((YAY!! I am inspiring others to write scary SoR fics too!!! I feel so... so... HAPPY!!!! Wow- I seriously didn't think so many people would like this story!! All of my reviewers- once again, you completely totally rock!!!! #gleams#))
Chapter Four: 1885?
All members of the band, save for Billy, Lawrence, Michelle, Eleni, Frankie and Dewey (Billy had had a 'break through' in his... erm... 'work' and the other four were being forced to stay behind as models due to certain 'style options'), had car pooled to the public library. Big, intimidating, and quiet- the library was hardly a place the School of Rock (or any teens, really) went to. Well, except Lawrence and Summer- resident bookworms.
So the many librarians behind desks and bustling about with books definitely were not ready for the mob of teenagers who came bustling in, searching each shelf for anything that might refer to their new practice place.
"Excuse me- could I look at old newspapers on microfilm?"
"Do you know where there's anything about old houses in this city?"
"What about haunted houses?"
"Could you point me to the historical section?"
"Houses built in the late 1800's?"
"Any big, bad stuff that happened here a long time ago?"
The group was babbling all at once to a pointy-nosed librarian who seemed completely overwhelmed.
"AHEM!" A loud voice boomed from behind, causing them all to spin around. An elderly African American lady who had a ready-for-anything look on her face was there.
"Children these days!" She gasped to no one in particular. "Ugh! There is no silencing them! I remember in my day, if we spoke above a whisper in the library, we'd get a good ruler to the hand!"
"Um, sorry, ma'am." Summer smiled weakly. "We just need a little help finding-"
"I can see that, child! I'm old- not deaf! I'm assuming you're all looking up the same thing?" She interrupted.
"Yup." Freddy nodded eagerly.
"That's 'Yes, ma'am'! Honestly..." She rolled her eyes. "Now. I am Bertha and I'd be happy to help you. Isadora- show these three to the back room where all the microfilms are located. You four- you're gonna find information on town history past those two shelves and to the left! You three- local legends, myths, and spook tales are gonna be to the right, five rows of shelves down. If you need further assistance, please contact me and remember!! Be quiet in the library or I might just get those old rulers out..." Bertha commanded better than a military sergeant.
Summer almost felt as if she should salute before following the quiet Isadora into the microfilm room with Zack and Marta. But she refrained, and bustled behind Isadora instead as the rest of the group broke off, and into the back room- the microfilm room.
Isadora left with a quaint wave as the three stared at the many machines.
"Well," Summer sighed, walking over to one. "Let's get started."
!#$%&())(&%$#!
One hour and twenty one minutes later...
!#$%&())(&%$#!
Marta collapsed onto the floor. She was out of newspapers to look at. And she had made absolutely zero progress.
"I've searched from 1880 to 1920 and have found almost nothing!" Zack complained, sitting down against his microfilm machine.
"Same here! 1921 to 1975 is blank!" Summer did the same.
"And from '76 and up, too. There is absolutely nothing about 13 Old Street..." Marta sighed.
"Well... maybe we shouldn't look for just Local stuff on the house. Maybe, like Freddy said when we first came, we should just look for important, big things?" Summer suggested.
"What are we even looking for?! Ghosts?! Or what? How do we know that what Freddy and Katie thought were spooks really wasn't just their imagination?!" Marta cried. "I want to get out of this small, cramped, room. Now."
Okay... it wasn't like Marta wanted to sound mean or anything. It was just that her clausterophobia was getting to her.
Ever since Marta could remember, she had had an odd sense of the fear... Doors always had to be open for her, or it would seem like everything was just closing in on her... she shuddered just from the thought...
Sometimes, she wouldn't even close the car windows because of it. And window shades always had to be open.
But for some reason, she could never bring herself to tell the others about her fear...
Right now, he wanted out of this small, cramped, nausea-creating room- even if it's door was open, she had been in here way over her claustrophobia point...
