A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

History Week

Summary: Three of the team find themselves in the public library, the scientists attempt to find out about the town's history and Carlos visits Old Woman Josie.

The History Week event was a great opportunity for Carlos and his team. So far, they had only been able to study current phenomena, but the chance to possibly find out why the town was the way it was was too good an opportunity to miss.

Unfortunately, the logistics of the research had been a little difficult as the public library was too dangerous, the Internet was incredibly difficult to access and few residents would talk about time at all.

However, Cecil had been as helpful as he dared. Perez had met him at his mandatory dinner at Big Rico's that week and had asked about the event.

Cecil had told him that they should listen to the show that week, as he had been given permission to acknowledge time in order to tell the town a few key points in Night Vale history. He also recommended that they visit Old Woman Josie as she could probably tell the scientists more.

When he had returned to the lab, Perez had fed back to them all about Cecil's advice.

Carlos had volunteered to go, with Ellie and Brent, to see Old Woman Josie. He'd called ahead to ensure that she was okay for visitors, and she told them to drop by the next day.

Ellie had been a little put out as the time Josie had suggested coincided with Cecil's show, but Carlos pointed out that nearly all of the citizens listened to it and Josie would have it playing in her house near the car lot so she could still listen to it.

~

Carlos was awoken the next day by shouting. Again, he had overslept a lot after Jeffries had asked him to go to bed at four in the morning.

Carlos sat up and listened for the sound. It was coming from the communal area.

"Carlos! Carlos, come quick!"

He grabbed a plaid t-shirt pulling it on so he wasn't just wearing shorts and ran to the area to find Natalia next to Perez, Jeffries and Green lying, covered in sweat, in their pyjamas on the floor with various grazes and scrapes. Some books were lying around them.

"Natalia, what's wrong?"

"I don't know I just found them like this. I went down to the lab early and let you all sleep so I didn't find them until just now. I didn't want to touch them in case anything was broken."

"Here, let me." Carlos knelt next to Jeffries and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Brent? Brent can you hear me?"

"Ahh!" came another voice. Perez had sat up abruptly next to Carlos waving his arms around as if to fend off an invisible monster before looking around fearfully.

"I....we....what?"

"Edwardo, it's me. What happened to you?"

"It was horrible. It was dark, and then I was running. It was a library. It was the public library, Dr Valdez. The one we had drills for. But this time it was not a drill. There was this creature. It was....it was too awful for words."

"What did it look like?" Carlos pressed.

"I only saw a shadow. It was large and it had claws....." He shuddered. "I do not know how I left. It is rather compromised in my mind. I just need a few minutes, Dr Valdez. I will be fine."

"No. You need rest. When Brent and Ellie wake up, they will too."

"I have no wish to sleep, Dr Valdez. Not for a long time."