Chapter Two Part Two

 “What-?” 

He looks at me with a fearful expression. 

“Listen to me,” his voice was hushed. “Never come back into this place. You hear me?” 

All I could do was nod as he looked frantic and fearful. 

“Here,” he pushes a book into me harshly. “Burn it and don’t hesitate.” 

I opened my mouth to say something but was pulled back by something sticky and cold behind me. I flailed helplessly as I saw the rabbit peak at the corner of the shelf. He looks back at me and waved goodbye. 

I screamed as the sticky cold substance pulled me farther away from the opening. It was like gravity pulling me down towards darkness. I was startled when I felt hands grabbing my ankles and wrists, pulling me farther deeper into the chasm.  

I sat up gasping for air – beads of sweat rolling down my forehead. My mouth was dry, my body shivering from the cold. I rub my arms with my hands. Puffs of small clouds appearing once I exhaled. I look down on the bed, and saw the duvet was now on the floor, looking so lump and gloomy. 

So that explains the coldness I felt. I swallowed a lump on my throat and picked up the duvet on the floor. Accidentally hitting my elbows on the bedside table causing an electric feel to ran up to my arm. 

“Ow!” I instantly dropped the duvet on the floor and winced as my other hand found its way to my elbow. 

I heard a small thud hit the floor. I glanced at the duvet, and then at the figurines. I gasp. The figurines. I grab both of them and placed them in front of me on the bed. 

I stared at the owl figurine expectantly waiting that it would move and talk or Lawrence, the rabbit, to grow in his huge height but... nothing. 

I tilted the owl to the side and waited for it to snap its beak at me in annoyance. 

I sigh. I leaned on the headboard and stared at my duvet on the floor. Until something caught on the corner of my eyes. 

I glance towards the bedside table. The book I was to return today was still here. I furrowed my brows. 

Didn’t I already return it? I grabbed it and flipped the pages. I bit my lower lip in frustration. What is happening? Was everything all a dream? I shook my head. No, it can’t be. It felt so real. It looked so real. I placed the book back on the bedside table and leaned back on the headboard. 

Staring at the two figurines in front of me. 

“What in the world happened? Was that all a dream?” I sigh, and gave up on waiting for something to happen to the figurines after a few minutes of staring at it. 

I shoved them aside the bed causing them to fall on the floor with a thud, before I picked up my duvet to warm myself from the cold. 

-

Morning came, and I was on my way to the public library. It was like a déjà vu. Minus the raining snow and the few people. There were a lot of people roaming and walking around actually. Going in and out of stores and diners nearby. Shopping, doing groceries, and whatnot. It wasn’t an hour before I arrived at the public library. And I was expecting the door to be stuck frozen. But my expectation stayed only in my dreams. I pushed it easily without effort. Instantly hit by the smell of old books as I entered. 

The old librarian was busy checking in and out the books of customers who were borrowing books. I lined next to an older woman in her thirties, carrying three books in hand. I smiled politely at her as she smiled back at me. 

I guess it was a dream I had. What a weird one. 

As I came next in line, I fished out the books I borrowed last week from my sling bag and placed them on top of the counter, waiting for the old lady to hand me the slip for me to sign. She fumbled on one of the drawers and plucked one slip and wearily placed it in front of me. I pursed my lips as I grabbed the pen sitting on the pen holder and had to scribble a few times for it to work. Gosh, I hate these pens, I thought as I scribbled on my slip, it took a minute for the pen to finally work. I sighed in relief and signed my name on the book slip and walked away from the counter. 

I still had a lot of free time until dinner time. Maybe I could explore for a while and investigate the Fiction section and find the book I fished out in my dream. Maybe I’d magically be teleported to that fantasy world in my dreams and leave this godforsaken reality. 

I walked towards where the fiction section was, avoiding the gaze of the few people I passed by, bowing my head so I could only see my black-colored chucks and the dirty gray tiled floor. I stopped by the fiction section and looked upon the rays of books aligned on the bookshelf. The end of the opposite side of where I was, was dimly lit and didn’t have the dark shady side I had experienced in my dream. I mean, what the hell was I to expect? That was in my dream, this is the reality I’m living in. I shook my head in utter stupidity at myself. 

I retraced my steps to where the mysterious book was placed based on my dream, and to my surprise, it was there. I looked at it, hesitant and thinking what would happen if I pulled the book out. 

Would it instantly teleport me to that magical fantasy world in my dreams? Why am I doing this? 

My hand seemed to have a mind of its own and plucked the mysterious book out from the rest of the other books. It felt warm and tingly on my hands, it was almost as if it was vibrating. I looked at it bewildered, total, and in utter confusion, as I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I dropped the book in fear, and there was a moment where time stood still for a second as I watched the book fall slowly in front of me, the tip of it almost touching the floor, I watch in awe as it sucked me in and everything around me towards it. 

Once again, I felt the nauseating feeling I had in my dream, but this time, it wasn’t pulling me down, it was lifting me. The shadow of a thousand hands reaching for me and pulling me closer towards the light. I was starting to lose my consciousness as I neared the light above, my head tipped, my eyes closed, I drew the last breath, and with one question stuck on my mind before I lost consciousness.  

Where is this dark chasm taking me?