Chapter 35 #2
A concealed sob escapes my throat, and I squirm, trying to rid my mind of the hissing voice.
“Come out into the light. Let me see you. You smell delightfully dark like the God himself marks you.”
I scale the shelves and move deeper into the aisle, maintaining my focus on the opening ahead.
My back brushes against the books as I use my hands to guide myself backward.
I see a shadow approaching from the left, moving toward me through the darkness.
I keep my hand clasped over my mouth, and a tear rolls down my cheek.
A creature larger than the mountains comes into view and slowly slithers across the opening.
Black scales cover its impossibly large body, and spikes as tall as small trees rise from its back.
Eyes as orange as a burning forest rest upon its head, and a long tongue flicks out of its mouth, tasting the air—searching for me.
The creature’s large body moves past the opening where I am hidden, and I watch in shock as it glides before me.
Its serpent-like form continues to flow by the shelf, and my jaw drops when I realize that not only is the creature a serpent, but also that two long claws line its body, tucked in like wings poised to spread and strike when needed.
“Smart one you are, little one. Hiding in plain sight.”
The words crash into my mind, evoking fear I’ve never felt before.
“I won’t hurt you. Let me see you.”
Even a heavy breath could reveal my location, so I remain as still as possible, though my quivering only increases out of fear.
I keep my thoughts silenced, refusing to respond, even in my mind.
I continue moving backward when a book, sticking out farther than the others, strikes my arm and crashes to the ground.
The creature’s tail finally sweeps across the end of the corridor and disappears around the corner.
I continue to backpedal down the long passage, stepping over long-forgotten fallen books and various scrolls, but keeping my gaze focused ahead of me.
The slithering sound pauses, and so do I, too afraid to make any noise.
The darkness clouds my vision, so I focus on any flickering candlelight I can find along the walls.
I remove my hand from my mouth and exhale, hoping the creature has vanished once more. Ice billows into the open air from my breath, and I quickly realize how cold I am, wrapping my arms around myself.
A low, ancient voice slithers into my mind again.
“I may not be able to see you, but I can hear you. I can smell your fear, feel your quivering, and your fumbling around. I make you nervous.”
A book catches my foot, and I stumble backward, unable to steady myself. I clumsily crash to the ground, landing flat on my back.
“Very nervous.”
The bookshelves on both sides of me tower above, and I freeze. I see the creature high above, gaining a better vantage point in hopes of spotting me somehow. Its long, slick body moves in unison from head to tail, revealing its underbelly for the first time.
Orange and red scales illuminate the creature’s belly as it breathes in and out.
The beast pauses high above, and I scoot against the shelf once more, concealing my body in the darkness.
I can’t move, and even though I'm invisible, I’m frozen in fear.
Its large head scans around the room, looking into the aisle next to me before it trains its gaze on the aisle I’m hiding in.
The creature’s long face cascades lower to the floor, and I press my back as hard as I can against the shelf.
Its tongue flicks out of its mouth as its head gets closer and closer to my body.
“I smell you.”
I slap my hand over my mouth and move my opposite hand up my leathers toward the cut, blood staining the bandage.
“I hear you.”
I slowly unwrap the gauze from around my cut, placing the blood-soaked fabric in my hand.
“And I want to see you so badly.”
The creature’s head moves close enough for me to reach out and touch it.
I grasp the fabric in my trembling hand and throw it with all my might in the opposite direction. The wet fabric, filled with my scent, slaps against the end of the bookshelf, prompting the creature to hiss and whip its giant head around before quickly moving in that direction.
“I’m coming, little one. There’s nowhere you can run in my domain that I won’t find you.”
I push myself from the shelf and sprint in the opposite direction.
I crash through a few books in a panic, but I don’t slow my speed as I round the corner, doubling back to race down the next bookshelf.
My legs bark in protest, but I never slow my pace.
Maybe if I can twist between these shelves, I can lose it.
I hear the creature hiss loudly, discovering the bloody cloth with no body attached.
“Devious little thing. You won’t fool me again.”
The slithering becomes so loud that my instinct is to cover my ears. As I sprint past each bookshelf, I scan the walls, desperately praying that I’ll see worn, red leather. I check my hands, thankful to see each Rigil still pronounced and dark on my skin.
Each bookshelf looks the same, and I start to feel hopeless thoughts creep into my mind, but I press on. Each winding shelf pulls me deeper into the library, making me fear I may never escape this place alive.
This was a very bad idea.
I hear the slithering a few aisles over, maintaining an even pace with me. I turn left out of the passage and feel a similar icy breeze cover my body. The creature is behind me.
I turn right into another long hallway filled with books and see it: a bright red book glowing over twenty shelves up in the dim lighting around us.
The necklace around my neck begins to vibrate and warm.
My senses flare, and I grab the jewel, as if it’s tempting me to move forward—to keep going in that direction—so I listen.
With all I have, I know that is the book.
That’s what I need to escape with if we want information.
I rush under the glowing leather book and look up.
There is no way I can reach the book, so my only option is to begin climbing.
I grasp onto the bottom shelf and carefully lift myself.
My arm throbs against the weight, but I climb higher and higher, making sure each hand and foot placement is perfectly balanced on the old shelves.
I’m close, but not close enough to grab the book I’m so desperate to reach.
The air in the passage shifts, and a strong, cold wind makes my body sway on the bookshelf.
I look before me and pause. The creature’s long, serpentine body snakes below me, its black tongue tasting the air.
I don’t let fear overtake me, and I move.
Only a few rows separate me from the book.
Maybe I can continue to climb up and use the tops of the shelves to rush back to the entrance.
I extend my arm and stretch my body toward the red book.
My fingers barely graze the book's spine, so I plant my right foot and lift my opposite leg to lean toward the ancient text.
Beads of sweat cover my brow, and horror fills my core.
My lifted leg bumps into another book, causing it to leave the shelf and tumble to the ground.
I watch the book descend into the darkness below me, and my world freezes.
The giant below me pauses and lifts its head using its wide, sharp claws at its side. The beast’s face becomes eye-level with me, invisible and frozen on the bookshelf. I’m trapped. If I move, it’ll know I’m here, and if I fall, it’s likely to do more damage to my body than good.
My chest heaves as I reassure myself that it can’t see me. It doesn’t know I’m here. Its long tongue flicks in and out, tasting the air.
I swallow and reach for the book, but I’m still not close enough.
The creature gazes directly into my eyes, and it smiles, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
“Hello, little one.”