Chapter 14: Chapter 14

I start to eat the roll when I drop my phone. Ten minutes pass and that's when I decide to visit the library. I check my dress in the mirror and see it worthy to wear out, especially at this time of the day. There's no much people out there, so less eyes will see what I wore.

The night's usual galling recognition doesn't change still as I hug myself from the breezes. Maybe it was a bad idea after all to wear this out, on a second note. Getting to my car, I turn the engine on, and fortuitously enough for me, the insides are warmer. Within few minutes, I am pulling off by the street of the library.

I turn off the engine and approach the building. Getting to the registry, the librarian, Martha smiles a broad smile at me.

"How are you doing, Rayne?"

"Fortunately, great." I nod my head.

Martha moves out from behind the booth to meet me. She pulls me into a side hug and when she pulls back, a rather disapproving look is plastered on her face.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me that I will have to come again from that book." I grunt, facing heavenwards.

"No, it's not that. I know I told you the book contains all history about Vampires and it's my boss'. I don't even know how he gets that book, because it contains all knowledges. Boss has kept it safe, but now that he's gone out, I will have to lend you the book, but please and please, make sure to return it in a week. Boss will not check for the book until then. I'm sure." Martha explains in a hasty manner.

"I promise to return it in a week." I tell Martha. She sighs and murmur words of convincing.

"You're not making a mistake, Martha. Your boss won't sack you."

"Thank you so much for helping me out." I state. Martha gives me an approving nod.

"This way." She leads the path to a door, directly opposite from where I was.

Opening the door, I gasp. I have never come here before, but was allowed to stay out and search for things I might want. This part of the library is stocked with tons of books, arranged into sections of tall drawers with the name tag of selections on top. Next to each drawers are wooden ladders to search for higher-placed books. Wow.

"I'm just going to—" Martha grabs a ladder to its drawer before she finishes her words. "You can help me hold it, the wheels are pretty slippery." She mention nervously as she start to climb up.

"If you don't want to do this... I don't want to feel like I'm forcing you on anything."

"And now is when we want to drop out. I don't know why, but I feel like helping you." Martha glances down at me. I hold the ladder firmly to avoid any injury to my helper.

After series of scrolls, Martha finally takes out a book and pass it down to me. I take it, while making sure to maintain my hold on the ladder with my other hand.

"This is it?"

"Yup." She start to climb down. Finally she gets down and wheel the ladder back to its position.

I check the cover the book, it's having an archaic type of structure, black in colour, and scribbled at its top is the word. "The Truth By The First Men."

That sound pretty tough and old-fashioned. I turn the book to check its back, but there's nothing there.

"Thanks a million time, Martha."

"Now if you would do me a favour, can you wait for me to finish up with closing? Actually, I need a ride."

"It is the least I can do." Martha snort at my words.

We walk out to the registry and Martha commence her chores on cleaning up the library as she picks up the scattered books. While she does those, she glances over to me. I have find comfortablity in the small area, sitting on a footstool, my legs curled over one another as I watch the walls, filled with portraits of the wild.

"Your boss must be a fan of nature." I state rather than question. What I'm seeing confirms my guess to a higher level where there's no hint of doubt.

"Sometimes I think it's obsession. He loves the wild particularly than main nature." Martha says. She picks up her bag, and crosses it over her shoulder. "Let's go, Rayne."

"It's cold out here." Martha says on our way to the car. We are still in the library's compound though.

"You have no idea."

"Now, I do." She says and we both laugh. All of the sudden, she stops walking; I stop laughing.

"What's wrong?"

"First, I didn't bring the keys to lock the hounds' gate. Second, I didn't sign out."

She signs out? My naughty subconscious is mocking Martha in her somnambulant state. Christ, did she just mention 'hounds' and that she hasn't locked them?

"There's a hound in here? What the...in a library? For what?"

"Point of correction 'there are hounds not a hound', and my boss is pretty a wildlife lover. He is a true weirdo." Martha explains.

"How do you cope?"

"They know me. I'm going to go lock them up." Martha start to walk away. I feel a new wave of adrenaline starting to wash in. "You will be fine. They don't come out of their cage unless boss or his friend comes here. They will be in their cage right now."

