Excerpt: The Library

We were walking to a group of empty chairs when the doors, which had been closed so that the cold air didn’t nip at us, flung open. They hit either side of the doorway with a bang, directly calling our attention. Children came rushing down the stairs to investigate, the adults following closely. Soon everyone was gathered at the base of that staircase. Just then, they started appearing. In the doorway stood a group of men, clad in black, and not the black you’d want to see here, not that formal tuxedo. They wore sweatpants and sweaters, all in a dingy, dirty black. When they came closer to where all of us stood with confused looks on their faces, we could smell a heavy layer of sweat and beer and smoke on each of them. The children and elderly coughed and gagged, while the adults held their breath. The coughing drew the attention of one of these men every few seconds, but they merely passed us by until the building was swarming with these confusing men. A hushed frenzy ran through the crowd, an attempt to get information from someone. The mayor’s voice cut through them all, his body hidden in the crowd. “What on earth is this, now, men?” The mayor hollered out, sure of himself.
One of these men, who I noticed was the only one to wear a black knit hat, turned to face us. In a thick, wheezy, smoke edged voice, he replied, “We’re taking this place over. You will stay here. We will not let you leave this building.” No one spoke. Everyone just stood there, afraid to so much as think.
“What… what if we do try to leave?” I heard myself ask. This man began to walk towards me. Joseph put his other arm in front of me, and crushed me into his side, trying to protect me. I wrenched my head free, unable to breathe, to find the man not only in front of me, but staring at me, a wretched smell roiling off of him, making me want to gag.
“You will stay here. If you try to escape, well, little pretty, who knows what will happen?” He said, too quiet for anyone but Joseph and I to hear. I wrinkled my nose, at his smell and what I could tell he was suggesting. He chuckled and walked away. I buried my head into Joseph’s arm. I breathed in through my nose, inhaling his scent along with the clean air. It smelled delicious, a musky type of fruit. I felt him stroke my hair, trying to comfort me. I had my arms wrapped around his chest, pressing myself closer to him, not a worry or a care. I wasn’t willing to move. It wasn’t fear that held me there, it was comfort. It was happiness. This person, who I’d just met tonight, was making me amazingly happy. I didn’t even know how old he was, or where he lived, or what his last name was. For some reason, I didn’t care. I liked him to much too question anything. I was just happy to have him now, while I needed something to hold on to.