Shifters

Hideout

The first thing to hit Josh was the smell. Hanging in the air like a thick wave of mist on a low lying hilltop after a heavy shower of rain was the musty scent of old and worn down books. Shuffling through a dark corridor behind Patricia, he silently wondered just how large her home actually was. They'd already passed by several doors that lined the narrow walls, none of which his mysterious host even bothered to glance at. After walking past a few more locked rooms, Josh spotted a faint glow at the now ending corridor. Eyes already accustomed to the darkness they'd been travelling in, Josh blinked rapidly as he acclimated to the new light levels. Through still blurred vision he stood mouth agape as he now found himself in an impossibly large room. Searching for the top, he could just make out a dome shaped ceiling curving ever so slightly that he'd almost missed the subtle detail. Standing tall overlooking the hardened clay floors below were rows upon rows of antique bookshelves almost high enough to reach the cavernous ceiling. Filed neatly on cobweb ridden shelves were hundreds if not thousands of seemingly ancient books arranged in a tightly knit fashion. Written on a crudely shaped slab of wood was a barely noticeable letter R imbedded on the moss covered sign in faded gold which hung loosely to the front of the nearest bookshelf. Throwing his head back and a bit to the right Josh observed as several other signs appeared at mismatched intervals each displaying different letters in the same faded gold print. 

As he stared admiring the never ending columns of knowledge, Patricia's voice shook him from his trance, bringing him back down to reality. 

"Stop staring and follow me!" she called out with a slight grin, voice and facial expression not matching her seeming irate words. 

Snapping out of his stupor, Josh hurried towards Patricia who abruptly turned on her heels after confirming he'd resumed following her. Strolling past identically, infinite lanes of leather bound books as well as several more faded signs, Patricia finally led him through a finely crafted brown door. Entering after she let herself inside, Josh was greeted with a room that subtly suited a more feminine presence. With a ceiling overhead twice as tall as he was, four lanterns hung separately down the sides of four supporting pillars, illuminating the room's contents. Situated on the furthest, fabric-covered wall was a magnificent wardrobe as antique as the bookshelves the lay just beyond the door. Diagonally  located next to it was a large mirror framed with gleaming silver, delicately hanging above a dressing table covered in assorted colourful bottles of perfumed lined neatly in rows of seven. Buried beneath it was a padded purple chair with the letter J  embroidered on its back support in black. Pushed in untidily as though the previous user had left in a hurry, its fabric smelled lightly of fragrant fruity perfumes. Stretching from the opposite wall to the center of the room was a large bed blanketed by a transparent netting that hung from the ceiling. At its side stood a small night stand covered in open books, parchments and other reading material that were strewn carelessly over its surface. Much like the outer areas, this room and its contents were enveloped in a thin layer of dust. 

"Well, this is you," Patricia relayed, standing awkwardly by the door. 

"Wait a minute!" Josh called as she already began easing herself out of the room, "Can you at least answer a few questions of mine before you leave?"

"What do you want to know?" Patricia asked with a slightly uncomfortable edge in her tone, "I can't stay for long."

"What exactly is this place?" Josh began without pausing, "How is it so large? Why is this room so girl? Aren't there other rooms I can bunk in? How many books are there? Have you read them all? What do I do for food? How do I reach-?"

"Hold up!" Patricia said raising a hand as she interrupted his heated questioning, "I knew you were inquisitive but this is a bit more ridiculous than I expected. I'll only answer one question at a time so ask slowly."