Altair

Untitled Part 1

   The Oceanside Library was fairly quiet that evening. The patrons had just left, and the library's staff were getting ready to lock up for the night. The head librarian, Waldo Greensly, was busy sorting through papers, and putting other objects of importance where he could access them easily throughout the next day.

   Waldo loved working at the library. He loved the peacefulness of his job, the people who visited in search for knowledge, and especially, the mesmerizing scent of the books on the shelves. To Waldo, the library was his home away from home. He greatly enjoyed his job, and couldn't have asked for a better livelihood.

   "Mr. Greensly!" a younger woman called out, " I need your help with something. Please come quick!"

   Ah, Margaret, always making a mountain out of a molehill, Waldo thought to himself. That woman needs to take a vacation! Reluctantly, Waldo left his work station to see what all the commotion was about.

   As Waldo finally caught up with Margaret, he noticed that she held an unusual object in her hands. Upon further investigation, Waldo realized that the object was a book.

   "I found it in the back room, right underneath a box of old Christmas decorations " Margaret explained, handing Waldo the book. "It has no dust jacket, or title for that matter, and I don't know what to do with it!"

   "I see" replied Waldo, dubiously, as he observed the cover. It was a bright crimson color, with a black trim covering the spine. The book looked as though a few of the pages were missing, and was well-worn, as if it had been read a countless number of times. However, despite being old and decrepit-looking, those qualities only made the book more intriguing to Waldo.

   Upon opening the book, Waldo was captivated.

   "Margaret, you're not going to believe this! This is a diary!" exclaimed Waldo, who held it open for Margaret to see.

   "How did a diary get here?" mused Margaret, as she tapped her fingers noisily on a nearby desk. " I don't think a patron left it here." Waldo shook his head; it didn't seem probable.

   "A patron wouldn't be able to get back here. This room's only accessible by members of the staff." Waldo replied as he skimmed through the pages, overlooking shorter, bland sounding entries, in favor of longer entries that intrigued him. Suddenly, Waldo came across a page in the diary with an entry that caught his eye.

August 8, 1978

Diary, I feel as though something in my life is missing. I have a family, as well as, a good paying job, however, I feel as if there's a void inside of me that needs to be filled. Maybe what I need is some sort of a companion. Someone who makes me feel happy.

Until next time. - Lester Burns

August 10, 1978

Oh, Diary, I have found exactly what my heart has been seeking! A cat! A kitten to be exact. With a thick, striped, orange coat, and glowing, amber eyes. It is truly a majestic creature! It keeps me company, whenever I feel stressed. It makes me laugh, with it's quirky antics. I have never, in my entire life, been so happy! I have decided to name him, Altair.

Until next time. - Lester Burns

   Waldo smiled at the thought of a grown man obsessing over such a thing. Waldo himself had never been a cat person. But something seemed strange about Lester's pet. For some reason, it filled Waldo with a sense of hostility. Waldo then noticed that Margaret was growing impatient, and was about to put the diary away under the decoration box, when curiosity motivated him to read the last entry of the diary.

February 16, 1979

Diary, I am filled with a sense of anguish. Altair has grown at an incredible rate! He now weighs about 250 pounds, and consumes more food than we can afford to buy. His paws have grown to about the size of a baseball mitt, and his claws are something else. They are about 4 inches in length, and are an ebony, black, color. I don't want to give up Altair, but my family believes it is for the best. My wife has grown to fear Altair- she won't even approach me if I am with Altair in his enclosure. I don't know what to do, but I need to stop writing for the moment. Altair is summoning me. He is telling me that it's time for dinner.

Until next time. - Lester Burns

   After reading the entry, chills ran up and down Waldo's back. Not from reading the entry, however, but from seeing miniscule drops of blood on the following page.