As if any of what Martha is explaining is to make me feel better, she finally walks out of view, leaving me in the dark, and the breezes aren't gentle in an ounce. I summon up few courage, and brush my palm against my forearms. I cross them over one another, waiting for Martha when a dreadful growl sounds from behind me. I gulp at first and pretend with all might that nothing is there, just behind me.

Another growl and I'm forced to turn to my back. My stomach erupt into aches as my heart race ten times then normalcy. Tears brims my eyes, knowing what I will face and to move my legs at all is like moving blocks. Facing my behind, I help but to run can't just happen. Where would I even run to before being eaten?

The hound growls at me, sharp canines bared at me, saliva of his drooling down. He take a daring step towards me, and I freeze. I'm sweating and quivering at the same time. He barks again, then, all of the sudden, he jumps at me. In the fast moment, I can feel myself being ripped off of all thoughts, eyes flared and heart thudding that it causes pain, but then, nothing I expected came at me, expect a hand on my shoulder.

"Open your eyes, Rayne." It is Carl's voice. I will always remember it.

"The—" quickly, I search round my surroundings to find myself still at the library. Catching a glance of the hound, I back off, almost tripping over my feet.

"You're fine." Carl says.

"Thanks." I look at the hound and he seems to be contained. He looks like a domestical puppy, rather than the predatory animal I saw minutes ago. "How?"

"I'm the library's owner's friend. So you can say that I know his hounds through that." Carl smiles at me. "Sorry about that."

Martha runs out from the rear part of the building, panicking. "Rayne, are you okay? Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't—"

"You have done enough help, Ms. Peterson. You can go home." Carl orders.

I retaliate. "No, I promised to take her home. She helped me earlier."

"I see." Carl gazes down to my palms where the book is kept but I manage to position my hand elsewhere so he wouldn't see. Looking back at Martha, she gives me a thank-you-like expression. I press my lips into a thin line.

"I have someone who would drive her home." Carl says, his tone leaving no space for argument. I open my mouth to retract his words when Martha tells me.

"I have wronged you tonight, Rayne, so I think as a punishment, I'll do as Mr. Wildlings had said." Martha breaths out and walks away.

"You can't do this." I frown.

"I have." Carl state simply. He bends down to rest one of his knees onto the ground. He start to massage the hound's head.

"He didn't hurt you?"

"He can never." Carl says, his head turn to take a glance of me and he smiles. "Sit, Rocket."

As Carl ordered, the hound, now known to be Rocket, sits. "Raise a paw to Ms. Miles — to shake her." Carl made sure to frankly state the last words. I snicker.

As ordered once again, the hound raise its paw for me to shake. I hesitate.

"I promise, he won't hurt you."

Boldly, I shake him, but make sure not to touch those sharp nails of his. I can trust Carl, but not the hound, rather, Rocket.

"See." Says Carl. He is smiling at me. I flush.

He's wearing a blue sweater, black trousers and his dark blonde hair is messily done. I couldn't see much of the colour of his eyes, but in the dark, he's handsome still.

"Mind if we both go to lock this boy and his others in their cage?" He notices my expression. "I swear, none will hurt you."

"Okay, but I—" I don't want to give in, but then, if I go home now, all I will do is read the ancient-type book and think about Nicklaus. More also, Dad and Mom can never be anywhere close to home now. They might not even come home today— that's more than fifty percent sure guess.

"Let's go." I say to Carl and he stands up from his bent position. He takes my hand and with his other, he nudge the hound — Rocket stands up and gait to his cage.

"Wow, he sure knows the way. And you sure have your way with wild animals." I say, and Carl looks at me with an offended gaze.

"He's not wild, okay? He was only afraid since he doesn't know you — what if you were a threat?"

"But I wasn't." I retort. Carl shakes his head.

"As a Wildlings, I'm not wild. And for him to be one too, he is not wild." Carl says as we walk to the rear.

"Do you know what you just said?" I ask, baffled. Carl exhales.

"I was just trying to defend Rocket." He says. I wanted to press, but restrained.

"So, you came here to meet your friend, the owner?"

"Obviously, then, I saw your car and knew you are here. Luckily for you, I was there to save your ass." Carl teases and I swat his shoulders. Damn, he's got muscles. My subconscious is dancing waltz.

"Thanks."

"What about you? Wanna show me that book?"

"If I say no?"

