Finish the story - The Library That Wasn't There

11:23 pm

I had another weird dream tonight, and honestly, I'm starting to think my brain is just messing with me at this point.

So I was in the school library, except it wasn't just the library. Like, the bookshelves were still there, but between them were these massive trees growing straight through the floor. The carpet had moss on it. There were roots coming up through the tile near the checkout desk. And somehow, this all felt completely normal.

I was supposed to be finding Ms. Dai's classroom because we had some kind of assignment due, and I was already late. The problem was that the library kept going. Like, I'd walk past the fiction section, and suddenly I was in a clearing with ferns everywhere, and then I'd see the reference books hanging from tree branches like some kind of deranged Christmas ornaments.

I grabbed one of the hanging books to see if it had a map or something useful, but it was just a copy of Little Women. Cool. Very helpful.

That's when I saw Daniel.

He was crouched next to this giant mushroom growing out of what used to be the computer lab, and he was... I don't even know. Poking it? Whispering to it? He looked up at me, made direct eye contact, and then licked the mushroom.

I just stood there.

"...Daniel."

He swallowed thoughtfully.

"What?"

"You licked the mushroom."

"No."

I blinked.

"...No?"

"I tasted it."

I stared at him for a solid five seconds.

"Those are not different things."

"They are if you're committed."

Before I could ask what that meant, the mushroom gave a tiny, satisfied hum.

Daniel nodded.

"See? It likes compliments."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"No, I mean... did you just say the mushroom likes compliments?"

He looked at me like I was the strange one.

"Obviously."

The mushroom puffed out a little cloud of glowing blue spores.

"That means thank you," Daniel explained.

"I don't remember asking."

"You didn't. It asked me to tell you."

I looked at the mushroom.

The mushroom... somehow looked back.

"Right."

Without another word, I turned around.

"I'm leaving."

"You can't."

I sighed.

"Why?"

"Because you're late."

"I know I'm late."

"No," Daniel said. "You're 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 late."

Before I could ask what that meant, a school bell rang somewhere in the distance.

Every bird in the trees stopped singing.

Every leaf stopped moving.

Even the mushroom went quiet.

Something heavy echoed through the forest.

Thunk.

Daniel's face lost all expression.

"Oh."

"Oh what?"

"Run."

"For what?"

Another thunk.

Closer this time.

"You'll see."

"I don't want to 'see.' I want to wake up."

"Yeah."

He nodded sympathetically.

"We all did."

That sentence should have worried me.

Instead, I was distracted by the fact that the trees had quietly rearranged themselves into bookshelves.

A wooden sign rose from the moss.

NON-FICTION

Another appeared beside it.

OVERDUE STUDENTS

"...That's a joke, right?"

Daniel didn't answer.

From somewhere beyond the trees, footsteps echoed.

Slow.

Steady.

A woman stepped into the clearing carrying a clipboard.

It was Ms. Dai.

She looked exactly the same as always.

Same glasses.

Same neat ponytail.

Same disappointed expression she wore whenever someone forgot homework.

She glanced at me.

Then at her clipboard.

Then back at me.

"You're forty-three minutes late."

I laughed.

Nobody else did.

"I've been lost in a forest."

She frowned.

"No."

She pointed behind me.

"Library."

I turned around.

The towering oak beside me had little white labels running down its trunk.

500 – Science

600 – Technology

A squirrel climbed past carrying three overdue library books.

I looked back at Ms. Dai.

"...I'm going to stop asking questions."

"Excellent," she said. "You're learning."

She pulled a single sheet of paper from her clipboard and handed it to me.

At the top, in neat black letters, it read:

Assignment 7

Find the Exit.

I looked up.

"...That's it?"

"Yes."

"Where is the exit?"

Ms. Dai smiled.

The kind of smile teachers save for trick questions.

"If I told you..."

She adjusted her glasses.

"...it wouldn't be much of an assignment, would it?"I stared at the assignment sheet.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2We0wIVlRx

Then at Ms. Dai.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujNFxUnJ1O

Then at the forest-library around me.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YfsmIy4fm

"Just to be clear..."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyy1H3MhHfC

I held up the paper.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mw8pdV5wD

"My homework is to escape a magical forest that is also my school library?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEqrLc7yLp

Ms. Dai nodded.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88l2qHzAtC

"Yes."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p9rKkAvIC

"And this is normal?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9oZ5YAa3c

"Not particularly."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8q4tMfY1WH

I felt slightly relieved.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7RMljMI9K

"Finally. Someone admits it."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84bNgOXgkX

She tilted her head.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9rUQl5pN8

"I meant it is normal for this assignment."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52BlrjchYQ

The relief disappeared.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoorV2Sg2e2

"Of course it is."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIP2YqFLwE

Daniel walked over and looked at my paper.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaHHoaGplV

"You're lucky."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqEs7pMd95

"How?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEQ1ExzfkL

"Last year's assignment was worse."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffBDTHOG3D

I looked at him.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yFb9iRQPw

"What was it?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNa6Q1rVB7j

"Find a missing book."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqMxKyMGck

"That doesn't sound bad."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnQJjztB5o

"It was the book."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQvfwwJqxO

I waited.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTX8rzEcGEl

"The book was missing itself."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoz8es4GFJ

I decided not to ask.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoVQ41gtOY

At this point, curiosity was becoming a safety hazard.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqlEgyNocs

Ms. Dai tapped her clipboard.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGbqbUJpAp

"You have until the final bell."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBZ1BsnDS5

"And what happens if I don't finish?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGRK2etN1C

She looked toward the trees.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptOy0qVQiJ

The trees looked back.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBb8gv4Ktc

I did not like that.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFxyBwsRdz

