The Librarian and the Dreamer

“Are you listenin’ to me, kid?” Paul lightly shoved William, who was almost dozing off in front of him. “Geez, you kids today.”

“Sorry,” William apologized, “been a long day, but you already knew that.”

“That I did,” Paul chuckled. “I noticed you looked pretty fed up with the higher-ups today.”

William adjusted himself and hunched forward as the metro train moved ever forward towards its destination.

“Ain’t even that,” William said. “I think I’m just getting fed up with everything.”

“Aha,” Paul said, “and look who you’re telling this to, kid.”

William Anderson looked over at Paul Meyers, one of the oldest friends he’d made since he started work at the Brighton Automotive Factory, within the recycling and scrapping department. Aged around fifty-five at the time, Meyers was his trainer, and in some ways, his mentor. Even showing William how to jury rig things in his time working there. William had started right around eighteen years old, and had been there for the past five or six years. The job made him decent money, even if it was monotonous and physically exhausting work.

“Listen kid,” Meyers leaned over next to William, “I’ve been at this since I was your age. I’ve been happy with it and it’s made me a decent living with my family, but you, I dunno. Everytime we talk you never seem happy about your situation.”

William looked away from Paul, and out towards the city of Riverwood as the train passed it by.

“I guess you’re right,” William said, running his hand through his messy black hair. “I just took the job because it could pay for my home. I thought, you know, once I made enough, I could find a new job and move on when I felt like it.”

“William,” Meyers said sympathetically, “you’re falling for the same trap I fell into. And look at me. I may have a wife and kids but I got caught into this. Sure, it pays, and I’m happy with it, but I ain’t you.”

“So, what are you saying?” William asked, looking back over at Paul.

Meyers scratched his beard and took a second to suggest something.

“What I’m saying is maybe it’s time you take that money you’ve saved and go do something with it. Put it towards some school or somethin’. Hell, you could float on by with it for a few months if you went for a part-time job somewhere and worked on those stories you’re always talkin’ about.”

William wondered if Paul was just trying to be nice, or if he genuinely thought William was capable of doing something like that. Meyers didn’t seem like someone to hold his tongue. The man was brutal in his honesty, and William liked that about him.

“I’d say sleep on it,” Meyers said. “You’re still young, and got plenty of choices ahead of you. Hell, you’re better off than most kids your age. Already an apartment to your name and a steady job to keep it. Always made me wonder about your family. I never seem to remember you talkin’ ‘bout ‘em. Or maybe my memory is just going.”

“No, I just never really talk about them. It’s not that I don’t want to, I just don’t think there’s much to offer there. I had a pretty routine family life growing up.”

“But to move all the way out here away from ‘em?”

William shrugged.

“Everyone’s got

their reasons, right? I came out here for the money.”

Paul nodded, and noticed the train was approaching his stop.

“Looks like we’re parting ways here,” Meyers said. “If you happen to stop coming to work, well…”

“Don’t worry, Paul,” William said, “I wouldn’t leave

without saying goodbye.”

“Ha,” Paul laughed, “you got a good head on your shoulders, kid. That’s a rarity in this age.”

Paul patted

William on his back, and stepped off the train.

Once he was gone, William started to feel his head throb and ache. He felt like he had just been bludgeoned by a tire iron in his skull. He felt like his head was going to explode it hurt so bad.

William closed his eyes and took a deep breath, chalking it up to being the pain of a very long day that had finally taken its toll. William would rest until the next stop, where he’d get off and walk home. His apartment was a little bit of a way from the train station, but he could make the trip.

So William would rest until he would reach his stop.

William opened his eyes, and checked his watch. When he had gotten on the train with Paul, the sun was still setting, but now, the moon was out, and it was late. The train’s lights were out, and William jumped at the realization; he had missed his stop.

But even more than that, the train seemed to have stopped where it was. Its lights were out and there seemed to be no one else around. William pulled open the nearest door and stepped out onto the moonlit platform.

Oh great, William thought to himself, well, now I’ve done it.

He wondered if he’d even make it home tonight considering that was far from home now, and it didn’t seem there was a tangible way to get back.

William checked his cell phone to see where it was he had stopped, but his phone didn’t have any signal. William started panicking, with a feeling of dread welling over him.

With no one around, and no way to call for help, William walked down the steps of the train platform, and checked to see if there was any way for him to gauge where he was.

It was odd, because as he stepped down, he noticed that nearby was a forest, but what made it odd was the fact that something was glowing. Intrigued, William investigated, thinking it could potentially be a place for him to be safe in.

As he moved further in, the light grew brighter, and William noticed that the lights he was seeing weren’t limited to just one place, but instead, they were encompassing the entire forest. He looked around, and noticed it was the trees that were glowing. Almost like fireflies or something of that nature.

William didn’t feel quite as anxious now. The lights helped him to see what was around him, but he had never seen something like this before. It was calming, and felt rather inviting for him to walk through. So William ventured further into the forest, his curiosity having been peaked.

