“So the long and the short of it is, they are going to build the new science wing first. The new Library will have to wait. We can make do with the present set-up and we really do need new science facilities,” admitted the Librarian.
“Well, at least everyone agreed that the Library needs some sprucing up. The place looks shabby now but it shouldn’t take much to fix it up, just some paint and new carpet,” replied the College Counsellor.
“Who knows, with all the weeding I intend to do maybe I will find some more room for storage. I don’t even have any space to store the books I plan to get rid of, never mind the new ones.”
A few weeks later the work began. Some volunteers came on Friday night to take the books off the shelves in the History room. Early the next morning, other volunteers came and painted. Sunday afternoon, a third group came and put books back on shelves. The system worked perfectly. Next, the Fiction room was done, then Reference. It got a little more complicated when they got to the Science room.
The Science room was a problem. Over the years, the original shelving had been added to, with new shelves being jury-rigged on and over any available wall space. As a result, most of the shelving was not adjustable and therefore it was a real nightmare to properly shelve books. It was decided to tear out a section of shelves along one wall and replace them entirely. Once again, volunteers came on Friday night to take the books off the old shelves. On Saturday morning, the demolition crew came in to tear down the mismatched shelves. Behind the shelves, they discovered a door.
“That’s weird,” remarked the Librarian. She was in the Library, not so much supervising as just keeping an eye on the work being done. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them, but she wanted to be around so that she was on top of what was happening.
“I guess it is left over from when this building was a faculty residence. Although I’m not sure why someone would bother with a door here when there is already a door,” observed the Trustee who was in charge of the demolition.
“Obviously they covered it up because it is redundant, but it must have had a purpose at some time,” observed the Librarian.
“Whatever. Do you mind sweeping up once we have hauled away all of the wood? That way we can start assembling the new shelves right now, install after lunch and then get the first coat of paint on before dinner.”
“No problem. I think that is an excellent plan,” agreed the Librarian who figured that it would also give her some time to examine the door.
After tidying up the last of the debris, the Librarian stood for a moment staring at the door. Reaching out to grasp the handle, she grabbed her hand back in surprise when she received a nasty shock as soon as she touched the metal knob.
“Ow! Stupid static electricity!”
She reached for the knob again and again she was shocked. Was the door somehow connected to the electrical wiring? The Librarian debated going to her office to look up the number of the head of the school maintenance to see about getting in an electrician. At this point, one of the student volunteers wandered into the Science room. Before she could stop him, he tried the doorknob of the mysterious door.
“The door’s locked. Why would anyone bother to lock a door that they were going to hide behind a bunch of shelves?”
“No idea,” she answered, as he left to room. Realizing that the student had not been shocked, the Librarian reached for the knob once again and once again she was shocked. Searching among the tools and things the volunteers had left behind, she found a pair of work gloves with rubberized palms. Putting them on, she was now able to touch the knob without being shocked. The door was not locked, but it did take an effort to pull it open.
There should have been a blank wall or at least the back of a bookshelf. There wasn’t. Instead there was a room. Dim and dusty, bigger than the room that this door should have opened onto – there is no way that room could exist!
“I wonder – is this room the reason why we have ghosts or are the ghosts the reason why we have this room?” wondered the Librarian aloud. She went to the toolkit one of the maintenance guys had left behind and grabbed his flashlight. Returning to the Science room, the Librarian dragged over a couple of large cans of primer and propped open the door to the ‘new’ room.
Stepping into the room, she felt as if she had just walked into a freezer. Shivering, she looked around her. The room did not appear to have any windows or lights. The walls were lined with bookshelves and a square table stood in front of her with a book on it. Gingerly, she moved over to the table and looked at the book. It had old leather binding and gilt lettering.
“The Entire Book of Knowledge – interesting title, if a bit arrogant. I wonder what topics it covers?” mused the Librarian aloud.
“The problem with librarians is that, for them, there is no such thing as too much information,” came a male voice from the doorway. The Librarian jumped about a foot into the air, then turned and glared at the newcomer.
“Sorry,” he apologized with a smile. The man was average height, average build, and very ordinary. Except for his voice, which was deep and rich with a compelling musical quality. He moved to stand next to her by the table. She was grateful he was no longer blocking the exit.
“I am Luc, by the way. You are the Librarian, of course. I am here to help you get what you want.” He held out his hand and the Librarian was startled by how hot his hand was when she shook it.
“That is very kind of you,” she answered, smiling a little nervously. Something about this man made her very uneasy.
“You should look at the book,” he continued, smiling with all of his very white teeth and reminding her of a shark. Somehow the book didn’t seem as interesting as it had before.
“Let me open it for you. I think you would find this page of interest…”
At the top of the page was the Librarian’s name. Underneath was listed the details of her birth, education, resumé, etc. In a side column was a list of sins with dates next to them. Her sins, and the dates she had first committed them. Down at the bottom was a date: November 11, 2046. The date she would die.
Stepping back from the table she turned and ran the few steps to the door. Struggling to move the cans of primer, which seemed ten times heavier, she looked up to see Luc still standing by the table, laughing.
“You know you want to read the book. All the information in the world, and you would understand it all as well. Just come back in and read. Then you really would be Miss Know-It-All, just like the other kids called you in grade school. You could even take the book with you…”
The door was finally free, but closing it was like moving a huge rock. Straining, the Librarian was red-faced, wheezing, and sweating when the door finally began to close.
“Don’t worry. I will still be here when you change your mind. Just open the door and come in whenever you are ready. All you have to do is start reading. The Book will be waiting…..”
Once the door was fully closed, the Librarian grabbed one the hammers the demolition crew had left behind and broke off the doorknob to the other room. With little skill but a lot of energy, she used the nails from the toolkit to nail the door shut. By the time she had finished, her hands had stopped shaking, and the laughter behind the door had stopped.