Mr. Linden's Library

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I walked down the narrow path to the library. I was shaking uncontrollably in my new boots. I had never been to this library before. I opened the massive door to the equally massive building and peered in. Not a single thing moved in the darkly lit library, nothing but the creepy old mane that I assumed was the librarian. Great, I thought, I was never good at meeting new people, especially in libraries.

"H-Hello?" The man looked up from the ancient computer that did not resemble the flat laptops that we use now. "Sh." He spat. "Excuse me, but you are very rude." I said, purposefully getting louder. "I am here for some books for school. They are called... are you listening?" He did not look up. "No. Go away. We're closed." I glared at the man. "Then why was the door open? This is a library, right? You're Mr. Linden?"

"Perhaps. It depends on what you want him for."

"My parents knew you as children. I am Nina and Harold Gilberts' daughter. I'm Kora." He looked up from the computer again. "Oh." I scoffed. "Yeah, oh. Now, will you please help me find the books I am looking for?" I jut out my hip and put my hand there. "Fine, follow me. What is the book called?"

"Great Gatsby." He looked curiously at me. "You are reading that in school?" he inquired. "Maybe. It depends on why you want to know." He looked at me and chuckled. "Here we are." We stood before a wall full of classic books. "Wow." I say. "I have the largest collection of classic novels in the country here." My jaw was hanging open, seeing all the volumes of beautiful, classic books. "Can I stay here a while?" He chuckled at my question. "Just don't ruin anything, and you can stay as long as you like." I realized that I had misjudged Mr. Linden and his library.

I went back to Mr. Linden's library every Tuesday, the least busy day of the week, for a new book. Before I knew it, I had read every single book on Mr. Linden's wall. One day I asked him "Mr. Linden, are there any murder mystery books in this library?" He responded strangely. "Yes, but they are off-limits to everyone but me." He answered cautiously. "Why?" I asked, riddled with curiosity. "Because, Kora, they are dangerous. Promise me that you will never take one of my murder mystery novels." He was definitely hiding something about the murder novels, and I was going to find out what. "Okay, Mr. Linden!" I went home empty handed for the first time ever that Tuesday. I went back on Wednesday, determined to get one of the 'dangerous' murder mystery novels and read it. "Hi, Mr. Linden! I realized that I didn't get a book yesterday, so I'm back to get one." I smiled as I walked up to him. "Okay, Kora, I have a few errands to run, so I can't help you today." He smiled. "That's fine, Mr. Linden. I know my way around by now." I started for the Wall. "Okay. Good luck!" Before I reached the Wall, I turned down a narrow pathway that led to the secret room Mr. Linden went to whenever he did stock checks; he had two copies of every single book in the library in there, including, I hoped, the dangerous murder novels. I was in my glory in that room. Every inch of the wall was covered in books of all kinds, shelves and shelves of even more books covered the floor space. I saw a small, locked cabinet in the very back of the room. There, I thought, that is where he keeps them. I easily guessed the code on the password lock: Great Gatsby, our shared favorite book. I grabbed the first book I saw and bolted home. I read the book all that night and was entirely unsatisfied with the ending. I was angry at how predictable the 'mystery' was. I woke up the next morning with the book in my arms with vines coming out of the middle of it. "What the..." I touched the vines and felt an overwhelming sense of uneasiness go over me, causing me to pass out. I woke up in a forest I felt that I remembered. The smell of pine trees filled my nostrils, the sound of birds singing and wind softly blowing was all I could hear. "Hey! You!" A woman walked up to me and grabbed my arm. "Hey! OW!" I yelled. All of a sudden I recognized the woman as Summer, the second victim of the murderer in... "The book!" The woman, Summer, looked confused. I was brought back to the small town in the heart of the forest. "Who are you?" Summer asked me, standing next to David and Katrina, the mayor and his wife. "I am Kora Gilbert, and I was just reading that stupid book and then POOF I was here. So, if you could tell me how to get back to my house, I would really appreciate it." They all scoffed. "No." The mayor said. "What? But, why?" I yelled. "Because we have a murderer on the loose, and you are now a suspect. Just twenty minutes ago, the murderer placed ransom for 10000$ before midnight, or they would kill yet another citizen." It was my turn to scoff. "But the murderer is..." Suddenly, I couldn't remember who the murderer was. "It's..." Maybe I lost my memory of the book after I got put here, I thought, but, I remember Summer and David and Katrina and Rachel. I was perplexed as to how that had happened. How do you just forget about the biggest revelation in a book? "Look, kid." David said. "If you find out who the murderer is before midnight, we'll help you get out. If not, you will be stuck here forever." I gaped at him. "But the murderer does end up killing his next victim. You solve who it is." I said, pointing at Katrina. She gasped. "How could I ever?" I sigh. I hated her character in the book. She was so clueless, that is, until she figured out who it was. "Fine. I'll try to solve it."

"You can stay here." Summer said kindly. "I'm sorry about earlier, by the way." I made a gesture to say that it was okay. "Well, good luck at finding the devil who did this." I nod. How they think a fourteen year old girl can solve a murder, I thought, is impossibly stupid. I slip into the hard bed and close my eyes, hoping for a chance to fall asleep. Maybe this is just a dream, I think, maybe I'll wake up in my bed at home with the book lying happily on the night stand.

"Psst." The sound made me shudder. "Psssssssssst" I think it is a person. "Girl, I need your help... Come closer..." I stand and walk to the figure hunched in the corner. "Yesss." Its voice made the hair on my neck stand on end. It sounded like a snake. "I need.... Help."

"I know. How can I help you? Are you injured?" I ask, worried for this person I don't know.

"No. I need your help.... I need......"

"What? What do you need?"

".......I need the ransom money...." My eyes go wide.

"You...." I step back.

"Yessssss." It stands. It towers over me, scaring me half to death. "If not, you die tonight." I scream, trying to make someone notice and help me. "You just doomed yourssself girl." He grabs my shoulders and throws me against the wall. All I can feel is my head. It feels warm. Blood... I lift my hand to touch my head and feel the warm wetness of blood on my hand. My head pounds, blurring my vision. "I warned you, girl." The thing leaves me lying on the ground, going in and out of consciousness, until everything goes black... While unconscious, I hear Summer come in and scream. I feel her take my hand and sob. I hear her take her phone and call the mayor, telling him the murderer struck again. The murderer. I open my eyes to see a room. No, not a room; my room.

"Mom!" Mom runs into my room, panting.

"What is it, Kora? I just got home from a run!"

"Wha-N-nothing. I-I just... Never mind."

"Honey, what happened to that book?" I look over and see that the book has vines coming from the middle.

"It's a mystery to me." I say as I shrug. "Besides, I didn't like that book. Too graphic." My mom smiles at me. "What's for dinner?" As I turn to look back at the book, it is suddenly no longer there. Then, the next day, I go back to Mr. Linden's Library, and it is entirely empty, all except one book on the front desk; it is The Great Gatsby.

The End....