Soteria

CHAPTER 17:

The sky was a bleak grey, with glimpses of raindrops descending from the mouldering clouds overhead, accompanied by the faint, rhythmic noises of tiny patters hitting against the glass panes.

Ivy was seated in the library, a palm resting beneath her chin as she gazed serenely outside at the scenery. Watching silently as the water cascaded down, colliding against the ground with a splash while the bare trees swayed harshly from side to side against the windows as if they were shaking off the rain. 

She closed her eyes and let out a weary sigh, listening to nature sing harmoniously. It was as if she were out there twirling along with the trees beneath the rain with no care in the world that she would be getting wet. It was as if she could feel the rain kissing gently across her face. She could feel goosebumps begin to form from the cold she was experiencing. 

Her brows then furrowed slightly upon hearing soft, laboured breathing that seemed as though they were restraining themselves from something. Someone was here. She was not alone. 

Her breathing became shaky, her serenity slowly evaporating as she felt them creep closer, the breathing expanding cautiously like a predator preying on its prey, trying not to get caught.

Her eyes wrenched open, and Ivy whipped around, her dark hair hitting across her cheek as she did so, and saw nothing but endless book shelves that held various genres of ancient books.

She breathed in unsteadily, her chest rising and falling as she tried to peer through the shelves to see if someone was there. She was certain that someone was there. Watching her. Slowly approaching her. She sensed their presence. Their breathing and their warmth.

Her eyes squinted when she felt as though she could see a slight figure behind the shelves, which stood erect. Her breathing was at a minimum as she drew nearer to the shadowy figure, which stood motionless like a statue. Her brows knitted, her mouth agape as she took in the tall stature of a person. Her breathing halted, her mouth dry, and her eyes wide in fear when she saw it make a small movement as if they knew that she had caught them, but rather than moving back, they moved forward slightly, in her direction.

A bang on the table jolted her focus away from the stranger to the sound in front of her.

Ivy let out a sigh of relief, her heart resuming its pumping at a slow rate when she saw who stood before her.

Beatrice stood hunched over, her hands flat on the desk, her hazel eyes staring at Ivy, bewildered. "What happened?" She asked. "Why do you look as if you've seen something frightening?"

Ivy gave a little chuckle and rubbed her arms before answering, "W-what? Nothing happened, Beatrice; you just startled me is all."

"Oh, my bad. Well, whatever you're doing right now, stop because we're gonna go to the infirmary."

"Uh, why?"

She gave Ivy a dumbstruck expression. "For Fleamont, duh?" Oh...right. She then straightened her posture and stretched. "Come on, everyone else is already there."

With a sigh, Ivy rose and packed her books neatly away into her satchel, slinging it over her shoulder before heading to follow Beatrice, who started to head towards the library doors. She halted and took a leisurely, over-the-shoulder look at the shelves.

Her breathing hitched when she saw nothing. There was no evidence of the towering, dark figure. Nothing. All that stood were the shelves that held dark-coloured books. She glanced around, her hand tightening on the strap of her satchel. Did she really see what she thought she had seen? Or was it just her mind playing tricks on her once again? Was there even a dark figure concealed behind those shelves?