Don't Fear the Reaper

Don't Fear the Reaper: Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

When my eyes opened, I was still sleeping. I knew this, because this was no doubt another dream.

I was back at Mikhail’s library – only this time, I wasn’t thinking in the mind of someone else, nor seeing through someone else’s eyes. This was me.

Instead of the pajamas I had worn at Amanda’s place in which I had ridden all the way to the tree house, I was wearing my sundress. It felt a little odd to wear that in that overly huge library.

Huge wasn’t the word: the precise one would be gigantic. And it was beyond beautiful. The room was lit with a million candles, and I could be sure I wasn’t exaggerating. Books of all shape and sizes were stacked tightly into each shelf, of the many that scraped the ceiling. The dark leather of the bounds seemed to glow because of the candles all around.

I savoured the enchantment, my fingers curling reflexively.

Nex stood by a record player, arms folded.

                “Where are we?” I whispered.

Nex smiled, taking my hand. “Tell me. Do you like it?”

I nodded, not knowing where to rest my eyes, enthralled by it all. “This is my dream. Why are you here?”

 “No. This is inside my mind.”

My head snapped towards him. “What?”

“A memory. I have brought you into a memory of my previous lifetime – the one of the Russian Mikhail.”

On absorbing the piece of information, the library seemed to be twice as beautiful.

I walked towards one of the shelves, running my fingers down a thick black leather spine, which was embossed with engravings.

“And how did you manage to suck me into a memory?”

“I’m a Reaper. I have the mental capability.”

“So we’re asleep?”

“Soundly, back at Hayden’s tree house.”

                I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t even muster up to courage to ask why we were there, lest we had to leave too soon. I was a piece of subconscious, in a dream state, walking around in Nex’s mind, his memory. I was a part of his own subconscious, something so stunning, in the midst of all these books and candles, and I didn’t want to leave.

I pulled out the book I was tracing my fingers on, and opened to a random page. I blinked several times, not understanding the script, but that was a given. The book was filled, cover to cover. Returning it to the spot, I dragged out another large book, and flipped through the pages.

“Claire. What is it?” Nex positioned himself beside me.

“This is a memory…but all these books…they have every bit of writing…how can you remember that?”

The corner of his mouth tilted upwards. “Something needs to set me apart from the humans. I can, and have, reproduced the memory in the exact same way the library was back in the day. You will find every word of every book in place, and not a single printing mistake.”

I was struck speechless. Replacing the book, I stared at Nex questioningly.

He sighed. “Remember we need to find a loophole?”

I nodded.

“Then there isn’t a better place in the world.”

                 The next few hours passed, although they seemed too quick. Being in the state of a dream, we lost a couple of minutes in the real world. Nex pulled out books from different parts of the library, even asked me to climb the ladders to take out books from the higher shelves.