William continued walking as the trees lit up, almost as if he was following a trail that was being left for him. The bright colors that mixed from bright yellow to white to pink and back again all felt as if they were putting on a lightshow for him. For the train to have stopped here, William was certainly surprised no one else had gotten off to see this place.

Suddenly, William felt as if he wasn’t alone at all. In fact, he heard something rustling within the branches of the trees at a rapid pace.

William turned his head, trying to follow whatever it was as best he could.

Then, suddenly, William heard a voice. It called for his name, and felt icy cold to his ears that he felt a cold chill run down his spine.

“William, oh William,” the voice said. It was older, feminine, and sounded intimidating. “Where could little William have gotten off to?”

“Who’s there!?” William demanded.

“Who’s there?” She echoed back. “Why, you don’t remember? How sad.”

“I don’t know you,” he said, “and I’m pretty sure I would remember someone that sounded as creepy as you.”

She cackled, and then her laugh lowered into a much darker growl. William’s head started to ache again.

“It isn’t nice to lie, William,” she said, “especially when I remember everything there is about you.”

She stepped forward, dressed in all black, with her eyes covered by a hood. Her skin looked pale, and her lips were colored jet black.

“No, you aren’t familiar,” William said, trying to sound confident. “I don’t think I’ve made friends with people that dress as dark lords.”

“You’re lying again,” she said, matter-of-factly. “But it doesn’t matter, you’ll be back eventually.”

William stepped back, ready to take off running.

The mysterious hooded figure pulled out a small device, and clicked a button. Out came a long one-handed sword, its blade was bright red and illuminated against the other bright lights.

In an instant, Willam ran off further into the tree line. The woman didn’t give chase, but instead, summoned a large beast from the ground. It took form as a large wolf that stood on its hind legs, with sharp teeth and red eyes.

“Hunt him down,” she ordered. “Make him think he’s getting far until he’s cornered, then bring him back to me; and make sure he’s alive.”

The beast snarled in affirmation, and took off on all fours behind William sprinted as fast as he could through the trees. He had no idea where was going, but took the fact that the trees were still lighting up as a good sign. So long as he was away from whoever it was that was chasing him, that was also a good sign.

Behind him, he could hear the sound of large claws cutting into the ground. A snarling beast was running behind him, making its presence known to William.

William ran as fast as he could, no matter how much his body ached, his adrenaline kept him going. He hoped it would pay off, thinking he would be able to rest once he evaded this woman that was after him.

William ran and arrived at a cliff. He stopped and stumbled, grabbing on to a nearby branch before nearly falling into the crevice below. It was dark, and he couldn’t see how big of a drop it was, but William felt a slight relief he managed to keep from falling.

But now the beast running after him was getting closer, and William was running out of time. He looked around for a solution, and saw there was another side of the crevice, and then saw a long rope-like vine hanging from one of the trees. William found his exit. The beast closed in on him, and William took his chance, making a jump for the vine in front of him.

As he grabbed at the vine, the beast closed the gap, and extended its claw, taking a swipe at William. He yelped in pain as the claw tore into his jacket and into his skin.

William held on as best he could, but the pain was almost unbearable. The beast made a snarl that sounded almost like a laugh.

Though he was in pain, William managed to make it to the other side, and kept moving away from the monster that attacked him. He thought he had gotten away, but the beast started crawling down the cliff to continue pursuing him.

“Just can’t ever be easy, can it?” William said, and swore under his breath. He kept moving, though much slower now. Almost limping.

He kept crawling through the forest, walking over branches and roots, with William panting heavily. He thought there was no way he was going to get away now, but he couldn’t give up.

He moved as fast as he could, as pained as he felt, he tried as best he could to move through the bright forest, though as helpful as it was to have the way lit for him, William was clearly leaving a trail. The beast would be closing on him, and he needed to find a way out as soon as he could.

William’s luck run out, it seemed, because as he moved forward, he came across another cliff. This one led out to a body of water that sat below, and there didn’t seem like a clear way out of here.

The beast had caught up to him now, with its four feet stomping against the ground. William’s heart sank, he felt so close to freedom, and now he was going to be dragged back by this monster.

The hooded summoner of the beast seemed to have also caught up to William, because she came walking out of the forest as well.

“Oh no,” William said, defeated.

“Oh, yes, William. I let you get this far because it was fun watching you run away, but now, it’s time you come back.”

William looked behind to the water below as it reflected the moon off its surface, and debated to himself if jumping off would be a better option.

Then, at the back of his mind, almost as if someone had been calling him from afar, a voice spoke to him.

Jump. I promise you’ll be safe, it said.

“I wouldn’t try jumping,” she said. “It’s a big drop, and I know you won’t survive the fall.”

The voice persisted, assuring him it was the only option he had left.

“I’ll take my chances,” William said, deciding who to listen to, and jumped, diving head first into the dark water below.