The Library of Forgotten People - Chapter One — The Door That Wasn't There

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Elena Marsh had always believed that forgotten things were not really gone.

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A broken toy could still be found beneath a bed. An old photograph could still sit inside a drawer. Even a name that no one remembered anymore could remain somewhere in an old notebook.

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She liked things that were forgotten.

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Maybe that was why she noticed the door.

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It was raining that afternoon.

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Not the gentle kind of rain that made people want to stay inside with a cup of tea. It was the kind that turned the streets silver and made every car sound like it was moving through a river.

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Elena pulled her coat tighter around herself and hurried down Blackwood Street.

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She had taken this road hundreds of times.

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But that day, there was something different.

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A door stood between two buildings.

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Elena stopped.

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She stared at it.

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The door was tall and dark, with a brass handle that looked older than everything around it. There was no sign above it. No windows. No number.

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Just a door.

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Elena frowned.

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She was certain it had not been there yesterday.

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She stepped closer.

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On the wall beside the door was a small golden plaque.

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It said:

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THE LIBRARY OF FORGOTTEN PEOPLE

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Elena almost laughed.

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"That's a strange name."

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She looked around.

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There was nobody on the street.

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The rain had become heavier.

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For some reason, Elena reached for the handle.

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The door opened.

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Warm yellow light spilled onto the wet pavement.

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And behind the door was a library.

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Elena stood completely still.

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Rows and rows of bookshelves stretched into the darkness.

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There were hundreds of them.

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Maybe thousands.

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The ceiling was so high that she could barely see it. Small lamps hung in the air, glowing like tiny moons.

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The strangest thing was the silence.

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There was no sound of rain.

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No sound of traffic.

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No sound of the city.

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Only the soft ticking of a clock somewhere far inside.

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Elena stepped through the doorway.

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The door closed behind her.

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She turned around immediately.

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The door was gone.

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In its place was a wall covered with books.

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Elena's heart began to beat faster.

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"Hello?"

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Her voice disappeared between the shelves.

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No answer.

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She walked forward.

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Every book looked different.

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Some were thick and covered in dust. Some were small enough to fit in her palm. Some had beautiful leather covers. Others looked as if they had been damaged by fire or water.

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But there was something strange about all of them.

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There were no titles.

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Only names.

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Elena picked up a blue book.

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On the cover were three words:

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MARGARET WILLOW

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She opened it.

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The first page contained a date.

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March 14, 1942

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Below it was a sentence.

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Margaret Willow loved dancing, although she was never allowed to dance in public.

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Elena turned the page.

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There were details about Margaret's life.

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Her family.

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Her friends.

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Her favourite food.

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The boy she secretly loved.

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The day she left home.

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The last letter she wrote.

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Elena read several pages before something made her stop.

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There was a final sentence.

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Margaret Willow was forgotten on October 3, 1971.

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Elena frowned.

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"What does that mean?"

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A voice answered behind her.

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"It means exactly what it says."

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Elena dropped the book.

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She turned around.

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An old man stood between the shelves.

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He was wearing a dark suit and holding a silver key.

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His hair was completely white, but his eyes were strangely young.

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"You shouldn't be here," he said.

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Elena swallowed.

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"Where am I?"

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The old man looked at the book on the floor.

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Then he looked at her.

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"You are in a library."

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"I can see that."

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He smiled slightly.

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"Can you?"

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Elena didn't understand.

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The man walked past her and carefully picked up the book.

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"Most people cannot see this place."

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"Why?"

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"Because most people have no reason to remember."

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Elena stared at him.

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"Remember what?"

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The old man closed the book.

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"People."

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There was something about the way he said the word that made Elena uncomfortable.

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She looked around.

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"Who are all these books about?"

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"People who have been forgotten."

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"Forgotten by who?"

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"Everyone."

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Elena laughed nervously.

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"That's impossible."

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The old man shook his head.

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"No. It is quite possible."

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He walked toward a nearby desk.

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Elena followed him.

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"What happens when someone is forgotten?"

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The man placed the book on the desk.

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"They disappear."

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"Like... they die?"

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"Not exactly."

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He looked at her.

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"A person can die and still be remembered for hundreds of years."

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He pointed toward the shelves.

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"But some people are alive, dead, loved, hated, famous, ordinary..."

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He paused.

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"And yet one day, their names disappear from every memory."

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Elena felt a chill run down her spine.

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"Why?"

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The old man did not answer.

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Instead, he asked:

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"What is your name?"

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"Elena."

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"Elena what?"

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"Elena Marsh."

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For the first time, the old man's expression changed.

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His eyes widened.

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Only for a second.

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But Elena noticed.

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"You know me?"

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"No."

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"You looked surprised."

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"I was not surprised."

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"You were."

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The old man turned away.

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"You should leave."

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"How?"

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He pointed toward the shelves.

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"Find the door."

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Elena looked behind her.

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There were hundreds of shelves.

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"No one told me where it is."

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"Exactly."

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She stared at him.

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Then she noticed something.

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On the desk behind him was a small black book.

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Unlike the others, this one had a title.

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Elena walked closer.

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The title was written in silver letters.

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ELENA MARSH

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Her stomach dropped.

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She reached for it.

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The old man grabbed her wrist.

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"Don't."

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Elena stared at him.

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"Why is my name on that book?"

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He said nothing.

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"Why?"

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The old man slowly released her wrist.

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His face had become pale.

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"Because," he whispered, "that book should not exist."

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Elena looked at the book again.

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The cover seemed to pulse beneath her fingers.

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She opened it.

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The first page was completely blank.

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The second page was blank too.

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She turned another page.

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Nothing.

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Then she reached the final page.

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There was a single sentence.

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Elena Marsh will be forgotten.

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Her hands went cold.

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Below the sentence was a date.

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Tomorrow.

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Elena stopped breathing.

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"That's impossible."

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The old man looked at the page.

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Then he whispered something that frightened her even more.

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"No."

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He shook his head.

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"Tomorrow is not when you will be forgotten."

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He looked directly into her eyes.

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"Tomorrow is when they will begin."

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The lights above them suddenly went out.

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And somewhere deep inside the library—

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a book fell from a shelf.

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Then another.

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Then another.

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Until the entire library began to shake.

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