"It's no problem."

The moment we get to the lock, silence is all that filled except the howling wind. Odd of hounds to behave this way, but then again, Carl is here. That could explain why. Rocket, by himself enters his cage and whines when Carl close the cage.

"See ya buddies tomorrow." Carl says and gesture for me to follow him. I watch in wonders. As we start to walk away, they all howl and I can feel a pull from Carl to me. I can not understand it. I look at him and he is grinning at me.

When we reach the front part, I start to feel cold again.

"Come here." Carl says. I look over at him in surprise. He is a really changed guy. Way more confident. I do as I'm bid.

Warmth flows from my back to every part of my body when Carl places his hand against my back.

"Guess I have lots of warmth." He says, chuckling lowly.

"Actually, it's weird."

"But anyway is helping." He says and I have to agree. "Let me walk you home." He sounds instead questioning.

"I brought my car."

"What if I ask someone to drive it home for you, so we can really talk?" He sounds pleading. I am fazed.

"We can talk in the car."

"It will not be favourable for me." He says. I look at him in the eye. He shift to me so I can see his expression clearly since the dark obscure most of it.

"You mean it?"

"I do."

"Okay, to make amends of me shouting at you the other day. Is that why you didn't come to school?"

"Actually, I had forgotten that. You have gym class throughout tomorrow, right?" Carl ask, squinting.

"Are you stalking?"

"That's not stalking." He defends himself. I shift my head to face him while I laugh. "Seriously, it is not. Stalking is when you follow someone around to know about them, like a spy."

"That's partially wrong. You know, I observe you to act qauint-like. You're so different." I mention.

"If you don't forget, Morocco is to be blamed."

"I think I appreciate Morocco's work."

"Back to the question, Rayne."

"Yeah, I have gym class." I huff. I hate gym especially when the teacher will have to force you to perform all exercises and use all equipments. It's so tiring, and wearing. I grunt inwardly.

"If this is not too much for you, can you, for old time sake, let me take you to my gym place. I can teach you stuff and we will also have a great time. It will be fun." Carl tells me.

Momentarily, his words choke me up, but then, when I think about it, it actually pays me. Shade might not come tomorrow and Mia and I don't really go along so I will most likely be bored all day and spending that bored day in thoughts of satisfying my end of the bargain, or working out in the gym area will be devastating. I can not even imagine it.

"I'm in."

"Really?" He ask, dubiously.

"Yes. How do we meet?"

"I will pick you up, school time."

"Sure. I will be ready." I'm so appreciative that he decide to save me out.

"Thanks a lot for the offer." I snuggle closer to Carl, feeling more warmth. He's damn hot and... hot!

"You are officially welcome." He chuckles and I smile.

The way back home only takes about twelve minutes of our time, and all while we walk, we had gist coming up — from five grades talks, to junior high school years and many others. We stop in front of the doorstep without a word from any of us both.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, school time."

"Sure."

"I should go. It's too late and you be inside now." Carl retracts from the side hug and increasingly, I feel the coolness seeping in into my pores.

"That would be a good idea 'cause I'm feeling cold already. You are weird, Carl."

"And you'd meet all my weird friends tomorrow. They will be at the gym." I nod at him. He turns his back and walk down the steps, while I move closer to the door.

"And Rayne, I saw the book. I know that you want to know things, but you should be careful. I will tell no one," that area there, calms me down. At least Martha won't be in trouble. "And when you probably know things, try not to let the cat outta the bag, or else, you might be forced to forget. Goodnight."

Carl strides away and soon disappear into the darkness in the distance. What he said, as if, he knows my intentions? Maybe he knows things about Nicklaus? Or maybe he's a Vampire too?

You weren't even sure as of yet if Nicklaus is a Vampire, and here you are, including Carl into your list? You really need a goodnight sleep. My subconscious tells me and for one of the rarest time in my life, I feel nothing but to agree that she's right. It's all at the base of my head and from there, I'm bringing out things. Anyways, I will still continue my assignment on finding out who Nicklaus Originals is. Entering my room, I soon fall asleep, the book kept in a tight grasp in my hand. Clear your mind, Rayne. Clear your mind. Clear your mind. Clear your mind.

That night, I had a dream about scary red eyes, forest, moving fangs, and many more in blurry sceneries.