill series.
