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| (Chapter 1) Cracked Comprehension Posted by: Mint at 12-19-2019 08:46 AM, Last Modified 12-19-2019 08:50 AM |
I've always wanted to escape; to traverse into another world, like the one behind books. I'd wander the carpeted shelves looking for one of these worlds, rather the world one could imagine to the one in real life. It was this reason that I came to the library- this hub of portals flowing to places where the writers could scarcely describe their true beauty. Trying to satiate my thirst for adventure by entering these worlds firsthand and seeing their nature, I searched the halls for a story that day, but none seemed to catch my eye. I then came across this queer door, one that I had never seen before. It was a giant one, made of what I could tell was oak, having 7 golden letters etched into it. 'PRIVATE'. I wondered what was on the other side, and my curiosity had gotten the better of me. I looked around and saw nobody nearby. The library had finally achieved the void of sound it so greatly encouraged. I usually wasn't one to break the rules, but I thought to myself that a peek wouldn't hurt. I opened the door...
However, when I stepped through that door, I knew I wasn't in a library, but in an entirely different somewhere. The twisting, winding hallway of derelict marble sprawled ahead of me and two huge windows allowed light to permeate inside. The door slammed behind me, making me panic and jump. I rustled the doorknob, pulling with all of my strength, but to no avail. I still remember how I yelled "What?! How did it lock itself?'. I bruised my knee trying to break the door down, and when that failed I attempted to shoulder it. Despite my onslaught, it failed to budge. "The way back is blocked off..." I had mused to myself, "Which leaves one choice." I was so scared, you should've seen me. Step by step, I had walked into that mysterious hall.
I wandered down the curved hallway and eventually turned a corner, the rough stone resounding with the 'clack' of every footstep. When I turned the corner, I remember apprehension turned to curiosity as I saw the interior of whatever building I found myself in. I was inside of a different library, far bigger than the one I was previously in, but this one looked like it had been struck by a small tornado. Bookshelves lay collapsed; the books themselves having been scattered all over the place in a bewildering storm of paper and ink. The ceiling was composed of glass which allowed the entire library to be illuminated by natural light. As I squinted at it to see it better, I noticed that the glass was cracked in several places. In the center of the library, a giant sundial laid, which gave incorrect results due to the imperfections of the glass rooftop. The walls seem to have been painted to resemble some sort of massive battle, however the paint is so faded and flaky that it is impossible to tell what it is depicting. Several small stairways were placed evenly all around the circular chamber which led to the defective sundial. All except one... One staircase led all the way up to a long ladder which led to a rectangular observation chamber hanging close to the ceiling. This of all things caught my eye. 'Why would a library need an observation suite?' I thought.
I began to wind through a maze composed of shattered shelves and ruined books. I remember having to constantly make detours to go around the many obstacles in his way. These detours were also warranted since the bookshelves were much too tall for me to climb over. After this confusing and slightly disorienting voyage within the labyrinth of literature and wood, I found that I had reached the crossroads of the maze; the area where the sundial lay. It was quite a large device, not nearly as large as the bookcases I had to circumnavigate recently, but it was still larger than any sundial I had ever seen. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to read a sundial and the intricate, cracked patterns of sunlight and darkness meant little to me as I observed it more closely. There was something unusual about it though. Other than its sheer size, the sundial seemed to almost be resting on something under the ground. I saw a small crack around its edge, and when I pressed my ear to the floor I could've sworn that I heard something. A sort of rhythmic breathing. What it was exactly, I had no idea. I glanced at my surroundings to pinpoint my position and locked my eyes on the observation ledge. With my destination set, I once again entered the maze....... |
Comments:
| Mint: RE: Asher - I know that its not that complete, I wanted a bit of feedback before writing more. Thanks, though! |
| Knight Mage Asher: Intriguing start, though a bit of a short one. I definitely think theres potential here, that is, if you want to continue this story. I hope to see more. |
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