Having done so, she wasted no time and immediately began ordering the materials, trying not to look at them. It was a short job that only took a few moments. She performed the task speedily with her back to the doorway and, having finished, spun on her heels so as to turn back towards the entry. As she turned and took her first step in that direction she almost walked straight through a male spirit who was standing immediately behind her at close quarters.
Sarah was not aware that the spirit had heard the change of shifts and, under a consciousness of his own guilt, had decided to keep out of sight for a few minutes in case the new librarian checked that room at the opening of her shift. When entering the room in the first place he had waited until Jacinta was otherwise occupied before slipping inside. His sudden appearance gave Sarah quite a fright and a muffled scream escaped her lips, but not loudly enough to cause the other occupants of the library to come and investigate.
‘Oh dear, did I frighten you?’ asked the visitor.
As Sarah stepped back and focused on him, she saw that he was of medium height with black hair and brown eyes. He had a slightly hooked nose and a thin but prominent chin. While there was nothing particularly striking about his appearance there was something about him that did appear a little odd, furtive being the best description of the look of him.
‘What are you doing in here?’ asked the visitor, as though Sarah had been intruding.
‘I was reordering the material, please excuse me,’ she replied, stepping around him and moving quickly towards the doorway, not wishing to be in that room, or in his presence, for a second longer.
Upon re-entering the library proper she felt some relief, but she did not feel completely at ease until the stranger left some hours later. Having already been discovered, the gentleman saw no point in leaving the library in an unusual manner, and left via the front entrance. As he exited he looked more peculiar than he had the first she saw him, as the level of his furtiveness had deepened just a little.
Sarah was pleased when her shift ended and she was able to leave for home. As she flew she thought about discussing the visitor to the library with her true love, Samuel, but ultimately she resolved that it was inappropriate to do so.
3 interest becomes habit
Although not many visited the library in which Sarah worked, those who did enter appeared to do so with relative freedom of movement and of conscience. There was one exception to this however, being he who had developed the regular habit of visiting that small and forbidden room that contained earthly material. Increasingly, this fellow appeared to be troubled upon entry and more troubled upon exit. Ultimately, describing him as furtive became redundant and more powerful language was required to describe his troubled and devious state. Unfortunately, the better qualities of the fellow in question were gradually giving way before the evil that he was regularly exposing himself to.
In considering the motivations of the regular visitor in studying the earths, it must be considered that the very best of that which is to be found on earth could be accessed, in an even purer form, throughout the library proper. The fact that this devious character had entered the smaller room in the first instance was evidence that he was looking for something other than the knowledge that was so accessible outside of that nook. To think that he was entering that secluded room, contrary to the instruction of his parents, to seek a subject matter that was bountifully available outside of those four walls, does not stand to reason. Rather, he was lured through that doorway by a fascination with what might be contained therein that was not in keeping with the principles that he had previously studied.
The first time the spirit in question studied the doings of mankind he was shocked by the evil deeds that he found, the second time less so. Gradually he became comfortable with the evil, and finally he rejoiced in it. Indeed, it became the sole focus of his studies.
Libraries within the Kingdom contained not only the written word but also audio visual feeds from other earths. When studying worthwhile subjects this diverse combination of mediums provided for a rich learning experience more powerful than the written word alone. Unfortunately, the same principle applied when studying evil. Accordingly, while the earthly studies of this student started late in his progression, he learned quickly and thoroughly. The visual recordings sank deep into his heart, and his mind replayed them eagerly and regularly. The replays within his mind were with his permission at first, but ultimately they became involuntary, as that which was good within him increasingly gave way to that which was evil. The student visited the library occasionally at first, but as his addiction grew he came more and more regularly, disregarding any risk.
While Sarah was a friendly soul, she had had an eerie feeling about this visitor from the very first time that he had startled her. This feeling continued to grow on her with each visit, and was compounded by the unhealthy way in which he stared at her. She had never been looked at in such a manner before and she perceived that there was something sinister about it. For this reason Sarah had never sought a formal introduction, but had she done so she would have discovered that his name was Lucifer.
4 stolen
Time passed and Lucifer’s visits became daily. As he walked towards the library on this particular day he was ill at ease. While his mind was full of the vile images that he had been feasting upon, this was not the sole cause of his unrest. Upon arrival he entered the library and saw Sarah ordering some books over on the left side. He took a moment to admire her, imagining that they were both mortal so that he could do with her as he pleased. His stare was even longer than usual, as he contemplated that it would be enjoyable if she joined him in a willing act, but that it would be even more pleasurable if she had to be forced.
