The darkness within

Chapter 4

I shook my head and exited my Jeep, grabbing my bag from the back seat before shutting my door. I turned seconds away from making my way inside the diner when a flash of blonde caught my eye. I turned and look seeing that boy from the week before pass by just as he turned a corner.

"Hey wait, Warren." I said scrambling to catch up. I turned the corner, watching as he enters the local library with the same sad look within his eyes I remembered from the last time we met. For a moment my eyes strained to that of the girl's and I flinched at her smiling face. Shaking off my melancholy thoughts. I took off into the library.

The library was an old gothic stone structure That laid in a dark path just in the middle of the walkway towards the far side of town. The forest grew behind its stone walls making it look darker than it really was. The structure looked old but smaller than most buildings in the area. if I hadn't just seen Warren walk into it, I might have passed right by it. I approached its large wooden doors, hearing the hinges creak loudly as I entered. What I found inside was far beyond what I was expecting.

Since moving to this town I have found its building littered with old southern charm but this was far beyond that of charm. The place could very well be host to that of Dracula himself. The windows were draped with red and gold curtains casting a soft glow around the room. Old antique wooden tables branched the middle of the room with handcrafted designs etched into the wood. The place looked smaller from outside but actually, it was huge with two stores worth of bookcases filled with all different types of books but what had me amazed were the old rustic styled paintings that filled the walls just above the bookshelves. The dark imagery caused a shiver to skate along my back. The way each painting was placed it was as if telling a story.

Tentatively I walked in shivering by the coolness of the room. Wrapping my arms around my middle I made my way further into the room looking at the several glass cases filled with different types of weapons. What sort of library was this? I thought as I moved further and further into the room. The library, though filled with books looked more like a museum. Every glass case held something within them crazier than the last. One glass case held Fossil of various creatures, some I've never even heard of.

An old antique chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center of the library. As I made my way along with the different cases in the room I couldn't help but be amazed. I paused when I came to the far side of the room finding a painting showing angels in battle. Wearing metal armor of gold and silver fighting against a dark black evil that fills the canvas like smoke. I shivered backing away until I found myself bouncing off something hard.

I fell with a start, landing upon my knees and hands feeling a shock wave of pain fill my knees as they made contact with the tile floor. For a moment I stayed there allowing the pain to pass.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry about that." Startled I jumped to my feet and turned finding an older man standing before me. He had to be in his thirty with black slim jeans, black boots, a red button-down shirt, and a brown shirt jacket. He had a fine feathery abundance of hair with gold, gray, and brown colors and a five a clock shadow that hadn't been shaved in days. He was handsome standing just at six feet tall with a slightly curved nose and hard jawline. His eyes were a faded gray-blue making him looked as if there were storm clouds gathering within his eyes.

For a moment I stood there too nervous to speak.

"You must be Addison Montgomery, am I correct?" He said as a slight smirk formed upon his lips. I nodded still unable to speak.

"So nice of you to venture into my place of work. What can I do for you?"

"Oh.. um.. I was looked for Warren." I said tentatively as I bit my lip in embarrassment.