-𝔾𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕥-

Hello...?

   You glanced up to the clock, it read 12:30 as the red bar ticked by slowly. Gosh, three more hours of this?... You glanced over to the cart full of books in front of you, and sighed. It felt like your hands were going to fall off. So much for a good filler job while in college. Right now, Mcdonalds sounded less draining than this. You rose from your chair, deciding to take a long walk down the aisles of books as a break. You stroll down the twists and turns of the extended walkways, glancing over the multiple genres of books. As you continue walking, you hear hurried footsteps padding down the walkway beside you. Probably some kid wanting out of here. You assumed, recalling how easy it had been to get lost when you first started here. You don't blame them; you want out of here too. 

   You walked down the aisle, and peeked into the row you heard the noise from. "Need help with anything...?" You called out, but nobody responded. Weird. You thought to yourself. Almost no one comes back here, unless they're looking for the right encyclopedia. Sighing, you decided to return back to your seat at the front desk and replace the return books to their rightful place. You dreaded every step, though, since those hundreds of books won't go back on the shelves by themselves. You wish they would, it'll make your job ten times easier.

   As you trudged back to your desk, you saw that the company's book cart was out of place from where you last left it. You shrugged it off and hauled the cart down the same aisles from before. You placed the books back on the shelf as You scanned over the titles on each one, hoping to waste the majority of the time you have left here. If It Bleeds by Stephen King. The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. Misery by Stephen King. I guess people are getting into the horror mood. You thought, placing books on the shelf. An hour and a half have passed as you finish placing the last book on the shelf. As you headed back to my desk, there was one last book on a small table. Why can't people clean up after themselves?  You sneered as you picked the book up. The title read You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks, and Sarah Pekkanen. Funny. You thought, tucking it under your arm with a huff. You walked back to the front desk again, with the book cart in tow. You then scooted it back into the little cubby-like area where people insert their books they need to return. Suddenly, you realized how quiet it had been.

   Though it was a library, there was always distant muttered chatter or the clicking of keyboards from the computer lab. Now, there was nothing. Dead silent. The hairs on the back of your neck stood upright. You glanced back at the book in my hand, You are not alone.

   Suddenly weary, you placed it down and slowly turned in a circle, gaze darting around the worn wooden shelves.

   What is wrong with me today?

   You thought to yourself, letting out a small sigh. You were being way too paranoid. You hurried to the drop off area, grabbed a pile of books, and shoved them onto the cart. You then strolled back towards the rows of books and began placing them on the shelves. The shuffling noise came again, this time from at the other end of the row. "Look, if you need something, just say it." You announced, annoyed by whoever was messing with you now. You spun around, expecting to see a clueless person, looking for books. Maybe a teenager with nothing better to do. The sight froze you, your blood running cold. Right there, standing face to face with you, was someone in a black cloak and a ghostly white mask, one you recognized vaguely. 

   The light flickered above you. The person- no, man, cocked his head then waved a hand slowly. You froze in place, unknowing of what to do. Before you could force a sentence, he reached for something, and pulled out a knife. Not one of those flimsy plastic ones used in cheap Halloween costumes, a real knife. You stumbled backwards, panic stricken, dropping the books. Suddenly you collided with something and heard the familiar "Ow!" from my co-worker, Cassie. You turned, but just enough to not lose sight of the man. "Sorry! -" You said, breathlessly, snapping out of your daze. Cassie stood herself up, rubbing her head. You glanced back towards the man, but he was gone?  You looked back to Cassie for reassurance, but she just gave me a weird look. "Did you see that too...?" "Uh, no." She said after a moment. You opened your mouth to say something, but kept it shut. "I came to get you; it's been an hour since your shift ended. You just disappeared on us."

   An hour?

   "Oh. I'm sorry. I'll... get going now..." You quickly picked up your books and rushed off before you could see the dense look she gave you. You rushed to the staff room, and quickly threw your coat on, hustling out of the library. You were feeling a mix of emotions, but horror out ruled everything. What was that encounter in the library? Was it real?  You pushed the thought away, and began your daily walk to the subway, your pace quicker than any other day. You just wanted to get home. As you descended into the subway entrance, there was a newsdealer selling newspapers, and you decided why not? It might just help you clear your thoughts. You grabbed your bag and fumbled through it, finding a crisp five-dollar bill. You traded it for the newspaper, and hurried onto the train, finding a nice seat near one of the doors and plopping down on it.

A/N: Hello! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I'll try to add a new chapter every two weeks or so; mainly whenever I have the free time. Also, I pride myself in having good grammar, so please let me know if I should make any corrections. And none of the art is mine, so credits to the original artist. And since this is my first story on here, please share it with anyone who would be interested, it would literally mean the world to both me and my best friend. They wish to remain anonymous, so I'll just call them Ankle-Biter. I literally couldn't have done it without them, so special thanks to them. :)