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2024-10-29 19:42:56Chapter 4: Trespassing at the Library
Priam Montgomery?!
Why would that blind man has the same surname as mine?! And.. did he pass away?!
No, he was still alive and slowly closed the book, standing his ground. He panted repeatedly.
He almost fell on his knees, still holding the book. He supported himself by leaning on the shelf. He panted in difficulty, closing his eyes because of the searing pain.
He gradually placed the book he was holding between the gap of two books clattered at the shelf, fitting it perfectly. He was still catching his breath. After he had placed the book in a secured spot, he lost his balance, falling down to the floor.
"Harp..." he whispered as he slowly fell on the floor with a sound of 'THUD!' He finally made a contact on it, as he closed his eyes. "My son..."
Huh?! M-M-My... Son?!
"Harp.." he continued, and finally died out of blood lost. I felt it. He really died. He was in the stance that we saw before.
Why did he keep posing the same way every time? Was it.. a chain?!
"Harp! Harp!"
I heard a repeated shout. It was irritatingly loud!
"Aze! Did you zone out again?! You, Aze!!"
It was Aaron! His shout made me came back on my senses. I didn't noticed that Ella and Emma was also there.
"Are you alright?" Trixie asked me, feeling if I had a fever. "You were just in mild temperature. What the hell are you?"
"I'm fine." I've managed to say. I cleared my throat —it's raspy. I felt dizzy and I know I am not feeling well. "Uhm, shall we go to the library?"
They all stared at me as if I said something wrong. "Hey! You were telling us something before zoning out.. Will you continue it before fleeing?" Ella sardonically spoke. She rolled her eyes, as if she was that brave.
What's that? "What did I say last?" I asked them, bowing my head.
Nathan heaved a sigh. "About the malicious move done at our school.." he replied, face-slapping himself.
"Ahh.. I see." I am really dizzy, you know? "I don't have anything to say.."
But, in fact, I have to say something. About what I thought unconsciously. About Priam Montgomery. About what he said —"my son."
Was he... my, no! It can't be! It just cannot be!!
I stood and prepared to leave. I bowed my head because of the sudden move. I massaged my forehead. "Hurry! The school has the clues we should look at!"
As I said that, Emma and Trixie suddenly followed. It took a couple of seconds before Nathan walked next. We continued to walk, as Emma stopped behind me.
"Aren't you following?" Emma asked in a commanding voice. I know that voice very well. If you were to hear that voice, you can feel that she has the authority on it, and I think she can rule people with her voice. "Fine!" she ended, but in her mind, she was begging.
Emma hasn't change at all. She was still the strong-standing and demanding girl that I used to know in my childhood.
Aaron and Ella followed the demanding command of Emma. Because if they don't.. they know what will happen to them.
Fixing her pale yellow and oversized shirt, Ella continued walking, overtaking Nathan in the process. Emma looked at her sharply, as she stood with her black and yellow stripped, long sleeved shirt. It was made for winter. I can see the thickness on it.
"Let's go." I calmy said.
---
Nathan opened the door of the library. He was right, we didn't lock it. I am positive that no one will arrange the chair we clattered, but as we entered, it was amazingly arranged back into the way it previously was.
"Hey, Harp! Where did you dream the assassination?!" Emma asked. I can still felt her demanding tone.
I tried thinking that dream again. "Shelf No.13.. near the center." I unconsciously said. "The book that the blind man has written have a book cover that has a big eye on it."
"I see.." Nathan whispered and ran into the Shelves. After all, he and Ella hid there for a while. Maybe he managed to memorize them all. This Nathan.. how I wish I could be that smart, too.
Unbeknownst to us, the edges of the shelves have hidden numberings on them. Nathan tried removing —one by one — the big encyclopedia book that marked the number of each shelves.
Emma happened to saw one of the Encyclopedias at the shelf in front of her. "Aze, this book was numbered 9!!" she shouted.
"Everyone, let's help Emma and Nathan!" I commanded. I hurriedly came near the shelf in my right side. I checked if there was the Encyclopedia.
Pointing my index finger and gliding it to the wooden platform of the shelf, I suddenly stopped as I spot the Encyclopedia that hid the shelf number.
"Encyclopedia No. 12!" I shouted. I looked on my both side, unaware which side I should check first. The next shelf in my back was the nearest one. "I'll go check this shelf. Please, somebody try checking the other one!"
Nathan rapidly ran and checked the books at the next shelf after Shelf No. 12. At the same time, I was checking the shelf before it. The books were similar in sizes, and has no unbalanced pattern.
"Here!" Nathan shouted. "Shelf No. 21..?!" he frowned. I felt the disappointment in his voice.
But why?
"Does the arrangements of the Shelves were—" Ella was a bit shocked, covering her mouth.
"They were arranged randomly!!" Aaron concluded, and panicked. He rapidly thrown all of the books in his chosen shelf just to find the Encyclopedia!
"Oh, here!" Trixie gladly shouted. She was jumping in joy! "Encyclopedia No. 13, right?" she smiled.
We ran through her shelf, but we're stopped midway as an authorized girlish voice rang out of the room.
"WHO TOLD YOU TO TRESPASS THIS LIBRARY WITHOUT THE SCHOOL'S APPROVAL?!!"
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