The Haunted Librarium

An Irish Incantations Short Story

Victoria gently pushed open the heavy library door, and Simon dashed through the gap with enthusiasm. His jet-black tail swished from side to side as his long legs propelled him forward.

He was a large cat, his coat sleek and of a deep, glossy black color; his eyes were round and emerald green.

As he ran forward, Simon's claws clattered on the tiled entryway, echoing in the large building.

"Right," Victoria said firmly, coming up to him before she knelt down and ran her hand over the thick fur of his back. "We'll only be here for a few minutes, so no running off too far, okay?"

Simon rolled his eyes while making an exaggerated groan.

He had grown used to her fussing over him-it was a part of their daily routine ever since they moved away from the United States.

Even though he grumbled under his breath, deep down he knew that her constant scolding was her human way of showing him love.

Simon had always felt like the odd one out in his old Coven. The witches' familiars didn't seem to like him as much as they did the others, and their humans weren't too fond of Victoria either.

Before coming to Ireland, Simon was there for Victoria through thick and thin; he had been her best friend.

Now however, Victoria and Simon now had their own friends, Siobhan and Ciara for Victoria, and Nutmeg and Onyx for Simon.

Simon scanned the building, trying to appear casual as he searched for his animal buddies. He heard a muffled panting coming from beneath the stairs at the back of the library. He broke into a smile and sprinted towards it; sure enough there was one of his furry friends huddled at the bottom of the stairs.

Nutmeg, Siobhan's Terrier familiar, was staring intently at the top of the stairs that led to the second floor of the library.

His neck was straining against his collar and he was growling softly. The hound's sandy colored ears, perched forward like two tiny satellites, were listening intently for whatever had sparked his interest.

Simon looked up, trying to see what his friend was so focused on, but nothing stood out as unusual; there wasn't anyone visible or anything else out of place.

The only thing that stirred was an occasional spark from the low-hanging chandelier as it shone against the wood floor.

"What are we looking at?" Simon asked.

Nutmeg barked urgently and Simon felt a thrill of alarm. "Something happened."

Simon waited for Nutmeg to explain, but when the dog didn't say anything, he rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"I heard something," replied Nutmeg before returning his gaze back up the stairs.

Well, that explained absolutely nothing, Simon thought.

Simon's eyes slowly scanned the ancient library, taking in the colorful light of the stained-glass windows, the never-ending shelves of time-worn books, and the low voices from where Victoria and her friends sat in plush armchairs by the entrance. He furrowed his brow and he let out a labored sigh, turning to Nutmeg with an air of longsuffering patience.

"This is a library." Simon said slowly, clarifying just in case Nutmeg had forgotten where his human worked. "There's all sorts of random sounds in such a big public building."

Nutmeg's ears twitched in frustration. "I heard a loud bang from upstairs and Siobhan had left, so I went to take a look," he said in a flat voice. His gaze never shifted from the stairs as he spoke, as if he was expecting something to suddenly appear there.