Magic Isn't Always Beautiful

Library Dreams

Bright, warm sun filtered into Zara's room as she woke up from her slumber. She lifted her head off of her satin pillow and yawned, then sat up straight. She looked up and saw her open window, the wind whipping through her curtains in a way that made them look like they were floating. All seemed at peace with the world, until she remembered what had happened the day before. Now, what had seemed like a good day, now made her feel full of anxiety instead of happiness.

She stumbled out of bed and went over to her closet. She opened it and picked out a pale blue shirt with a pair of white skinny jeans. She changed, and went over to her bathroom where she brushed her teeth. She walked out of her room, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. She then quickly scribbled down a note and left it on the counter, which was letting her dad know where she was going. Zara was on her way to the library, the oldest library in paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine. She knew she would have to go to the section where the library kept all of its old books, hopefully containing some information about magic.

Zara was going to find out what had happened, even if it meant looking for hours through books, attempting to find the right passage.

Zara opened her front door and entered the morning sunlight. It was beautiful, and she wanted to enjoy it for as long as it lasted, but she knew that today, she would be cramped in a library, rustling through old books.

The birds sang in the trees as Zara walked down the street. When she arrived at the front door to the library, and went inside. The woman at the front desk looked up, gave her a nod as a way to greet her, then went back to work. Zara walked over to the woman.

"Excuse me," Zara said. "Do you know where I may be able to find the oldest books here, I need to research something."

The woman looked up and rolled her eyes.

"We don't like children touching the books," she said while adjusting her glasses.

"I really need to for a project though," Zara pleated. "Please."

The woman opened her mouth to reply, but closed it. She hesitated for a moment, pondering on her answer.

"Very well, but you damage them, you will receive a heavy fine. These books are priceless."

Zara sighed with relief.

"Thank you so much," Zara said.

The woman got up from her desk and beckoned her to follow her down a hallway. The walls were filled with books, reaching to the top of the ceiling. They shelves were so high that there needed to be rolling ladders placed upon them to reach all of the books. They continued down the hall until they reached a circular room, filled with old books. Some were rotting, some were in okay condition, but most of all, they all just looked rather dusty. It didn't look like anyone had touched these books for a long time.

Zara turned to say thank you, but the woman was already gone. She looked up and down the shelves, scanning for titles that could be of some use.

"Ugh," Zara exclaimed.

She could not find anything, she didn't have any idea where to start.

Zara pulled off books from their shelves, but was unable to find anything still. She saw an old book with a gold binding, a green book, a brown book, and many others. Zara needed a break from searching. She sat down against a wall, and rested her head. Accidentally, she drifted into sleep.

Zara was standing in the circular room. She looked around. It was the same room she was in before, but it seemed different somehow. She turned and saw someone attempting to pull an old grey book of of the shelf. When she saw their face it startled her.

It was herself.

However herself didn't seem to see her. She tried to pull the book off the shelf, but it was connected to a wire, which pulled the shelf open in a dark passageway. It seemed to haven't been touched for years. But most of all, it may never had been found. It could be hiding something.

Herself looked at her. She put one finger to her lips and said shh.

Zara woke up. She scrambled up, looking for the book in her dream. It could have just been her imagination, but Zara knew that if the elevator trance turned out to be true, maybe this would too.

Zara moved her fingers across the bookshelf, looking for the book. He fingers stopped and curled around a large grey book. She had found the book from her dream. She pulled the book in an attempt to copy herself in her dream. Sure enough, the passage behind the bookshelf opened with a creek. A musty smell filled her nostrils. She didn't want to go in. The passage gave her a feeling of anxiety. She didn't have any clue what could be down there. Zara took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. She knew she could do this. Even though she was scared, she stepped inside.