Miss Elliott looked curiously at the boy seated at the table in Adult History, a large volume open before him. His tablet was next to the book, his fingers busy on the screen. Every few minutes, he would pause, and turn a page of the book.
He would come in every day after school and stay there until closing time. Children weren't supposed to stay there unattended, but the library had evolved into after-school care for tweens, and the librarians knew until a child went missing there wasn't much they could do about it.
This boy never went to the Children's section. Just sat at this table, turning pages and playing on his device, brushing his fair almost white hair out of his eyes.
Eventually she went up to him, breaking her strict librarian code to never disturb anybody reading.
"That's an impressive book you've got there- History of the Russian Empire!" she remarked.
The boy looked at her.
"Mummy will pick me up at 5." he said. "I'm ok."
Miss Elliott sat down next to him. "Do you enjoy learning about the Russian Empire? Or for a school project?"
The boy turned to the empty chair on his other side, mumbling.
Then he went back to his device. He swiped out of his running game, and started typing.
"Im turning pages for the ghost. He loves reading but he cant turn pages himself. Bc hes a ghost."
Miss Elliott tried to absorb the information. Then she looked at the empty chair, noticing how the book was angled towards it. She concentrated, staying still.
As she focused, the air shimmered and thickened, assuming a human form seated on the chair.
A human form avidly reading.
Then she typed.
"Do you like turning pages for the ghost?"
The boy shrugged. "he comes to my dreams if I don't. When we were away i had nightmares every night."
The thick air reading swirled and rustled, and the boy hastily turned the page.
Miss Elliott typed "how can I help you?"
The boy shrugged again, brushing his hair. A text from Mom popped up. He turned to the empty chair. "Mom's here early" he said. "I've got to go- but this nice lady can see you, she'll turn the pages for you"
He snatched his tablet, and without looking at Miss Elliott, rushed away.
MIss Elliot hesitated. The air rustled and an impatient growling hum rose. Hastily, she turned the page. The humming died down.
That night, she had the most terrible nightmares about the library full of dead and dying people.
The library was almost empty in the morning. Almost, but not quite. The Russian Empire book was out on the table, exactly where they had left it, and Miss Elliott knew the reader was waiting for her.
The memories of the nightmares fresh, she obediently sat where the fair-haired boy had sat, and turned the page. The air rustled with content.
The boy never returned to the library again.
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