Helios grabbed dry clothes and took a shower, thoughts were rushing through his mind. As the water dripped on his face he kept thinking about the way he ran in the pouring rain. The people dressed like in the 70s, the cars, the buildings, everything about it. He should feel scared and confused but really he just feels so happy. His whole life he watched movies and bathed in his own imagination and novels. Helios has read enough to know this doesn't happen to normal people. He loves history for the good reason that it happened a long time ago, it's a way to escape from the present. After a while he got out of the shower, dried himself and got dressed. He called the library's owner to take the rest of his day off and said he felt sick so he didn't want to give his germs to the people there.
He spent the rest of the day writing in his diary about what happened and took a nap feeling somewhat exhausted. He woke up an hour before his first lecture and got ready. Helios went to class and finished around 7 o'clock. He liked late classes. He called Jamie and asked if he wanted to have dinner, unfortunately Jamie said he was out with some girl. He felt hurt that his friend didn't hang out with him as much as they used to, he missed Jamie a lot. He didn't want to call Eden for some reasons. So, he went to a restaurant in Soho by himself and enjoyed his night alone, he needed to think.
He took the train late and went back to the dorms around midnight. He opened the door slowly and tried to not make the floor creak too much because the lights were off but he suddenly realised that Jamie was not here. His heart ached a little. He was glad that his friend had maybe found the right person but it still made him sad because he knew if things got serious he would move in with them. Helios lit some candles and played some classical music on his record player. Loneliness was the feeling he hated the most not because it was never-ending but because it was comforting.
After the vinyl stopped playing he put himself to bed and fell asleep. Early in the morning he woke up, strangely well and not tired at all. He opened the curtains and it was raining. He shook his head and smiled to himself. He picked a brown sweater knowing it would be cold. He went downstairs and had breakfast. A bowl of cornflakes with honey, a cup of cinnamon coffee, hash brown and egg yolks. Sometimes he would have pancakes but he didn't have it often since it reminded him of the way his mother would make him pancakes for every single one of his birthdays.
Helios took a cab to the library. He arrived really nervous, like he was having a job interview or giving back a thesis. He gulped, fixed his hair and clothes before entering. Took a deep breath and walked through the door. He was alone today, no one had arrived since he opened it. He could not help himself but he walked towards aisle 13 to find that the fancy magic shelf had mysteriously disappeared, he pouted in disappointment. He even thought he was crazy and invented all this. He sat behind the counter, waiting for people to come in. He listened carefully to the rain tapping against the window and the cars passing in front of the library.
At around 9:40, a man came in. Helios helped him look for a specific book that none of them found. They spoke for what felt hours and Helios learned that his name was Evan Stones, that he was 66 years old and had spent his life alone in his big apartment on floral street. Evan told him that he had amnesia, that's why Helios started talking about himself more than he had ever did. He even told this stranger that he was trans and Evan said nothing but that he understood and joy flourished in his chest to hear that a man who could be his dad understood.
'You remind me of someone but I can't seem to remember who.' Was all Evan said before he went home and they said goodbye and Helios couldn't help himself and cried the second he walked away. He had no idea why he was crying though, maybe seeing that it can happen for someone to spend their lives all alone and that they start forgetting everything because there is nothing to remember about broke his heart.
The rest of the day felt very depressing. Until it was almost closing time at 2pm and he took a look at the end of aisle 13 to find the fancy magic shelf and his heart started beating so fast with fear and excitement. So, he did was he knew he had to do and with his fingertip like Diana had done yesterday, pushed the spine of the red book towards him and saw the bookshelf open. He looked behind him and saw no one, he walked in the hallway and ran. He didn't know why he ran but it felt like it was the right thing to do, he was afraid the door on the other side would not open this time. It also felt like there was something great waiting for him in this sort of alternate universe.
His curiosity was peaked, I mean who would not dream about time travelling or visiting another world? He hoped no one in this world had not at least dreamed of this once. The bright light blinded him and he felt like his heart was about to fall out of his chest. He opened the door and walked in the library. It was no ordinarily library and that he was sure of. He craved knowing what this world was, how it happened, who he was and who Diana was.
He pulled out his journal before doing anything else and wrote 'This world will never be enough for me, this is why I have to know.'
YOU ARE READING
antidote
RomanceHelios, a history student works at a library and meets a young woman whom he will have a disturbing conversation with. Their conversation will torment him and lead him to a world he doesn't know.
