Chapter 34: Please.

HELENA. I closed early from work, so I decided to check out the old library. When I told the cab driver where I was going, he totally flipped and asked for double his pay. I still wondered why this place was abandoned. Maybe it wasn't worth it, but I felt a little too curious to just pass it up. The library looked just as I remembered, only a little older and rough around the edges. A distant wave of nostalgia came crashing over me. 'Hey! Wait up!" I giggled as I ran through the halls leading up to the second chamber. I was with Emily and Olivia, my friends from grade school, and we were ten. The library was our favorite place to hang out, and we would never miss a day of frolicking along the long halls lined with brick tiles. 'You'd better hurry Leena." Olivia's voice rang out, cheering me on. We had just finished from school that afternoon, and decided to rest our heads in the Secret Reading Nook. I could almost smell the scent of old paper and rusty hinges as I recalled the Nook. It was a hidden alcove, concealed between the towering shelves of the Fiction section. It was our safe haven. Every Saturday we would come here, usually me first because I loved the cushioned window seat, and read away our sorrows. Sometimes we'd read aloud, fascinating each other with our own made up fantasies. Oliver usually sat on the window, while Emily would sit on the floor close to the both of us. In the nook, time seemed to slow down. I always loved coming here, always. It distracted me from things I didn't want to remember. As I looked up at the old building I spent most of my childhood in, I wondered if it was still the same. If it would give me that comfort and protection I always believed it had. The front gates were stuck, and I had to push a bit before they swung open. I nearly lost my balance. The front yard was overgrown with weeds, the huge wooden doors were cracked and peeling on the surface, and a few of the windows were broken, with a strange barricade on them. The windows glinted in the moonlight, casting eerie shadows on the ground. This place used to be filled with life and knowledge, but now, it just looked like a forgotten remnant of the past. I took a deep breath, moving towards the door. It was locked with a heavy padlock and chains. I groaned in frustration. There used to be a ‘back door', but I wasn't sure if it still worked. Emily was the one who found it, during one of our scavenger adventures. It was like a secret passageway. I wheeled around to the back of the building, and pushed over the bushes that covered the trap door in the ground. I pulled open the door and descended down the stairs, using my phone torch as my only source of light. The silence was unnerving, only broken occasionally by the scurrying sounds of rodents. I finally made it to the top of the stairs and found myself in the middle of the library, close to the History section. The scent of old paper and dust wafted into my nose. I walked through the dimly lit corridors, heart pounding. I heard a soft rustle, and swiveled around. My heart thudded painfully in my chest. Maybe this was a bad idea. Meh, what's the worst that could happen? I moved on. The halls and towering shelves were just as I remembered, the only difference being the absence of books. I walked to the grand staircase that led up to the second floor. The staircase used to be polished and welcoming, the shine of it a driving force to move further. I remember when we used to race up these stairs, placing a bet on who could reach the nook first. I stepped slowly on the now dull and cracked stairs, and it creaked loudly. Nope, not going up there I guess. I turned back, heading to the History section. This place was my favorite when I was younger. I loved reading about the enchanted past, where legends and heroes dwelled. The history of the present day world had a lot of mystical stories, and many people often don't appreciate it. Every time I finished a book, my mind would be filled with wonder and fascination. The shelves were empty, save for a few paperbacks. I ran my hands over them, closing my eyes and reeling in the fleeting memories. I could almost hear the echoes of footsteps. And then, I did. I shot my eyes open, wide and alert. Who could be here now? I thought this place was abandoned? I shone my phone's flashlight at the doorway, and pinched myself. Then, I remembered. I didn't close the trap door. CALEB. This place was disgusting. Weeds, mold, leaky drain pipes, and a collapsed roof. Why would anyone hide something of great power in here? I didn't find an entrance when I saw the broken bricks, so I just pinned it on the rodents. The place was swarming with the little critters. I circled the perimeter, and stopped shirt when I noticed a little opening in the ground, surrounded by shrubs and bushes. I pushed them aside, and found it was a trap door. How nice. I walked down the stairs, and it led me inside the library. Whoever created that door had a reason to. The library smelled like old paper and dust, combined with damp wood. It was pungent. There was another smell too, kind of like nature and fresh leaves. I heard footsteps in the halls. Someone's here. I shone my flashlight brightly, knife in hand. Whoever it was, this wasn't the time to be in an abandoned library. I saw another light at the far end of the shelves in the History aisle, and I followed. Each step met with trepidation and increasing warning to flee. I turned round the shelf sharply, and my heart skipped a beat. 'Who's there?" The person turned around. More beats skipped. 'Helena?" Her form was shaken. She looked up at me in fear, then surprise and confusion. 'Caleb? What are you doing here?" Her fingers trembled slightly. 'I could ask you the same thing." I took a deep breath, my adrenaline spikes calming down. 'You shouldn't be here, Helena." This place was falling apart, and she came here alone. 'The last time I checked, you don't tell me what to do." She crossed her arms, staring at me with her chin up in defiance. I forgot how cute she looked whenever she did that. 'That doesn't mean I can't tell you the truth." I replied, dusting off a cobweb on my shirt. 'Why do you care?" Her voice came out in a whisper. Before I could respond, I heard a loud crack. Helena looked down in horror, and the floorboards gave way, dragging her down with them. She screamed, trying to hold onto the floor. Alarms rang loud in my head and I reached for her immediately. 'Hold on!" I yelled, straining to pull her up. I grabbed her hands just as her fingers slipped free of the boards. I yanked her out of the hidden pit with one final heave and we both crashed on the dusty floor, gasping for breath. 'Are you okay?" I asked, my voice shaky with adrenaline. 'Yeah, I…I think so." She was trembling. I helped her to her feet, and my hands stopped short of her waist. The fresh scent of apples wafted into my nose, and I wanted to just stay there and then. She shifted away from me at the last second. 'Thank you." She turned away. 'You need to be more careful, Helena. This place is in shambles." 'I know, I just wanted to see it. I have a lot of memories here." A faint mist formed in her eyes. My expression softened. Helena had always had a thing for memories. 'But next time, you should tell me. I'll come with you." 'That won't be necessary." She turned away. Sigh. 'Can I at least take you home?" I just wanted to be in her presence. 'I can manage on my own." She checked her phone. She had thrown it when she fell into the hole, and it had a slight crack across the screen. 'Helena please." My voice was gentle, but firm. I wasn't taking no for an answer. 'I just want to make sure you get home safe." She looked at me, conflict flickering between her eyes. 'Fine." She nodded slowly, and I looked at my watch. It was way past 9pm. No cabs would want to come up here. We walked through the dark corridors, my flashlight piercing through the darkness. Helena trailed behind me, refusing to hold my hand. We made it to the stairs that led to the trap door, and the cold evening breeze wafted in from above. The breeze was cool, and calming. Helena glanced back at the library as we walked out, and I could almost feel her emotions. We walked to my truck, the silence enveloping us. I opened the passenger's seat for her and she got in, the leather seat creaking softly beneath her. I turned on the ignition, and slowly drove out of the eerily dark street. This part of Henley was really deserted. As I pulled away from the curb, I broke the deafening silence.