"Marta!" Summer begged, putting on that pouty-face that managers use when they are really desperate to get their way (or like Katie's bassist pout).
"Summer!" Marta did the same thing back.
"Let's just look a bit longer! I swear we'll check on the others soon!" Summer promised. Marta sighed. There was no use trying to go against it.
"Fine," She surrendered. "Can I just take a step outside really quick? I really need some fresh air."
Summer nodded empathetically.
Marta quickly stepped out of the room and back into the vastness of the library. She let out a shuddery sigh and took a deep breath.
"Only a little longer, Blondie." She told herself. "It's not that bad..."
With another breath, she turned and walked back inside to find Summer standing next to Zack at his machine. She smiled. The two looked so cute together- even if they didn't realize it completely yet.
As the walls seemed to close in again, Marta decided to take a breather just a little longer... yeah... not because of the claustrophobia, for Summer and Zack, she tried convincing herself. It wasn't working.
"Marta!" A voice from the library echoed. "Look at this!" Gordon came racing up to her, holding a small, leather-bound book.
"Quiet in my library!!!" Bertha's voice called out in warning. Marta chuckled and then focused down at the book Gordon had.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
"It's a journal of some girl from forever ago. It's really hard to read though. The date is early 1885." He explained. "We were wondering if maybe you found anything in that year in the newspapers."
"I'm not sure. Zack said he didn't see anything- but we could check again." Marta assured him, as together they turned into the room (with one last big, open, spaced breath for Marta). Welding her eyes shut as she walked through the door, she heard Gordon try to close it.
"Leave it open." She snapped. She opened her eyes to see odd looks from the other three. She quickly covered, "I don't feel to well... I kinda like the view to the outside."
Gordon quickly told Summer and Zack about the journal, and Zack immediately began racing through papers on the machine.
"Mid-1884... and..." He paused.
"What?" Marta asked, curiously.
"It stops in November of 1884 and goes straight to January of 1886. There is no 1885." Summer spoke.
For some reason, the chills picked an odd timing to run through Marta...
"Why didn't you see that before, Zack?" Gordon asked curiously.
"I don't know... I thought... I guess the dates of the paper just kinda blended together- I was looking for events, not dates..." Zack gulped out.
This is so weird, Marta thought. Why would a whole year- and a month more- be missing?
"Guys!" Katie's voice rang out. "We've got a bunch of books to look at. I think we're ready to check them out and leave!"
The group in the back room gazed at each other, still puzzled by the absence, but emptied out of the room anyways.
Marta had a feeling that soon everything would make sense... just make perfect sense...
((So whadya think??? The next few chapters should be interesting... hopefully... Please review- and here's more replies to my reviewers!!!!))
mellowyellow36: thanks!! You rock, too! lol!
Swimmerkitti: thanks so much!! I'm so glad you like it! I've been trying really hard to make this one realistic and a better fic of mine and I'm glad it's paying off- lol!
Jamiemarie33: Who rocks? Who rocks? You rock for giving me such an awesome review- lol! Thanks so much!!
Thedoorsrock: I'm glad it's creepy, lol, thanks!!! Who doesn't love late-night spooky stories???
Wyverna: you rock so much!! I'm so glad you like my story!! I can't wait to read yours!!! Im not sure if you reviewed last chapter, you prolly did but I didn't see it- so sorry!!! I owe you a shout out- remember that, lol! Thanks for the review!!
Nanners-77: wow, that reminds me of this one time I was watching The Ring- our phone rang at the exact same time as the movie and I must have jumped up 20 feet!!! Thanks for the awesome review!!!
LJStagFlower: glad you like it- lol! I couldn't resist putting some romancey stuff in here! Thanks!!!
Waterbug7: I'm so glad you love it! And think its creepy- lol!!! Thanks!!
Hopelesslydevoted12: thank you so much- glad you think so- lol!
ProjectPink: thanks a bunch- I'll do my best to update this one!!!