He was stirred from this train of thought as he noticed her visibly shake under the weight of his stare. Walking past her, and the books that she was ordering, he moved briskly into the small room that had become his lair. Having done so, he immediately set about discovering earthly deeds so vile that most men and women are spared ever having any knowledge of them. Had Sarah dared to stand in the doorway and describe him, she would have noted that his countenance had changed appreciably over the past months since she had first seen him.
Although he had looked furtive at their very first meeting, his countenance, though dimmed, was still a shade of white at that time. In a very short time that countenance had darkened somewhat to become grey in appearance. Though his hair remained unchanged, his already dark eyes appeared to have become darker, and were certainly far more frightening to look into for one who perceived even a portion of the evil contained within his soul. The regular expression on Lucifer’s face had also changed slightly so that his look was ever so slightly more brutal than it had been. It certainly took a discerning observer to note this about him, but Sarah had seen enough of this expression taking deeper shape upon his face to understand its origin. Though his face was already quite thin and sharp, it had become a little more pinched, as though his hunger for evil was having the same effect upon him as does a mortal hunger for food. The same could be said for his build. While he was already quite slight he had become just a touch slighter and his shoulders, which were previously square, had rounded slightly under the weight of a heavy conscience.
Before Lucifer had arrived that day, as had become her habit, Sarah had desperately hoped that some other soul would enter the library before him, so that they might not be there alone. She was not fortunate after this fashion however, and thus she settled down to finish her shift under the weight of the heightened anxiety that she felt whenever the two of them were in the library without other company. Her fear was magnified due to the fact that Lucifer had developed the habit of exiting his edifice, every so often, just to look at her. He never spoke, as he regularly repeated this routine, he simply walked past her to another part of the library, removing a book from the shelf, as though he was interested in it.
Had he genuinely been interested in books, other than
those found in his beloved room, Sarah would have found this very reassuring. Unfortunately though, it was evident to her that he was not in the least interested in whatever manuscript he happened to remove from the shelf, as each time she dared to look in his direction she would catch him looking over the top of the pages directly at her. On this day however, she was relieved to find that he did not exit the room at all, and she was left undisturbed throughout the shift, although she could not help but remain on edge.
While the libraries throughout the Kingdom were open almost all of the time, each closed for two hours per day to allow the attendants some time to better order the books and other materials. Accordingly Sarah’s library closed for two hours per day, even though the building was rarely used, and additional time for ordering the materials was not necessary. Although this closing time was not necessary for the library in question, Sarah was extremely relieved that the closure policy gave her a chance to order Lucifer’s room, without the possibility of him entering.
Sarah ordinarily worked the closing shift. This meant that she worked the four hours immediately preceding close, and the two hours while the library was shut. Following which she was relieved by another attendant. Thankfully, Lucifer was in the regular habit of leaving the library about a half hour before it closed, so Sarah did not need to remind him of closing time.
As Sarah sat behind the counter on this particular day, an hour before closing, she was relieved that Lucifer hadn’t yet exited his cell to look at her. This was unusual but she was not about to complain. Although she was relieved that Lucifer had not yet ventured into the library proper, she still had much on her mind. For some time now she had been considering whether it was appropriate to register a formal complaint against the regular visitor who had become her recurrent nightmare. She was the attendant who ordinarily closed the library, and therefore had to endure his presence most often, as he tended always to come in the final hours before the library closed. She wondered therefore, whether Lucifer had managed to frighten any of the other library attendants, but to date she had never dared to ask. There was no question that he scared her immensely, but each time she thought about how she might register such a complaint the nature of his deeds did not appear to warrant it.
Although her parents had cautioned their children against studying earthly material, he was still within his rights to do so. In respect of his other actions, it was very difficult to justify the fear that she felt on account of his stares. If she had attempted to describe his actions to other spirits, she was not sure that they would understand. That type of intimidating stare was, at that time, exclusive to Lucifer.
So, for the past months, Sarah had desperately wanted to tell Samuel of her nightmare, but didn’t know whether she ought to. She knew that Samuel would be fiercely defensive of her, and this was part of her concern. There was no doubt that he would want the matter taken further, and thus it was likely to become a big issue, something that she was very keen to avoid. Despite these concerns she had finally resolved that she could endure the situation no longer and that, following this shift, she would tell Samuel, be the consequences as they may.
As she thought of the mechanics of making the accusation against the fellow in question, it also concerned her that she still didn't even know his name. At intervals she had considered asking it of him, but as her fear increased this option had become unthinkable. Nevertheless, despite her concerns about explaining the exact nature of Lucifer’s misdeeds, and even in the absence of his name, her mind was made up. She rose and walked purposefully to the right side of the library. Although there was nothing to be done in that section, her action was a demonstration of a mind made up.
