Jack Was Here

Chapter 7 : The Library

Elsa

I crawled into the tunnel before me, my Father once told me about these tunnels, but back then I was scared if I touched anything then I would lose control of my powers.

I still have that fear, just not as bad.

I felt my way through the darkness, every time I moved a little dust would shower me from above. After a minute or two or crawling, I went to put my hand in front of me and stumbled. I regained my balance and noticed a decline in the tunnel.

I gulped the only way was down, I pulled my feet in front of me and before I could convince myself not to do it I started to slid down the tunnel.

This isn't too bad, I thought to myself... but then I slipped. I started tumbling down, unable to stop.

I tried to place my feet on either sides on the tunnel to stop, but it was unsuccessful and I kept falling. The tunnel seemed to go on forever which made me panic.

And me panicking caused ice to start to line the walls. I wanted to scream, but for some reason nothing came out. Then, almost as fast as I started falling, I stopped. I reached the end and smacked on the ground causing pain to surge through my body.

Slowly, I got up on my hands and knees and continued, ignoring the throbbing in my joints. After what seemed like forever, I finally got to the end of the tunnel, it was covered by a fancy vent covering. I pushed it open and looked in the room. I smiled sadly, this was my Father's private library, we both shared a love for books. He told me about the tunnel so I could get here without the chance of hurting anyone, but I never tried it. I enjoyed asking him to pick out books for me instead because I loved his choices.

But after he died, I stopped reading...

I wiped at my eyes, where tears were threatening to fall, I climbed out of the tunnel and went to the book shelves that lined the walls. Like I said it was my Father's private library, so Anna probably didn't even know about it, and by the looks of it no one had been in here for a while.

I searched through the shelves looking for anything about old legends. I must have looked for hours, there was no clock so I couldn't be sure, but I could tell by my aching feet that I had been standing for too long.

I took a seat in one of the old chairs, dust flying up to meet me. I sighed, this is hopeless, I thought to myself. I remember my Father reading me a book about the Winter Spirit and other legends when I was about five, but it was so long ago I can't remember what it was called. He always said there was something special about the book, and that many people wanted it, so I had to keep it a secret.

Just when I was about to give up I noticed something, I walked up to the shelf, that's weird...

My Father was very particular about his books, he would never leave one upside down. I took out the book, it seems normal. I started to flip through the pages trying to find a clue. I got to the middle of the book and noticed the pages and been cut. About 50 pages had rectangles cut out in the middle, forming a hidden compartment. Inside the hole was a key, the key was unlike any key I ever saw. It had designs of swirls and snowflakes covering the handle, and the silver bottom had lots of intricate teeth. Just before I could shut the book a piece of paper fell out with a four digit code, 2697, I didn't know what it meant, but it might come in handy.

I returned the book, this time right side up, and had begun to walk away when I heard a click, I turned around and the book was gone. What? It was there two seconds ago! Maybe I'm hallucinating more, I went to the shelf and there was a hole in the wood where the book used to be. So, I did the first thing I thought of and put the key in and twisted. Some of the wood opened to reveal a bunch of numbers on buttons that looked like they belonged to a type-writer.

I only knew one code, so I tried it, 2-6-9-7, I waited patiently for something to happen, but nothing did. I frowned, is this the right code? I looked at the books, wait a second, they all had numbers on them, to keep track of them. Fortunately, there were all in order, I followed the numbers until I was at book number 2697.

But this book was different, it didn't have a title, I pulled it out of the shelf and blew away the dust. On the front were the words, Photo Ablum, I wanted to cry just looking at it. I opened the book and in it were tons of pictures, from when Anna and I were babies to just before my parents died.

After I looked through the whole book, I remembered I needed to find a code. I searched the book and found nothing. I decided to look at all the pictures again to maybe find a clue.

About three quarters of the way in I found a picture of my Father and I in this exact same room reading books on the couch. I took it out of its holder and on the back was written, ' I love you Elsa, 5183, ' I couldn't hold them back anymore, the tears fell down my face and I let them. I put the picture back in place and closed the book, I got up and put it on one of the tables. I went back to shelf where the numbers waited for me to put in the right code.

I tried again, 5-1-8-3, without a pause I heard the noise of gears shifting and a secret compartment lowered from the top of the book shelf.

In it was a book, I pulled it out and wiped the cover off, The Moon and its Legends.