Shh! No Screaming...
Helen pulled up to the parking lot of the Municipal Library and hunted for a parking space.
"...Why is the library packed, today of all days?" She said, in an annoyed tone. She finally found one and pulled in. She then switched the gear into park, and turned the car keys left and pulled them out.
"Now, to find Mr. Sullivan. I do hope the Professor left it with him."
She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the car door and jumped out swiftly to the pavement. After shutting the door and locking it, Helen power walked to the front entrance to the library. She swung open the doors and practically ran inside.
In the lobby, there were many people. They were checking in and out their rented books, reading magazines, children jumping around in excitement, and lots of murmuring and talking. Helen winced at this, Gah, it's a madhouse!
When there was a clear space at the front desk, she walked over to it promptly and waited for the clerk to respond. The clerk, who had bright ginger hair, and a pair of oval-esque glasses looked up at Helen.
"Hello, may I help you?" The clerk asked. Helen cleared her throat, "Ahm, yes. May I ask if Mr. Sullivan is in today? I have very important business with him. I work at the University, my name is Helen Maxwell."
The clerk, whose name-tag read Sandra, looked over at the computer in front of her clicked on the Appointment list, and saw Helen's name. Sandra then glanced back over at Helen.
"Oh yes, Ms. Maxwell, He is in his office. He should be awaiting your arrival." Helen sighed in relief, "Thank you!"
The relieved Helen then walked quickly through the doors leading to the public reading room. She glanced around her surroundings, and saw a lot of people here and there. I've never seen the library this full of people before... She thought. As she was walking through the packed room, one person caught her eye.
"Edward? Is that you?" There was Edward. He was at an unoccupied reading table, reading what seemed to be uninteresting, as he had a bored look upon his face. His eyes shifted towards Helen. "Oh, hello... Helen."
Helen grinned cheerfully at him. "How are you? What are you doing?" Edward Looked up at her with an unamused expression upon his face.
"Nothing, really. The hotel was... boring. Nothing much to do there, and... I do like to read." Helen narrowed her eyes a bit. "Yes, of course..."
She examined his face for a moment and continued, "So... where is Kay?" Edward tilted his head a bit, then continued to look at the book he was reading. "She's... not here. She lets me go here on my own." He let out a sigh and glanced over at Helen with an innocent expression. "Kay trusts me..." Helen felt a little uneasy.
"Erm... yes, well I have some business to attend to, so I'll see you later okay?" She pat his head, which made some of his hair string out onto his face. He nodded and fixed his hair politely. Helen then rushed out of the room into the back room.
The back room is where only personnel of the library or people who know Mr. Sullivan well could go. One room read Private Reading Room. "Hmm.." Helen thought aloud, "There are a lot of foreign history books in there... Maybe one has a clue on how to get rid of-"
She then gasped as she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder-
"Ah, Helen!" A familiar voice said. "Oh, Mr. Sullivan, you gave me a scare!" Helen exclaimed. Mr. Sullivan removed his hand from her shoulder.
"Gah, I'm sorry to frighten you. Come follow me." Helen grinned thoughtfully and followed him.
She noticed a flight of stairs in the corner of the hallway. Oh yes, those lead to the clock tower's gears. She thought to herself. She then had a shivery feeling. Mr. Sullivan then opened a large, brown oak door. "Here, my office. Come on in!" He said in a friendly tone. Helen walked inside. Another door was inside his office. Ah, that's his collection room. That old man sure likes old artifacts... She amusingly thought to herself. "Now, Helen. I understand you have come to my presence to retrieve a..." "Statue, yes." Helen finished for him. Sullivan nodded.
"Samuel brought it in. Very peculiar object, quite... mysterious, as well." Helen became a bit impatient. "Ah, yes. Do you have it?" She tried not to sound rude. "Yes, yes I do. I have to file a bit more information on it." He itched his chin and thought.
