Silas Confidential

Chapter 5

                The library can be a dangerous place, especially after dark.  There are specific university policies about staying away from the library after hours, but they’re really more like guidelines.  A girl who is risking a dusk visit needs to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.  And no, I’m not talking about wearing protective headgear or body armor or carrying shovels and axes; which is exactly what Laura and LaFontaine were doing when I ran into them at the entrance of the library.  The sun was starting to dip below the mountains already and twilight loomed ominously as they stood there, looking like they were about to go mining or spelunking in the basement.  I had no idea what they were up to, but I’m sure it was probably hazardous and likely against the rules.  Still, watching them disappear into the void, I had to admit that a part of me wanted to follow them.  If only to find out what in Hecate’s name they were up to.

                  Sometimes I didn’t like being the responsible one, the one who always followed the rules.  It took a toll on my social life and made me feel like a stick in the mud. I saw the way Laura and her friends looked at me, or rather, looked through me like I wasn’t there at all.  I wasn’t part of their crowd and they completely ignored my presence while making a point of being as disruptive to my life as possible.  It hurt, more than I wanted to admit.

                  It wasn’t dark yet, so instead of following Laura and LaFontaine into what was surely certain peril, I went up the stairs to the mythology section.  I wanted to do some more research.  I’d barely reached the landing when  How to Live With Your Chupacabra flew off the shelf and tried to bite me in the leg.  I yelped, and then winced, backing away slowly with hopes that the librarians would not notice my outburst. 

The book followed me as I retreated to my usual table and I had to hurriedly climb onto it in order to get away.  It was persistent bugger, though, and it followed me up the table leg and onto the table, chomping its pages to get to me.  I had no idea what to do.  My hands were shaking and I couldn’t think of anything to do to get away.    I didn’t want to lose a finger, but I attempted to swat it away anyway.  The book kept charging like a mad bull.  Remembering a lesson my grandmother had taught me when I was very young, I checked myself over quickly to make sure I wasn’t wearing red.  Chupacabras didn’t like the color red, my grandmother always told me.

                  I thought that I would be safe, up on the table, but the darn book had amazing jumping skills.  It didn’t even have legs, how the heck did it get so much air?  I kicked at it, but that just made it angrier.  It was so late that most of the other students had already fled for the safety of their dorms.  I yelled for help, not caring that this was a library and such things simply weren’t done.  No one came.  I kicked the book again.  This was bad, no one wanted to get involved in a domestic book attack. 

After a harrowing few minutes and one really painful nip to my toe, rescue finally came in the form of this huge tome floating toward me, as if moved by invisible hands.  Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I grabbed it and smacked the chupacabra book right in the spine.  It made a yelp-like flapping little shriek and scuttled back to its spot on the lower shelf of the cryptozoology section.

                  I sighed with relief and slumped down onto the table.  The huge book in my hands landed with a thump beside me and I closed my eyes. I was completely exhausted, and it was getting dangerously late.               I felt a small hand on my arm, guiding me down from the table.  Rose. She saved me again.   I stepped down and then sat on the chair.  My heart was still racing from the terror of almost getting eaten by a book.  I rubbed at my shin.  I’m pretty sure I got a paper cut there because it stung like mad. I sucked in a huge breath of air and rummaged in my bag for my water bottle.  I took a big gulp.  This library was a death trap.