Plutonian Shores: Part 1 The Library

Cyrus opened his eyes only to see dim lights in the distance as his boat washed up onto a beach of rough clay-like molding sand, which was hued silver but did not glow in the faint rays of the stars. As he stepped off his boat, the waters behind him erupted, engulfing the vessel, leaving him stranded on the lonely shore. His black jeans dried off well enough, but his shirt took the brunt of the backlash from the harsh waves. The ocean behind him whispered things he could not hear.

Cyrus could make out what looked to be a large building long like a chapel as he walked over the shore. He walked towards it, climbing clay-like stairs up to a plateau as the whispering behind him grew louder. Finally, he found himself at the door made from roughly cut hard stone with a silver doorknob and black threshold. He pulled on the knob, and it opened with ease to a long hallway ahead of him. Several books littered the floors. Only a few seemed to be in a condition where one could pick them up without them evaporating into dust.

As he walked down the hall, the whispering grew louder and more constant. He looked behind him to see nothing but empty hallways that spoke of no life having been there for ages.

He began to walk faster and faster. The whispering behind him became a howl, an ungodly wail of misfortune that bellowed from the end of the hallway. He ran more quickly than before, his eyes now wild with dread.

His pace began to slow as he felt his legs become more and more sluggish. His body ached with every breath he drew in. It was as if his lungs had turned into a pair of concrete blocks.

Then, as he let out a cry for help, his breathing became regular again. He halted to a stop and sighed. He could not hear the voices any longer.

Cyrus could see the small door of white wood in front of him. It was inviting him to come inside. He reached out and touched it with his hand, turning the cold metal knob and feeling a shiver seize his whole body. He couldn't help but think that there could be something unnatural behind the door. But he wanted to know what was on the other side so severely.

The hulking figure turned his head and looked at Cyrus who had just entered the room. He was so small compared to him and felt terrified when he saw those black eyes staring into his soul. He couldn't move, with fear locking all of his limbs tight against him as if they were frozen solid in place. The creature walked towards him, and it made a terrible sound that seemed like it would go on forever before finally stopping abruptly right next to where he stood paralyzed by terror.

"Here's your book, Mr. kong." He handed Cyrus a pristine red book embroidered in brass. His eyes were like the night sky, yet they shone so brightly. He spoke in a voice that was as deep as an ocean and soft.

"You know who I am?" Cyrus said in a startled tone. "How do you know me?"

"I have read your tale many times." He said in a calm voice. "You are known throughout as an explorer, or more egregiously a grave robber. I am not here to judge you, though. I am just a humble bookkeeper. "

"You haven't done an excellent job of the ones outside this room." Cyrus made a gesture to the door.

"The books outside this room are not very interesting. Not worth my time." The book Keeper said, smiling. He held out the tome in his hand and presented it to Cyrus. "I can offer you this book. It's yours. I've kept it in good condition."

He walked to the bookkeeper and stood before him. "Why would you give me this book? It's just things I already know."

"This is an unbiased text of your life. What more could you ask for?" He said, his voice solemn yet powerful.

Cyrus sat down and flipped through the book to see pictures of himself as a youth. The book showed pictures of his first explorations, crude and naive yet carrying a sense of wonder that he could not hold onto anymore. Then, as he continued to turn the pages, he came to images of himself as a grown adult, seizing the world's treasures and bringing them to an isolated cave. He paused for one picture. A hand with a black-gloved palm held the heart of a lion, whose face was still alive but whose body had been utterly destroyed by the hand. He took a deep breath and quickly turned the page, feeling almost nauseous.

"What is this? I feel I would have remembered something like this happening." He said as he viewed the page.

"That is for things to come. They do not have a true form, so the images and texts remain as concepts for the story that will unfold for you."

Cyrus closed the book and stood up with elation, "So my story has yet to end?"

"All stories have an end, and yours is no different. But many things may occur before you meet your final fate. You are merely a wanderer in these lands."

"But what can I do? This place has something wrong with it."

"You are here to read a book, and when you have finished it, I will give you another. There is nothing to find else here.."

"I don't understand. I don't understand anything about this place. What am I doing here?"

"Here." the bookkeeper thrust another book into Cyrus' hands. It was gold and accented with silver. He could not read the name.

It had no pictures in it just told the tale of a girl lost and alone who was poor and could not afford to live anywhere in the world. So she lived under a Bridge, starving and suffered many hardships. She met a boy named Cyrus who was wandering the world, and he gave her some food and took her in for a while. Not long after, he had gone away.

"I don't remember doing this."

"People often forget the small kindnesses they've done while they live their lives of sin."

Cyrus closed the book and looked it over. It was a beautiful book, but he didn't think that reading it would change anything.

"She is here now."

"So her story is over then?" Cyrus did not know what else to say.

"No, her pages after a certain point become unintelligible."

"That doesn't seem right."

He opened the book and saw pages of blurry scribbled paper where there should be writing. The pages seemed to be getting worse as he turned more of them. Just before he finished the book, the pages had no legible text. It was all black scribbles on white paper. He didn't know what to say about it.

The bookkeeper frowned. "It should not be like this. A book shouldn't end in such a way. She has no ending. She is stuck here and is lost."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"I do not know. That is for you to decide. Find the girl or not."

"Find her? Find her where?"

The bookkeeper never spoke again. Instead, he pointed to the door, and without hesitation, Cyrus turned away to the door. His mind filled with thoughts. He was troubled by what he was going to do now.

The door closed behind him, leaving the bookkeeper in darkness. The shadows danced about in a way that did not seem natural, as if they were trying to tell a story of their own which no one could hear or see.

Outside the library, the waves were silent. The boat that brought him to this place was gone. Before he could turn back to look at the library, it began to crumble into stones and then to pebbles before vanishing entirely. The darkness of the night gave way to shining stars hidden by nocturnal clouds.

The shores were bathed in starlight, and the water was as still as glass. It reflected the starlight, making it seem like a mirror to the real world, if only for a moment. It was beautiful and quiet; nothing moved but the occasional howl of the wind.

A figure stood on the coast, looking into the void that was the ocean. She wore a black cloak decorated with silver linings. Her eyes were like a cat's; they seemed to shine in the glimmer of the stars, and her hair was as black and shiny as a raven's feather. Her clothes were tattered, and she wore no shoes.

"Ah, there you are, my young wanderer. I see you have found the library and gotten your book."

"How did you know I was there? The library is gone, and I did not take the book with me"

"Nothing ever really disappears here. It is a strange place where nothing ever really goes away."

"Who are you?"

"I am just a visitor, like yourself. The name is Ionia, a pleasure to meet you."

She held out her hand, and he took it in his own shaking one. It was cold as a corpse.

"A pleasure to meet you as well. I am Cyrus Kong. Where is here?"

Her smile faded into a frown, almost like the bookkeeper's. It was unsettling but also seemed familiar to him. Her face was pale like marble, and her lips were dark red like a rose petal.

"You should have guessed where you are by now. This is a place that no mortal should be allowed to visit. This is the afterlife for you, my friend."

"Is there anything you can do for me?" Cyrus asked.

The woman looked at him with deep sadness in her eyes, "I cannot. You must find your way. I can tell you this. When you can, go to the lights in the distance. There, you will find something of worth and good fortune to you." As she spoke these last words, she began to disappear before his very eyes as if she were a mirage on a hot day.

Silence returned. Cyrus looked to the lights in the distance. They seem to get brighter as time goes by, but they still fail to illuminate the surroundings. He prepared himself for a long walk.