"I will have it ready by later today, so pick it up then." He grinned cheerfully. Helen then thought for a moment. "Well, in the meantime, may I use the private reading room?" Mr. Sullivan nodded. "Yes, of course." He handed her a small silver key, with a worn ring to hold it. "Thank you, Mr. Sullivan!" Sullivan opened the door and escorted Helen out. She gave him a quick wave and walked towards the reading room. Sullivan shut his door quietly. Helen unlocked the door and walked into the private reading room. It's quite common for University staff use this room. Especially ones that are as interested in foreign arts as Helen is. Mmmkay... Now where should I look?
She scoured the bookshelves left and right, until she came across a book titled Lords of Northern England. "Hm... intriguing." She thought aloud. As she skimmed through the book she came across an all too familiar Surname. Barrows. Helen's eyes widened. What seemed like minutes, were hours that passed by as she reading about the Barrows and their majestic family history. She found out that there was an old castle way up in north England owned by the many generations of Barrows men. One of the last generations was a man named Quentin. The book says he was shunned by his family and was called traitor, because of an act against his family he had committed. He was then executed by a Barrows relative. Helen read that the whole Barrows family tree where believed to be satanic. Though Quentin was said to be a devout Christian.
Meanwhile, at the front desk in the lobby, Sandra was just finished up with the rest of her logs. Now to make sure everyone's left. The library's almost closed. She thought. She stood up from her seat and straightened out the wrinkles on her pencil skirt, then she lifted up the staff separator and walked through.
As she walked into the public reading room she noticed a young boy reading some sort of book. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she remembered Helen. And the boy looked really interested in what he was reading, so she decided to fetch Helen first. She walked into the back room and then turned to the private reading room. She opened the door swiftly and cleared her throat.
"Gah! You startled me!" Helen exclaimed. Sandra put her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Helen closed the book she was reading. "Erm, sorry to bother you, but, the library will be closing shortly."
Helen nodded. "Oh, I see. I'll be right out." Sandra grinned. She walked out and shut the door behind her. Now for that boy. She made her way out to the public reading room. "Sorry young man, but the library's closing soon." She said, trying her best not to bother him. Edward shifted his eyes toward her.
"Ah, yes. Uhm, can you help me with something?" Sandra walked over carefully. "Yes of course. What is it?" "I don't know what this word says, can you pronounce it for me?" Edward asked, in a naive tone. Sandra leaned in next to him. "Ah, what word?" "This one!" Edward closed the book and hit it across the clerk's face. She stumbled back, dazed and shrieking. He grabbed her by the neck and with inhuman strength, he started bashing the back of her head onto the reading table. "Oh god, please!" She screamed out in pain.
The boy slapped her hard across her face. "Shh! No screaming, this is a library." He said, in a dark, cheeky tone. He tightened his grip on the clerk's neck. He then threw her into a bookshelf. Books were sent flying to the floor. Edward flipped her over, then grabbed the back of her head.
"No! No, please no!" She yelled out, salty tears pouring. With a swift work of the wrist, he impailed her face onto a hook that was on the bookshelf.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
Helen covered her ears at the loud noise. Mr. Sullivan stumbled out of his office. "Oh! It's the clock acting up again!" He shouted over the chimes. "Yes, I hear that!" Helen shouted back. Sullivan walked up the flight of stairs to the top of the clock tower.
"Wait, Mr. Sullivan!" She followed him up. Once the two were there, the bells suddenly stopped ringing. "Darn this old piece of junk!" Sullivan cursed, while inspecting the gears of the clock. "Hm.. I don't know what's wrong with it..."
He walked over to a latch that opened up to the hands of the clock. He stuck his head outside the latch. "Uhm, Mr. Sullivan, I don't think you should-" Her voice was cut off by the sounds of gears turning. "Oh, no!" She exclaimed. "Help my head! It's stuck!" Helen heard the old man's muffled voice. Before she could react, there was a loud crack noise. She leaned over to Sullivan. "Mr.- Ah!"
