Unforeseen

Chapter XV

After lunch I returned to The Page Turner once more, the books I had carefully selected had remained untouched on the table as I had presumed, they would. Once I hung my jacket back on the chair, I resumed my book searching and headed up the spiral staircase to the upper level. To my dismay, it was not as lit as the downstairs, which wasn't saying much because the only lights that were down there were small lamps at either end of each table and sconces evenly placed among the bookshelf walls.

"Benson, it's pretty dark up here do you have any light bulbs I could use to replace some of these burnt-out ones?" I yelled down to him over the banister.

"What do I look like a hardware store? No, I don't have stock in bulbs just laying around! There should be a lantern up there hanging on the wall to the left of the staircase, just use that. It'll get the job done just fine!"

I could hear him mumbling something under his breath as he turned to walk away from me but I couldn't quite catch what it was. Reaching up on my tip toes I retrieved the lantern and brought it down to my size. To my surprise, it lit with no problem. With this I continued through the darkness. I was halfway through the third shelfwhen I could've sworn, I heard the bell ring to the front door. But as quickly as the thought had entered my mind was as quickly as I had laughed it off. Benson said no one ever comes in hereanymore. It's rarer than getting shot on the good side of the city, which is very rare, but it does still happen from time to time so I guess anything ispossible.

Finishing the third aisle I turned the bend to start down the fourth when I saw a dark shadow standing on the opposite side.

"Benson?" I called out squinting my eyes. After a few seconds of no response, I started again. 

"Benson, this isn't funny can you just say it's you, it's already creepy enough up here." 

"I am not Benson," the shadowy figure said. 

That voice...it sounded so familiar...but where did I know it from? I couldn't quite place the face or the body, but I definitely recognized that voice. 

"Do I...know you?" I asked while slowly taking a step back in case I needed to try to make a run for it. 

"If I say yes, will you promise not to run away?" the man asked.

"Well, now that depends."

"Upon what?" he asked with curiosity in his voice. 

"If you are lying or not," I said with more of aserious tone. 

The man began taking small steps towards me,ever so slowly closing the gap between us. 

"I said do I know you, sir!" Being sterner this time and using a much louder volume. 

It wasn't until he was just a few feet away from me that I got my answer. "Yes, hold your lantern up to my face and you will then know who I am. My identity may come as a shock to you so please don't swing at me or anything. I come in peace." 

Hoisting my lantern up to solve this mystery man once and for all, I found that it was Gabriele Giuliano.

"It's you..." I pointed out, stammering back.

"It is. Are you surprised, shocked, or angry?" he asked me almost playfully. 

"I...I...have no idea. What are you doing here,and how did you know I was up here?" 

"I stopped in today to see you at work, but your boss was kind enough to tell me that you were off today, but she had a hunch of where I might be able to find you. When I got here the place looked deserted, but before I left a floating light caught my eye up here, and I thought what the heck it won't107hurt to check it out. Then here you were, up here in the dark with a lantern. Instead of the ghost, I had previously imagined that it might be." He continued looking at me sheepishly as he finished admitting the truth.