Short Story

Libraryphobia

“Are you also scared of libraries? No? Well, not yet. Have you never been in one of those libraries who have a whole department in the cellar? The one I’m thinking of has a huge, dark hall which is divided into three parts and all of those parts look exactly the same; it’s so easy to get totally lost. The shelves are really close together and due to bad lighting and the lack of windows, you sometimes have problems reading the signatures if you have to find a book in a corner. The hall also smells kind of funny. There might be some people who like the smell of dusty, old books, but I prefer new books; they smell clean. However, let’s advance to my story:

A few months ago I had to go into this cellar library to look for books for my thesis. I’ve never liked to go there because this cellar department is kind of uncanny. Usually I would take a friend with me, so I wouldn’t be alone. But my friends weren’t available and since I was really getting behind on my work, I decided to go although it was already late. At this hour I was the only one there and the hall even looked scarier than usual. However, I started looking for the books and I was surprised how fast I found good material for my thesis, but then I suddenly saw a shadow between the shelves. I was irritated because I thought I was alone. So, I put the book back and stepped into the main row to see if there was somebody. But I couldn’t see anybody. I thought that I just imagined the shadow because this library has always given me the creeps. I went back to my search. When I was in a corner where the lights flickered, everything suddenly went black….
I woke up and realized that I must have fainted. (The air was so bad due to the lack of a decent air conditioning system.) I didn’t know how long I had been unconscious, but I figured that it was time to go. While I picked up my books I again saw a shadow, but this time I completely ignored it because I didn’t want to drive myself crazy. When I stepped into the main row I realized that the door to the upper part of the library was shut. Usually they keep it open. And when I tried to open the door my worst fears became reality: I was locked in the scariest library in this world for the night. I couldn’t believe they don’t even check whether the library was empty before they lock the door. If they had, they would have found me. However, while I was wondering about that, the lights went out and it was completely dark. I became so terrified and started screaming for help. But nobody came; I guess they couldn’t hear me. I suddenly heard a noise behind me. I immediately turned on my cell phone, but it was senseless because there was absolutely no reception down there. At least I could see the time on my phone. It was 20.15 pm, exactly 15 minutes after the closing hours of the library. While checking the time, I realized that there was a heavy breathing behind me. I turned around and tried to use the faint light of my phone to see who it was. But the only thing I could make out was a huge knife somebody was holding. I screamed, kicked the person into his stomach, and ran back between the shelves. My phone gave me the possibility to see at least where the rows began. But while I was crouching in a corner trying not to freak out, I saw that this big person that was following me had an advantage: a flashlight. He slowly walked along the main row and looked into every single small row. I knew that he would soon discover me and that’s why I squeezed myself onto an empty shelf and hoped I would look like a bunch of books. While he shined his light into my row, my heart was beating so heavy that I was afraid that he could hear it. He held the light beam for a few unbelievable long seconds and then went on. My trick must have worked. But when I tried to get off the shelf, the metal of the shelf creaked hearable. I froze to stone. But he had heard it and came back into my row. He approached very slowly. I dived forward and managed to surprise him. I hit him in the face and ran for another part of the hall. While looking for another hiding place I felt a wet spot on my back. I realized that it was blood and then I also felt the pain. I heard him coming behind me and I chose the next row for a hiding place. But when I walked along the shelves I realized that again it was a dead-end and before I realized I couldn’t escape, he came running in my direction. Before I could scream he started stabbing me. My phone fell on the ground and I slumped down. I could not see his face. And the very last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was a signature of a book: 95A17384.

Do you believe in ghosts? No? I didn’t either, before I became one. I now hunt the cellar department of the library. I can’t leave it; every time I try I end up at the exact spot I was killed at. But I can touch and read books and I can also work a computer.
Carrie O’Flannery”


Director of the Library: “This text was found as a Word-document in one of the computers of the lowest floor of our library on 6th December, 1996. The library team could not bring to light who wrote it. But we can confirm that the book with signature 95A17384 is located at the site where Carrie O’Flannery was killed on 28th July 1996. This fact is something that only the police and the team of the library know because it was never made public until now.”