His decapitated body flung backwards onto the floor. Hot tears started forming in Helen's eyes. Her former mentor, headless before her.
Shing... Shing... Shing...
She swallowed in a gasp and her eyes widened. Behind her was none other than Scissorman! She screamed and ran out of the room. She trampled down the stairs from rushing down them. She hit her head on the hardwood floor at the bottom.
Shing... Shing... Shing...
"Oh, ah!" She swiftly stood up and ran for the private reading room. Hot tears were falling down her cheeks, and it hurt. It hurt so badly. But she had to stay focused. She could hear the evil stalker coming her way. Then she saw it. A step ladder. Helen quickly hid herself behind it. The door burst open. Shing... Shing... Shing... Shing... Shing... As if an animal, the stalker sensed her out but thinking on her feet, Helen pushed the ladder ontop of Scissorman, which seemingly crushed him. She ran for her life out of the room and out of the hallway. She made her way into Sullivan's office. Another tear passed down her cheek.
Get a hold of yourself...
She walked over to his desk. An envelope sat on top of it. Helen reached for it and took a document out of it. Professor Barton sent this? She deceided not to read it and placed the document back inside the envelope. She noticed a key to the left of the envelope. "Hm... I think this is the key to Mr. Sullivan's collection room..." She turned to the door on her right. A large brown door, which inside held the thing Helen came here for. The statue... it might be in here. She put the key inside the lock and turned it. She turned the knob and walked inside. "Gah! What is that?" She whispered to herself. She smelt something sour. Really sour. Almost smelt like-
Splish!
Helen had stepped on something of liquid substance on the floor. "Guh?" She reached for a light. The power was out and it was dark in that room, but she needed that statue. She heard an aquarium inside the room. "Ah, that's right! The fish tank has a light." She searched around for the tank, she then suddenly bumped into it. She felt around the back of the tank for the light switch. "There." She turned it on. "That's odd... where are the fish?"She turned her head around slowly behind her and glanced at the floor. Blood? There was a trail of what looked like blood, leaking from a sarcophagus, leaning against a wall. She hesitantly walked over to the coffin. She reached her hand out for the door and opened it. "Wha- Ah! Oh... no..."
A security guard was laid inside, his guts hanging out, as his torso was cut cleanly down the middle. Helen tried not to throw up as she closed the door quickly. She turned to a table and that's when she saw it. "The statue!" She picked it up and briefly examined it before putting it safely away in her purse. She sighed of relief and walked out of the collection room and Mr. Sullivan's office. She shut the door behind her and was about to make her way down the hallway, when she heard it.
Helen...
She gasped. "Edward? Is that you?" Helen called out, but no answer.
Helen...
She heard it again, it was Edward's soft voice calling for her. "Oh, Edward, where are you?" She heard a bang come from the upstairs, where she had witnessed Sullivan's death. She winced at the thought of it, but she had to go back in that room, she had to get Edward!
She quickly ran up the stairs and opened the door to the clock tower room.
"Edward! Edward! I'm here! Come out, please!" She called out for him. She looked at the floor. She saw her old mentor's headless body, and she quickly looked away. She looked around the room, but could not find him. "Ed- wah!" Her foot somehow got tangled into a chain peering from the clocks gears.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Oh no, she hears it again! "Ahh!" Her foot is tangled in the chain and Scissorman is right above her, ontop of one of the gears. She managed to free herself and she ran for it! She carefully, but quickly ran down the flight of stairs, and he was right behind her. Her heart was racing and those shears were sounding closer and closer. She ran into Mr. Sullivan's office and grabbed a large desk lamp that was on the desk.
Shing... Shing... Shing...
The door opened and as hard as she could, Helen threw the lamp directly at his head. Direct hit! Scissorman stumbled to the ground, making inhuman gurgling noises. Helen ran outside the door and ran into the public reading room. Drip. Drip. Drip. "What is that?" She looked around the bookcases, then noticed some books were covered in blood. She slowly peered at the other side... "Mmm!" She cupped her hands to her mouth in shock.