Within the room Lucifer was also running his mind over a small quandary. Before entering the structure on that day he had resolved that he would borrow some of the material, such that he might enjoy it in private. Although Sarah had only ever disturbed him once, whilst he was in his room, he remained constantly on guard lest she should do so again. The thought of enjoying the show in private, and perhaps even sharing it with one or two of his closest friends, was very appealing. As he considered borrowing the material however, he found himself somewhat conflicted. His concerns were twofold. First and foremost, he was concerned at the fact that the attendant would be obliged to keep a record of that which he proposed to borrow. As it was his desire to borrow some of the most sordid material that could be found in the library, he wasn’t that enthused about such a record being taken.
Secondly, he wasn’t too excited at the thought of returning the material to the library. Having left a record of his borrowings he would prefer never to return to that particular library again, lest there be consequences. Sure it would be a shame not to see Sarah again, but there were other females that he had taken to following and watching, that would have to suffice.
For a time his quandary appeared an unsolvable puzzle. To take the material he would have to leave a record, and having taken the material he would have to return it, or he would ultimately be located and the materials required of him. This would potentially cause precisely the scene that he was hoping to avoid. He sat there completely stumped for quite some time when, all of a sudden, a brilliant plan dawned upon him. Suddenly he wondered why he should borrow the desired items and not just take them. By taking the items he could avoid a record being kept at all. Certainly there was some risk to this action, as the attendant would be sure to know that it was he who had removed the books. As he thought about this though, he was reasonably confident that he had never told her his name.
While each spirit was able to handle, feel and carry objects such as books, they, like the spirits that handled them, were intangible. Likewise, while spirits tended to use the regular entry and exit to each structure, as a courtesy, they did not have to, and could pass through structures if it was their preference. As an intangible spirit they could pass through the likewise intangible structures at will, and they could also take intangible objects through such structures. Half an hour before library closing time, his ordinary time of exit, Lucifer stood in his edifice running through these matters in his mind. If there was a clock in the room to mark time each tick would be to borrow, each tock to steal. Ultimately though, the tocks prevailed and he resolved to steal.
His moment of indecision, the type of indecision each thief experiences, was finished, and all that was left was to taint his character by his actions. Lucifer gathered the materials that he was intent on taking and walked directly through the wall of his lair and out of the library altogether. Having done so, he walked speedily to his abode, taking his loot with him.
Within the library Sarah waited anxiously for the end of her shift so that she could return to her part of the Kingdom and tell her love about her predicament. Because she was eager for the time to pass, it passed slowly. Being distracted though, it was but ten minutes before library closing time when she realised that her only customer had not yet left. This was highly unusual as Lucifer was ordinarily quite precise about leaving a half hour before closing time. The fact that he had been acting in a manner that was out of character did not appear to bode well. Firstly, he had failed to visit her within the library proper, something he ordinarily did more often when there were no other patrons. Secondly, he had failed to leave on time.
As library closing time moved very slowly but still steadily closer, she dreaded the thought of having to move to the entry of that small room to remind Lucifer that it was time to leave. She wondered whether he would be annoyed or even become angry. From the short time that she observed him, she had already deduced that he had quite a temper. She worried that he would exit just as she arrived at the doorway, and that they would pass close to one another. As she worried about these things closing time came and went, and ten minutes after she was due to close up she was still having trouble extracting herself from her chair.
Fifteen minutes after close she subdued her fears and gathered the strength that was required. She rose fr
om her chair and moved towards the door, again mesmerised by the opening, as though it were the source of all evil within her perfect home.
The footsteps of a spirit do not make a sound, but Sarah walked so carefully and cautiously towards the doorway, that anyone observing the scene without sound might have been fooled into thinking that she was walking on a floor that had the habit of creaking loudly at the slightest pressure.
Having crept all of the way to the entry she stopped, as if to take a deep breath and, steeling herself, moved into the doorway, preparing to speak. Nothing could have surprised her more than finding the room empty, and after checking all corners, a flurry of thoughts flashed through her mind.
‘Surely I didn’t miss him leaving?’ she questioned herself.
She quickly gave herself the answer that there was absolutely no way that he could have exited without her noticing. It then occurred to her that he might have simply exited through the structure. Very odd, but surely it was the only explanation.
Initially she could not arrive at any plausible reason for his leaving in this manner, particularly when he appeared to enjoy staring at her on the way out so much. As she began to order the materials however, and found some items missing, his mode of exit began to make a little more sense.
She didn’t know what theft was, as a theft had never before occurred in the Kingdom, but with all relevant circumstances now before her, she strongly suspected that the spirit had left in the manner that he did, specifically to enable him to remove material from the library without detection. This fact somehow made her former resolution more difficult. She now didn’t know whether she should share her fears with Samuel until she understood the full nature and extent of his evil.
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