Short Thriller Stories

8. The Library

She stepped into the abandoned library, unaware of what was waiting for her. The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling redwood shelves and a chandelier lit up the whole room. Pretty fancy for a library. But it wasn't just any library. It was Archer Library. One containing secrets. Archer Library was well-known to the people of Mirstone. It was what caused the death of the family, after all. They were in the library when a mysterious fire broke out and killed Weston Archer, his wife Estelle, and their sixteen year old daughter, Annabella. The library remained in ruins for years and eventually, it was rebuilt. It was named after the Archers to commemorate them. But every good story always carries its rumors, and this case was no exception. Rumor had it that their daughter was the one who set the fire and killed them. No one knows why she did it, only that after the library was rebuilt, her ghost remained.

Aria Delaney was always very fond of reading. She liked the idea of escaping to another world, a made up world where none of the troubles of reality existed. That was why, when she first heard of Archer Library, she couldn't resist visiting it. Or, what was left of it. But little did she know that this would be a decision she would live to regret.

The first thing she noticed when she entered was how well kept the library seemed.There were a few specks of dust here and there, and hidden cobwebs in the corners of the shelves, but the library itself was immaculate. At first glance, the library appeared normal. Everything seemed fine. Nothing was out of the ordinary. But it wasn't until Aria ventured further into the library that she noticed strange things beginning to happen. The chandelier flickering. Books falling off their shelves. The wind howling inside even though the door was closed. Aria wasn't one to believe rumors, especially about ghosts. She had grown up to believe that ghosts were just a figment of a person's imagination. They weren't real, and they would never be real. At least, that's what she thought at first.

The back of the library had a small table with a singular chair. As Aria approached it, she saw that there was a vase with black roses and a letter. Strange. When was it written? Who was it for? Before Aria could process anything, the chandelier above her flickered and then went dead, giving the atmosphere an eerie feel. Aria was alone, surrounded by darkness. She took the letter, and, illuminated by a small candle, began to read.
Dear Anna,

I'm sorry it has to end like this. I never meant to leave you alone. I should've gone back for you after the fire, but the truth was, I was scared. Scared that it would be too late, scared that I would lose you, scared that I would also die. So I did what any selfish person would. I left you to die that night. Every time I see the library, I instantly think of what I did, or failed to do. That's why I never went back after the fire. I couldn't face what I had done. I live with regret every day and I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life. Now that I think about it, it's not fair that you died and I got to live. It should've been me. I'm not going to kill myself. At least, not yet, but I can't say I haven't been thinking about it. For now, though, I'll stay alive. For you. Everything I've ever done has been for you. You have to understand that. You won't see or hear from me ever again. It'll be like we never met on that November night. Like I never even existed. If you read this, I sincerely hope you find it in your heart to forgive me. I love you, Anna.

xx

Grace.

The letter dropped to the floor. Aria couldn't believe it was still here after all this time. She thought it burned down in the fire all those years ago, but here it was, along with her secret. The secret she swore she'd never share with anyone. But there's a time for everything. She knew that someone would find out her secret. She just didn't think it would be this soon.

Aria put the letter back on the table and left everything the way it was before. She was about to leave the library, but she sensed that something was different. Off. She just didn't know what it was. As she walked to the front of the library, she began to hear singing. But it wasn't any voice. It was the voice of a little girl. Aria returned to the back of the library and saw something that she didn't notice before. There was a small window on one of the walls, overlooking the town of Mirstone. Standing in front of that window was none other than Annabella Archer.