"Then you stay."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wmtC3aVa4

"Stay where?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzONfXiviww

The birds above us suddenly started reciting multiplication tables again.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qk4gnuhn0

Daniel answered quietly.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0z0npzd8U

"Here."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgeKbaHYEF

I looked around.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3CURGFIZ8

The glowing mushrooms.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6LHmFVEyt

The walking books.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBBpEhxmic

The squirrels with overdue notices.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlk2pl7Gixr

The trees pretending not to listen.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzEyNH344h

"How long?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlu9WogYVE

Daniel shrugged.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvWKW2rTDx

"Depends."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaL51Ge1zx

"On what?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7Z2e6JpIL

"On when you find the exit."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXEOVeYCNj

"That's not an answer."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzSUsGy58W

"It's the only answer."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOZXxEqRgX

I sighed.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2ncksyf4k

This was officially the strangest day of my life.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAelo8OdKN

And considering I once accidentally walked into the wrong classroom and sat through fifteen minutes of a chemistry lecture before realizing I wasn't supposed to be there, that was saying something.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoxzmuZjlT

I looked down at the assignment.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5baHRi829

Find the Exit.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCRn2aWC3q

Simple enough.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mFNsqFM4M

Except the problem was...

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgDaWGflnO

There were no doors.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DczhoxlRD

No hallways.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7kH0v00Tq

No signs pointing anywhere useful.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvayPJPaol8

Just endless shelves, trees, and suspiciously intelligent mushrooms.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMPlUEONWM

I turned to Daniel.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImTPavN9AJ

"Where do I start?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAD0KnRMRY

He pointed.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasELvILwXY

I followed his finger.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfVYlncjvQ

At the edge of the clearing stood a small wooden sign.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuf8BIuCyf

I walked closer.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYSLf8tYww

It had only two words written on it.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbskws5I3rz

EXIT →

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzFuXan6sY

I smiled.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7dkbTipCv

"Finally."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAinYgFFKn

I took one step forward.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4a6jQDvyv

The sign immediately rotated.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSXjrIq3U3

The arrow moved.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTocimGo0D

Now it pointed behind me.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbQDmPijhv

I stopped.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoYEKYGC8D

"Did the sign just move?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy13eMgN9pt

Daniel nodded.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwKAqMxwN3

"Yeah."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1XhvQLtkV

"Why?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iFFMk8T45

He shrugged.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wfEqZ1nCm

"Some exits like attention."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPMp1rkR1Z

I stared at him.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqpMwEcTjV

"That sentence should not exist."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRVo8494CK

"You're getting used to it."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblypdhwGPL

I hated that he was right.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1zkr1Ik03

Behind us, the school bell rang again.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeC2KyhV6I

Ms. Dai checked her watch.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFRwWtAGTK

"Forty minutes remaining."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJICWWHOD7

The trees whispered.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjT8gjec7f8

The books rustled.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9nLzDKsSq

The mushroom beside Daniel opened one tiny eye.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOeSiQBgJn

"Good luck," it said.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDe3FgwuJ7M

I froze.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2MFhGbR7k

"You can talk?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbA7hdQLTG

The mushroom looked offended.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwS1RY8adub

"I've been talking this entire time."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZpIFVdTkn

I looked at Daniel.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQNcCPyYFJ

"You could have mentioned that?"

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIkcHrzKTh

"You didn't ask."

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3znpZ4UjF

I opened my mouth.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15xpXwMUbB

Closed it.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQTDFAI3J5

Then opened it again.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IgAyXLI8h

There was no possible response to that.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nFPAjNspO

So I did the only logical thing.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKtdjRTL31

I followed the moving exit sign deeper into the forest.

219Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfI79iYmnNU

Because apparently that was my life now.

---

The sign led me through three different sections of the library.

Which would have been impressive if those sections had made any sense.

The first was Fiction.

The second was apparently "Extremely Fiction."

I did not know books could become more fictional than fiction, but I had stopped questioning things after the talking mushroom.

Finally, the sign stopped beside a plain wooden door.

No glowing symbols.

No magical vines.

No suspiciously judgmental birds.

Just a door.

I reached for the handle.

"Wait."

I looked back.

Daniel was staring at it.

"What?"

He hesitated.

"Are you sure you want to leave?"

I frowned.

"Yes?"

He nodded slowly.

"That's usually what people say."

"Usually?"

Before he could answer, the door creaked open by itself.

Behind it was my normal school library.

No trees.

No moss.

No mushrooms.

Just bookshelves and a very tired-looking librarian.

I stepped through.

The moment my foot touched the carpet, everything disappeared behind me.

I turned around.

Nothing.

Just a normal wall.

I sighed in relief.

Then the librarian looked up.

"Finished?"

I froze.

"Finished what?"

She pointed at the paper in my hand.

The assignment.

Except now, beneath Find the Exit, there was a new line.

Student successfully escaped.

I stared.

"How long was I gone?"

The librarian checked the clock.

"About five minutes."

I blinked.

"Five minutes?"

She nodded.

"Dreams are strange like that."

I looked down at the paper.

At the very bottom, someone had written a note.

𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘣.

𝘈𝘭𝘴𝘰, 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴.

I slowly looked at the librarian.

"Did Daniel write this?"

She smiled.

"No."

A pause.

"Daniel was never a student here."

I stared at her.

Then at the note.

Then back at her.

"...I'm going to pretend that makes sense."

The librarian returned to her book.

"Good choice."

And honestly?

After everything that happened...

That was probably the smartest decision I'd made all night.

ns216.73.216.48da2

Reading Theme:

Font Size:

Line Spacing:

Paragraph Spacing:

Load the next issue automatically