The clerk was completely mangled and impaled into a hook on the bookcase. She ran towards the lobby doors. The power was off, so the automatic doors did not open. She tried pulling them open, but to no avail. She looked around the room for something and saw a book, one that looked like the book she saw Edward reading hours ago. It was a hardback, and pretty heavy, so it was enough. It was too dark to see what the book was titled, but that didn't matter. What mattered to Helen was getting out, so with a good wind-up, she threw the book with all of her might and it crashed through to the other side. She climbed through the gaping hole made by the book and was once again in the lobby. She ran towards the front door and tried to open it, but again, to no avail. "No! I have it! And now I can't leave?" Helen pounded her fists on the door.
In the corner of her eye Helen noticed a door behind the front desk. She walked over and lifted up the staff separator, walked through, and swung it back down. She walked over to the door and opened it, carefully and slowly. She walked inside, the room was dark, but some dim light was coming from the moonlight shimmering through a window. She was in the staffers' room. Bumf. She heard a noise coming from under one of the desks. Helen hesitantly looked under it. "Helen...You... You're here!" Edward cried out.
"Yes, yes. I'm here, now. Come on, follow me." She held onto his hand tightly and made her way to the private reading room with him. She looked around the room for a moment then noticed the desk she was once reading at hours ago. "Edward, dear. Scoot yourself under here and just wait until I come back okay?" "Yes, Ms. Maxwell." He replied, and did as she said. And in the corner of her eye, she noticed a small air vent at the side of the room.
That's it!
She ducked under the desk to find Edward sitting there quietly. "Edward, did you see any torques or screwdrivers anywhere?" Edward paused for a moment. "Yes... in fact I did, Ms. Maxwell. In the room where you found me, I saw one!" Helen patted his head, which made his hair string onto his face. "Thank you! I'll be right back. Edward nodded and politely fixed his hair.
She ran into the lobby, greeted with the sounds of police sirens and shouting coming from the other side of the front door. Helen ran to the door and pounded her fists on it. "Please! In here, there's a small child in here, we need help!" "Don't worry, ma'm!" A voice was heard, "We're doing the best we can to get in there, just stay hidden!" Helen backed away from the door. Who called the police?
She then remembered the screwdriver and hopped over the desk and into the staff room. She searched and scoured the desk drawers and then came across a medium sized flat-head screwdriver. She then ran as fast as she could back to the room where Edward was hiding.
"Hurry, come out from there, I found it!" Edward did as he was told and sat up nice and straight. Helen couldn't help but notice how grown up Edward looked. He was quite tall for his age, as well. "Ms. Maxwell?" "Oh, right yes."
She then unscrewed all of screws and pulled the vent cover off. "There, now this should lead to the outside, there are police out there, they will rescue you. Just crawl until you see the end of the duct, okay?" Edward leaned down on his hands and knees. "Yes, Ms. Maxwell." Helen sat on her knees and pat his head which made his hair string out onto his face. As he was about to fix it, she grabbed his hand. "Be careful, okay?" She said in a calm, gentle voice. "Okay, I will." He said, staring into her eyes.
She fixed his hair for him and stood up. Before he crawled into the vent, he looked back at Helen. She was walking off to the other room. He let a small grin crack his face, then he turned back around and proceeded into the vent. Helen ran out to the public reading room when suddenly she heard a loud crash coming from the lobby. She feared for the worst. At least Edward is safe...
And the person who crawled through the broken automatic doors was not Scissorman, it was Inspector Gotts! The Inspector held her close, "Teach what's going on? Are you alright?" She collapsed into his grip and nearly fainted from exhaustion and being so terrified.
"It was him. He killed Mr. Sullivan..." "Who, teach?" "Sci- sci...ss...or..." She blacked out- "Hey! I need someone in here, she's fainted!"
End